Maximum customer satisfaction, maximum efficiency

ION is a property developer of residential and working spaces. ION uses Ziggu to guide homebuyers from reservation through to aftercare. Since 2018, 25+ ION projects have run through the customer portal, with 2,700+ buyers in it. Projects that once counted sixty or eighty apartments now run into the hundreds.

• Sector: Property development, residential and working spaces
• On Ziggu since: 2018
• Projects on Ziggu: 25+
• Buyers in the portal: 2,700+
• Connected to: Salesforce (ERP and CRM), Letsbuild
• Used for: Documents, Conversations, Decisions, Reports, Client updates

2018: why did ION build a customer team and a portal at the same time?

In 2018, ION set up a dedicated team to care for homebuyers from reservation to completion of their home. The creation of that team was also the start of the collaboration with Ziggu.

“We implemented the Ziggu platform at the same time as the launch of our team,” said Ellen De Clercq, Head of Customer Advisory at ION. “This was a good move from our part actually, because that way we got off to a good start, and we could take customers on ION’s digitalisation path more easily.”

Peter Artois, technical director at ION at the time and since departed, put the two halves on the same footing: “Assembling the right team of customer advisors was of course very important. But a smart customer platform was equally crucial.”

Elke Deceuninck, then a customer advisor on that new team, tested it from both sides before the first buyer saw it. “We tried out the platform for ourselves first, both from our perspective and the perspective of the client. We noticed really quickly that it was something very workable. Even for people who have less digital knowledge.”

How did the team put the portal to work?

Every buyer got one dossier, and everyone around the project got access to it. “People are happy to have one spot where they can contact their advisor, check offers, ask questions, etcetera”, Ellen De Clercq said. “Everyone, from the kitchen designer to the floorer, has access to the platform.”

ION connected Ziggu to its ERP and CRM system, Salesforce, so client information did not have to be typed in twice.

Daily use followed quickly. “Just like it’s a habit to open your mailbox, you open Ziggu”, said Elke Deceuninck. The effect she valued most was the one nobody plans for: “If I get sick tomorrow, my colleagues can easily take over. They don’t have to search through emails or a Dropbox to find out what was decided when about which project to be able to help my clients.”

What happened when the projects got bigger?

They multiplied in size. “In terms of customer support, we have remained the same — close contact with our customers still takes centre stage,” Ellen De Clercq said four years into the collaboration. “But our projects have grown. In the past, projects with sixty or eighty apartments were the exception, but now, that scale is quite normal for us.”

By then ION had a project of about 200 units in planning. More units means more buyers per advisor, which is exactly the point at which manual follow-up gives out. “Thanks to Ziggu, we can inform all those buyers much faster”, she said.

The product had to keep up with that growth. “If you look at how the platform was four years ago — good but basic —  and compare it to how it is now… wow, those guys from Ziggu have created a clever platform in a short amount of time.”

What did the COVID-19 lockdowns test?

During the COVID-19 lockdowns the showrooms closed, and the choices still had to be made.

“People suddenly had to make their choices online because they could no longer go to the showrooms due to the lockdown. So, of course, at a time like that, it’s handy to have an online platform where they can easily do that,” Ellen De Clercq said. “The fact that we were already very digital-minded at ION and Ziggu was well established in our way of working, ensured that we didn't have to worry about how we had to arrange everything digitally during the lockdowns.”

What happens after the handover?

ION stays in the portal after the keys change hands. Buyers of a recently completed apartment building filed their remarks through Ziggu, ION worked through them, and told the owners in the same place once each item was done.

“It’s crucial to us that we can continue to inform customers, but that they also have a point of contact. Even if they already live in the apartment, we put a lot of emphasis on our customer support,” Ellen De Clercq said.

Her test for anyone choosing a portal is short:

“If you strive for maximum customer satisfaction, you have to give your homebuyers a platform that explains itself”