As the online Consumer Electronics & Gaming arm of the most popular mobile phone network, EE, EE Store processes thousands of orders every week across a range of categories. The team has decades of experience in eCommerce, and so we got in touch with Duncan Rutherford, Head of eCommerce at EE to understand how BT & EE used Reevoo, now Feefo, to help fuel growth.
In our conversation, Duncan shared insights on how the business uses customer feedback, the role of verified reviews in their strategy, and their positive experiences working with Feefo as a partner.
The challenge: Unverified reviews and missing insights
The team at EE Store initially used an in-house system. But since those reviews weren’t verified in the eyes of customers, they struggled to use them effectively to build trust, or use the insights contained in them – they couldn’t rely on the data to inform business decisions.
EE Store also needed a way to share detailed product information with customers. Even the best product descriptions can only go so far in reassuring customers that they have found the right product for them. Customers want to understand the experience of existing owners, and especially those with similar challenges or decision-making processes. Reading those reviews allows them to make their purchase decision in a more informed way.
EE Store also wanted to gather NPS data about products, brands and categories customers were buying to ensure they could have robust conversations in commercial and supply chain settings to ensure they were providing feedback and accountability to brands about the products in the hands of real consumers.
The solution: Verified reviews and enhanced product insights
EE Store needed a trusted solution that enabled them to display impartial reviews alongside detailed product information. Customers don’t just want product descriptions – they want to know how the product performs in real-world conditions, often looking to reviews for reassurance. ‘Users want to see examples of people using the device like they intend to, not how we as a retailer may position them,’ explains Duncan.
Our verified review system provided a trusted third-party platform, offering transparency and trust that helped EE Store showcase real customer experiences alongside product listings.
Overcoming launch challenges with Syndication
One of the significant hurdles EE Store faced was displaying reviews for new products. When launching new tech, EE Store struggled with having no immediate reviews. Waiting for customers to leave feedback slowed down potential sales, and since thousands of consumers rely on reviews before making a purchase, this was a problem. Keeping customers on your site – and being able to read authentic reviews directly on the product page – is essential.
Our Syndication feature solved this by allowing EE Store to display reviews from our network of trusted clients. With this, EE Store could instantly display authentic feedback for new products, ensuring potential customers had the information they needed to make informed decisions from the moment products were listed. This syndication gave EE Store a competitive edge from launch, driving sales even during product launches. ‘As a new partner with Feefo this got us up and running at pace, and it works both ways – our customers experiences and feedback ends up supporting those product sales in a range of channels,’ Duncan explained.
Learning from mistakes and staying accountable
Every business gets it wrong sometimes – but the best companies also know that mistakes are an opportunity to learn from, so that action can be taken to prevent those issues occurring again. The team at EE Store know this, as Duncan explains:
"It's never going to be perfect; if a customer has had to contact customer services, there’s likely been an issue. But we can monitor it and know what caused the issue to take place.
For example, when we've had big console launches and stock availability has been poor, people can get frustrated, perhaps it didn’t arrive when they expected it to. We use that data to understand what happened and what to learn for the next time – and think how we can position key messages in the right places.
It is imperative to us that we recognise when things don't go well, use data to back it up and then actually shape the decisions that we make based on the context that that, that we get from customers. Taking accountability is so important and the Feefo platform allows us to do that."
As part of their commitment to great customer service, the extended EE Store customer team (led by Alex Dawson), reply to each review collected through Feefo. With a human behind each interaction, customer service standards are kept consistently high and ongoing improvements can be made.
Enhancing trust with multiple feedback platforms
While Feefo is their primary platform, EE Store also gathers feedback via Trustpilot, recognising that customers value multiple trust signals, and want to leave reviews where they prefer.
However, because Trustpilot’s open platform allows anyone to leave reviews, they encounter feedback for all aspects of the EE business, including services like broadband. That’s why they use Feefo data to inform commercial decisions based on genuine product sales and feedback about the experience the customer had.
This dual collection strategy helps EE Store gain a broader understanding of customer sentiment while relying on Feefo for actionable insights.
Partnership with Feefo: Seamless support and collaboration
We were delighted to hear that Duncan’s experience working with Feefo reflects the service we aim to provide; not just as a platform provider, but as a true partner.
"Something I'm always pleased to advocate is the relationship with Feefo has always been excellent… we've always had a really good Customer Success Manager. I always say a tech partner should feel like an extension of the team… I know if I need something I can get in touch with the Feefo support team, and get the highest quality support immediately."
This seamless collaboration has enabled EE Store to focus on their core business, confident that the Feefo team is always available to support when they need it.
Expanding the partnership: What’s next?
Given the successful collaboration between EE Store and Feefo, the wider EE team is now planning to integrate Feefo into a broader range of digital touchpoints. This expansion is set to further enhance the use of customer feedback across different areas of the business, reinforcing their commitment to delivering top-tier customer service and experiences.
The evolution of EE Store
BT acquired the renowned dabs.com brand in 2006 and launched a BT branded front end (BT Shop), which ultimately became EE Store (store.ee.co.uk) as it is today. Now, the EE Store serves thousands of customers daily, offering a wide range of tech products, supported by decades of eCommerce experience.
