Vital Pet Group is opening new offices for its customer support team in the North of England.
This means that customers can again expect normal opening hours from 8.30 am to 5pm each day with full-service levels. Vital says the move also coincide with a new team structure to allow retailers to benefit from a more specialised and improved service.
New appointment Zoe Fleming, head of customer experience, said: “This will mean retailers benefit from a better service overall, with quicker status updates and more help to improve profitability.”
The new offices are fully equipped and the team will have access to software to better help them identify their customers’ purchasing needs. Rather than one team of people dealing with all enquiries, there will now be two teams, with one focused on service and an internal account management team.
The internal team will call retailers regularly to help them make stocking decisions, fill range gaps and take advantage of active promotions. The service team will handle questions about deliveries, order processing and payment enquiries.
Zoe said: “Every retailer will benefit from a point of contact they know and who also knows their needs and preferences. They will be hearing from us more often with more bespoke promotions and opportunities that are appropriate for their outlet.
“We appreciate that it’s tough in retailing across the board right now and everyone can benefit from using data to help them make good decisions to improve the profitability of their business. As a retail partner we take our responsibilities in this respect very seriously and look forward to having a positive impact on the success of the independent pet trade.”
Meanwhile Vital has taken on a number of new, high-profile suppliers including Lily’s Kitchen, Edgard Cooper, Almo Nature and Cath Kidston.
Last year, Vital also put 36 new vehicles on the road, including refrigerated vans to deliver fresh and frozen foods. The distribution network has also been strengthened by additional new sites in Glasgow, Surrey, Coventry and Birstall, allowing goods to be transferred between vehicles in clean, dry conditions. A new automated warehouse management system is also expected to deliver operational efficiencies throughout 2020.
