Lands' End Becomes the First Apparel Retailer to Launch Live Video Chat Nationwide

DODGEVILLE, Wis., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Lands' End launched Lands' End Live™, a revolutionary new online video chat tool that pairs state-of-the-art technology with Lands' End's legendary customer service, in conjunction with National Customer Service Week. A simple click of a button brings a personal shopper right to the landsend.com user's computer screen for real-time assistance. The launch makes Lands' End the first apparel retailer nationwide to offer customers a video chat option – and adds another industry first to its repertoire.

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Lands' End Live, featuring technology exclusive to Lands' End, gives online customers the opportunity to see and talk to a Lands' End personal shopper who can navigate the site, provide product recommendations and compare merchandise. With thousands of product samples at their finger tips, the personal shoppers will be able to show customers a variety of products – demonstrating product features and functionalities, and sharing details about merchandise colors and patterns.

"Establishing personal connections with our customers has always been an important part of who we are at Lands' End," said Joan Conlin, vice president of customer care services, Lands' End. "In the wake of National Customer Service Week, we are thrilled to be able to offer our legendary customer service in new and innovative ways. Offering our landsend.com users real-time, one-on-one personal shopper assistance makes online shopping even more efficient and enjoyable."

The Future of Customer Service

When a customer chooses the Lands' End Live Help button, located on the customer service pages, the site will launch a brief welcome video. For more information about how video chat works, customers can select the Find Out More option. To begin the live video chat, customers can click the "Help Me Now" button located at the bottom of the browser window.

Brief video prompts will launch in a variety of scenarios to assist Lands' End Live users and ensure they are having the best customer experience possible.

Landsend.com users who launch the live video chat can choose to communicate with the personal shopper via voice chat, where they can use their headset or computer's built-in microphone and speakers or keyboard/text chat, where they type their questions using their computer keyboard. Additionally, shoppers can provide their telephone number and a personal shopper will call them directly. Lands' End personal shoppers can demonstrate product features and details, as well as help navigate the Web site regardless of the chat option selected.

Lands' End Experts Ready to Chat

The one-way live video chat option will be available on Monday, October 4, to shoppers at landsend.com/customerservice and landsend.com/outerwear. Lands' End personal shoppers and outerwear experts, based in Dodgeville, Wis., – an area familiar with outerwear and cold weather – will be on hand to demonstrate product features and offer first-hand insights and suggestions on outerwear selections.

"Our outerwear is rich in design details, and having the ability to demonstrate these features to our online customers is an incredibly unique service," said Conlin. "From hand-warmer sheaths, and snow guard cuffs to the Grow-A-Long™ extended sleeves and pant legs in the kids' outerwear collection, our personal shoppers will be able to truly bring these products to life."

Available Seven Days a Week

Lands' End Live will be available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Customer care specialists will continue to be available 24/7 364 days a year by calling 1-800-800-5800. The company plans to make this new technology, provided by U.K.-based vendor Vee24, available at the in-store kiosks in Lands' End Inlets and the Lands' End Shops at Sears stores nationwide in the coming months. As always, customers who order merchandise from the in-store kiosks will receive free shipping on all Lands' End orders. Additionally, the company also plans to extend Lands' End Live to its international locations in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and Austria.

How the technology works

Lands' End Live Video Chat sessions are managed through a new ground-breaking system called Veedesk®, which in effect is a mini broadcasting studio built into a touch screen PC. All the customer requires is a normal PC or laptop with broadband Internet access.

The Live Video Chat is designed to easily enhance the shopping experience and establish the next class in ultimate customer service – a friendly, face-to-face online dialogue with the ability to share information visually and guide customers effortlessly through all aspects of the process. "With Lands' End's legendary reputation for outstanding customer service, no one will be surprised that they were the first retailer to adopt this new and exciting technology," said Andy Henshaw, Vee24 CEO. "This video-engaging technology marks a monumental change in online marketing and fundamentally changes the way customers will shop."

Lands' End Customer Service Firsts

Lands' End has a strong history of innovation and industry firsts. In addition to being the first apparel retailer to introduce Lands' End Live video chats of this kind, Lands' End was the first to offer the following customer services:

• First to offer a toll-free phone number for ordering (early 80s).
• First to make two-day shipping standard without a surcharge anywhere in the continental U.S. (1994).
• First apparel retailer to have an e-commerce enabled Web site (1995).
• First consumer retailer to offer real-time, human assistance on the Web via electronic chat or phone (1999).

About Lands' End

Lands' End® is one of the world's largest retailers of clothing for the family. In addition, Lands' End offers an innovative collection of fine quality goods for the home. Lands' End merchandise can be purchased online at www.landsend.com, by calling 1-800-800-5800, and by visiting the Lands' End Shop at Sears. Lands' End is a proud member of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD). And, all high-quality Lands' End merchandise is Guaranteed. Period.®

SOURCE Lands' End