Best Direct outsources contact centre and fulfilment to Spark

Contact Centre and fulfillment outsourcer, Spark Response, has been appointed by leading TV and online retailer, Best Direct, to provide support as it continues to expand its retail offering.

Spark will provide contact centre support to the retailer's Direct Response TV (DRTV) campaigns along with fulfillment support across the company's television, web and retailer divisions.

Best Direct specialises in the retail of demonstrable products in the fitness, houseware and lifestyle categories, primarily via its TV channels on Sky 649 and Virgin 813. As the business has continued to expand and evolve, its retail trade has increased significantly, which was one of the key drivers behind the decision to outsource its fulfillment and customer service operations to Spark.

The new contract follows a period of significant expansion for Spark as it has secured a series of new and extended contracts worth £30 million over the next four years. Furthermore, Spark recently announced its appointment by retailer Ethical Superstore to deliver a contract valued at around £2m over the same period.

Maureen Wilson, Managing Director, Best Direct says: "As our business has continued to grow a pace we began looking at ways to make our operations more effective from a cost perspective and to maintain the highest standards of service that our customers have come to know and expect. Outsourcing our fulfillment and a proportion of our contact centre operation was strategically crucial for our business and we evaluated our existing provision before approaching Spark. Working with its team will allow us to focus on consolidating our existing trade platforms, while planning for rapidly expanding retail and eCommerce areas."

Peter Slee, Managing Director, Spark Response says: "To have secured another high profile brand with such a rich heritage is testament to our commitment to delivering the highest possible standards of service and our proven track record in managing Direct Response TV and eCommerce accounts. Working with an outsourced and independent partner to ensure that high volume calls and associated fulfillment can be managed successfully is a key tool for organisations such as Best Direct, as they look to differentiate their organisation from others in an increasingly busy marketplace and we believe we will help them achieve just this."