Lidl expands customer service on Whatsapp

Lidl is experimenting with customer service through Whatsapp, which allows customers to quickly reach out to an employee when they have questions. During the first Covid wave, shoppers could already check the business of the stores using Whatsapp.

Within half an hour

Lidl starts using WhatsApp to offer customer service to its clients. Through the chat app, consumers “looking for instananeous support for everyday questions” can expect an answer within half an hour, the German discounter told Irish newspaper The Nationalist.

The other service channels, specifically phone and email, will remain available, but this new option is supposed to be more convenient and seamless for “on-the-go shoppers” in particular. In other words, it is for people who are on their way to the supermarket or customers who are already pushing a shopping trolley.

Digital momentum

The service launched exclusively in Ireland this week. Ireland has been a testing lab for Lidl before: the discounter’s digital loyalty card app was also first trialled in the Irish market. “Designing a fast, easy and satisfying customer experience is at the heart of our business model, and we are delighted that we can now continue this momentum in an innovative and seamless way from our physical stores to our digital presence,” said Eoin Comerford, Head of Customer Service for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In May 2020, Lidl also temporarily launched a chatbot on WhatsApp, informing customers about the quietest times to shop. In doing so, the retailer tried to reduce queues and made it easier to stick to social distancing measures. On the German home market, there has been another chatbot LiA since 2019, which can answer questions about the assortment. On Whatsapp, however, it would be actual people manning the interface.