Swiss sports brand On, with more than 7 million customers worldwide, started in the Swiss Alps on a hiking trip. Oliver Bernhard, multiple Ironman winner, talked with two of his friends about the need for a running shoe that would revolutionize the sensation of running—a shoe based on soft landing and powerful takeoff so that professional athletes and everyday athletes alike felt as if they were “running on clouds.” 

In 2010, Bernhard and his two friends founded On and eleven years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories. They have also racked up numerous awards for product design and technology, athletes have won Olympic medals competing in On shoes, and Swiss tennis star Roger Federer worked with its product development team to release his namesake shoe.

‍Lack of Visibility for Customers Creates Overload in Customer Service Tickets

The On team sought to offer a positive customer experience without overloading their support team.

“We want to create a very easy, self-service experience where the customer can get whatever he or she needs in that very moment, by looking at the website,” said Verena Strunk-Wenzl, Global Head of Customer Experience at On.

As a truly global brand serving Europe, North America, Asia, and South America, On faced complex challenges in providing clear communication about package status with a variety of languages, regions, and local carriers to work with.

On’s customer service team, as a result, was swamped by calls from customers asking about their order status and when their order would be delivered.

“When we order something, especially something for sports, for being active, we really want that product soon,” Strunk-Wenzl said of customer expectations.

On wanted to turn this order anticipation into an opportunity, engaging customers and promoting future purchases.

"We can show a different (estimated delivery) date to a different customer based on the shipping method that they chose. And the email that the customer gets is in their local language."
Verena Strunk-Wenzl, Global Head of Customer Experience at On

‍An Intelligent Customer Experience at a Global Scale

Just as On’s shoes have a sole that adapts to the needs of the individual, the company set out to create a personalized online customer experience. On decided to partner with Narvar to increase trust and loyalty in customers with accurate estimated delivery dates, engaging post-purchase order tracking, and effortless returns experiences. 

Using Narvar’s Promise product, On was able to provide customers all over the globe with accurate estimated delivery dates (EDD) while the customer was still in the consideration phase, which led to a significant increase in On’s conversion rate on the site.

Narvar helps On seamlessly navigate across a number of continents, multiple languages, various currencies, and the complexities of local carriers to encourage and empower customers with accurate delivery information and a localized experience, making Narvar an important partner for scaling the business globally. “We fulfill in many countries and in many languages, so we always have to make sure that the communication is really customized,” said Strunk-Wenzl.  

On works with Narvar’s fully automated platform, providing everything from estimated delivery dates during the checkout process to transparent order tracking and seamless return tracking for a superior customer experience. Narvar’s suite of intuitive solutions puts customer intelligence data in play before, during, and after a purchase, making every touchpoint a more  emotional and human connection for On’s customers.

On was able to provide customers all over the globe with accurate estimated delivery dates (EDD) while the customer was still in the consideration phase, which led to a significant increase in On’s conversion rate.

‍Holistic Customer Experience Creates Meaningful Relationships

The results? Customers are happier and customer support employees have more time to focus on premium service tasks and strategy. 

The customer experience is simplified and streamlined when the right software tools are in place. “Through Narvar’s products, we can differentiate ourselves and show a different date to a different customer based on the shipping method that they chose. And the email that the customer gets is in their local language, for example, Japanese,” explains Strunk-Wenzl.

For On, technology like their own CloudTec© technology has always been their differentiator in a competitive market. With Narvar on board, the e-commerce customer experience is deep and immersive, with software solutions for customer engagement, order fulfillment, and seamless returns to everyone in every corner of the world.