When a customer contacts Puustelli, the service experience should be smooth, regardless of which store they call or when they get in touch.

This need brought Puustelli, Suomen ICT Picte and DialOk together in 2020. Over the years, a single callback service has developed into a broader solution in which DialOk works alongside and supports Puustelli’s own centralised customer service. DialOk receives enquiries, routes them onwards and supports Puustelli’s stores and switchboard operations.

The goal is simple but important: customers are heard, and their enquiries move forward smoothly.

Consistent service across every store

Puustelli wants to offer friendly, knowledgeable and consistent service, regardless of the channel customers use or the store they contact.

In some situations, DialOk may be the customer’s very first contact with Puustelli. That makes the first interaction particularly important.

A DialOk customer service agent receives the enquiry, assesses the situation and makes sure it reaches the right place. This might involve booking an appointment, transferring a call to the right person or sending a callback request to a store.

This keeps the customer’s enquiry moving forward and allows sales staff to focus on the customer visiting the store.

“We want customers to quickly feel that their enquiry has been received and that action is being taken.”

Jori Ajosmäki, IT Manager, Puustelli

Improvements in the customer experience are also reflected in Puustelli’s metrics. During the partnership, Puustelli’s NPS has risen from around 60 to around 80 – an increase of approximately 20 points. NPS, or Net Promoter Score, indicates how likely customers are to recommend Puustelli to others and is measured on a scale from −100 to +100. The survey is conducted only after the customer has accepted delivery. This progress reflects Puustelli’s sustained work to improve the customer experience, supported by an effective and flexible customer service solution.

Puustelli’s NPS rose from around 60 to around 80 between 2020 and 2026.

Flexibility for stores and everyday customer service

Puustelli’s stores vary in size, and customer service needs change with the seasons and market conditions.

DialOk adds flexibility and complements Puustelli’s own centralised customer service. When a salesperson is serving a customer or a store is closed, enquiries are still received and passed on. When necessary, enquiries are directed to Puustelli’s own customer service or the appropriate store. In day-to-day store operations, the partnership is visible through contact requests and appointments arranged by DialOk, for example.

The service is particularly valuable during peaks in demand. Customers receive service and their enquiries move forward even when many people get in touch at once.

The first interaction matters when something has not gone as expected, too

The customer experience becomes particularly important when things have not gone according to the customer’s expectations.

DialOk also receives enquiries relating to complaints. In the first conversation, the priorities are to listen, record the issue in sufficient detail and direct it to the right person.

A good initial response builds confidence that the customer’s situation has been understood and that the issue is being addressed.

“A good initial response gives customers confidence that their issue has been understood and is being dealt with.”

“A good initial response gives customers confidence that their issue has been understood and is being dealt with,” Ajosmäki says.

Customer service also generates valuable information

The value of the partnership goes beyond handling enquiries. Puustelli receives reports on contact volumes and reasons for contact, using this information to develop its service and identify recurring patterns.

The partnership has also expanded to include proactive customer contact and gathering customer insights.

In one joint campaign, DialOk contacted customers who had received a quotation from Puustelli. The aim was to listen and better understand their decision-making, rather than to sell.

Knowing whether a sale is progressing does not explain what mattered to the customer. Puustelli wanted a clearer understanding of the factors influencing their decisions.

The conversations also highlighted an important finding: many factors affect customer decisions that numbers alone cannot reveal.

The insights have been used to improve reporting, surveys and customer understanding. Identifying recurring patterns more effectively makes it possible to focus improvements on the things that matter most to customers.

A partnership that evolves with changing needs

Beginning as a callback service in 2020, the partnership has expanded to cover customer service, appointment booking, switchboard services and separate customer contact campaigns.

Flexibility and a shared desire to develop the service are key reasons for the long-standing partnership. Working practices, guidelines and reporting are updated as needs change, ensuring that the solution continues to serve Puustelli in the future.

DialOk’s sales partner Suomen ICT Picte plays an important role. Picte’s work goes beyond maintaining existing services: it actively develops the partnership by listening to Puustelli’s business and customer service needs. Over the years, Picte has introduced new solutions and ideas for improvement, helping the service expand step by step.

“It is important for us to understand our customers’ operating environment and actively consider how customer service solutions can support their business. We have shared our expertise with Puustelli and brought new ideas for developing the overall service,” says Kari Aaltonen from Picte.

This proactive approach has been reflected in the development of customer service and switchboard operations, for example. Picte has highlighted new ways to use DialOk’s services and proposed how different solutions could benefit Puustelli. The partnership has also identified opportunities to deepen customer understanding.

“We want to take an interest in our customers’ businesses beyond their existing services. When we spot an opportunity to improve customer service or customer understanding, for example, we actively bring it into the discussion,” says Teemu Henttonen from Picte.

At regular meetings, Puustelli, Picte and DialOk review the service together and can quickly put new requirements into practice. Ajosmäki particularly values the way operations and reporting have been developed collaboratively, rather than the service remaining unchanged for years.

For Puustelli, the partnership provides consistent support for nationwide customer service and allows service capacity to flex with changing demand.

Ajosmäki sums up the partnership in three qualities:

“A flexible, practical and constantly evolving partnership.”

Puustelli wanted to ensure a consistent, smooth customer experience throughout Finland, regardless of store size or the volume of enquiries.

The solution evolved gradually into a partnership in which DialOk complements Puustelli’s own centralised customer service. It covers outsourced customer service, callbacks, appointment booking and switchboard services. The partnership has also been expanded with proactive customer contact and customer insight gathering through outbound campaigns.

As a result, Puustelli can serve customers consistently and flexibly, even during peaks in demand. Enquiries are received and routed onwards, while Puustelli gains valuable information to develop its service. The positive trend in customer experience is also reflected in Puustelli’s NPS, which has risen from around 60 to around 80.