eBay operated across around 190 markets with 1.5 billion live listings and 25 million Sellers. Supporting so many Sellers across so many countries made it difficult to keep them effective and satisfied. eBay needed to scale Seller engagement without sacrificing service quality. During COVID-19, eBay also wanted to better support its top-performing Seller community through a challenging economic period. eBay went live with a tech solution in May 2020 that connected experienced Sellers with those seeking help. Top-ranked Sellers were recruited into a Seller Expert team to provide peer-to-peer guidance and coaching to improve marketplace performance. Seller questions across 100+ subjects—including listings, fees, shipping, returns, and payments—were routed to more experienced Sellers. This approach also deflected inquiries away from traditional support so those teams could focus on other value-adding work. eBay reduced cost per case and lowered its re-contact rate compared to in-house and outsourced operations. The program delivered consistently high CSAT scores. The work won the 'Best Customer Engagement Initiative' award at the ECCCSAs. The peer-to-peer model provided first-hand advice and empathy that traditional support often struggled to match.

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Sage faced a predictable surge in customer inquiries during the March–April year-end peak for Sage 50c Accounting and Payroll in the UK and Ireland. Traditional approaches required temporary hiring, lengthy ramp-up time, and added fixed costs to cover the spike. COVID-19 further complicated remote hiring and training needs. Sage also wanted to deliver a more personal, always-on support experience while improving customer satisfaction cost effectively. Sage launched the Sage Ambassador program by inviting and qualifying small and medium-sized business owner experts to provide on-demand help. Customers asked questions on Sage’s website contact pages, which routed requests to qualified experts for fast responses on topics like invoicing, bank feeds setup, and reconciliation reporting. The approach enabled seamless escalation to traditional contact center resources when needed. This also allowed Sage’s contact center teams to focus on other aspects of customer support. The program reduced average customer response times by 53%, giving customers answers about half the time compared to previous handling. Customer Satisfaction Scores reached 90% and improved by 10% after the program went live. Sage achieved zero training costs because experts were invitation-only and qualified through a structured onboarding process. The peer-to-peer model also improved brand perception and supported higher conversion rates through expert guidance for prospective customers.

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Microsoft wanted to align Account.microsoft.com with its Shift Left strategy by deflecting contact to digital channels and encouraging customers to self-serve. The goal was to generate cost savings that could be reinvested into its workforce to improve productivity. It also needed an innovative, flexible service model without a large upfront investment in resources or overhead costs. Microsoft implemented an IVR option that let callers choose to “message an Expert.” After selecting the option, customers received an instant text message linking to a Messenger widget. Through the widget, customers connected with a crowd of experts who provided support for account, billing, and subscription needs. The implementation provided on-demand support availability around the clock. It supported contact deflection and improved self-serve for Account.microsoft.com. It also enabled Microsoft to draw on fans’ knowledge and enthusiasm to help resolve customer queries without a large upfront resource investment.

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Zwift faced rising support demands driven by rapid community growth and large seasonal swings between summer and winter months. The company needed a creative way to scale support without disrupting the customer experience. It also needed to help new riders and runners get started quickly while maintaining service quality. Zwift tapped into its engaged community by inviting and qualifying Zwift users from around the globe to become support experts. The implementation integrated a messenger experience behind a virtual assistant so Zwifters and prospects could connect with these experts. The solution also connected into Zwift’s CRM system to support a consistent customer experience across expert-led and employee-led interactions. The program strengthened the Zwift community by enabling experienced users to help others with troubleshooting and creative fixes. It provided 24/7 support availability along with fast response times. Zwift also delivered high-quality support, and the rollout was not difficult or disruptive for the organization.

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Postmates operated a food and drink delivery service across 3,500 US cities and made 5 million deliveries a month. Their deliveries depended on gig workers in their ‘Fleet’ using an app and GPS. Speed was critical to their service, so the app needed to help the Fleet deliver accurately and overcome issues quickly. Traditional user testing could be slow and expensive for these needs. Postmates partnered with a GigCX platform to collect large-scale feedback directly from their Fleet about app operations and usability issues. A large number of Fleet members registered in the platform and received a short training session to provide high-quality feedback. They then received regular tasks they could complete in their own time and were paid for participation. This approach enabled broad outreach and rapid collection of feedback at minimal cost. First-hand input from Fleet users provided unique insights that informed how Postmates improved their app and supported Fleet performance. Experienced experts helped less experienced couriers by sharing empathy and practical understanding from doing the work themselves. This support helped novice drivers quickly find their feet while channeling vital feedback to product teams. Postmates described the approach as a game changer for customer satisfaction and faster issue resolution.

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Sunbasket was a fast-growing subscription meal delivery service with a loyal, passionate customer base. It needed fast, flexible customer service to keep fans happy. The team also wanted quick, hassle-free ways to resolve issues while staying responsible to the bottom line. Since 2018, Sunbasket deployed a gig-based customer expert program to help answer customer inquiries. Customer “Experts” supported topics such as meal kit deliveries, meal plan options, and subscriptions, bringing empathy and care from lived experience. Sunbasket also expanded the program to test new website features and updates, collecting feedback for product and marketing teams. In addition, Experts trialed driving online signups through social media ads by engaging prospects via a messenger app. The program doubled the pool of Experts supporting Sunbasket customers. Customer satisfaction scores trended consistently at 80% or above. Expert satisfaction remained high, with over 90% of Experts willing to recommend the experience to family or friends.

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Unilever needed to address volatility in digital customer contacts across global markets where consumers spoke different languages and showed varied cultural tendencies. The company wanted to shift from a 9-to-5 model to an always-on 24/7 service model. It also aimed to access new and diverse talent globally while tackling high agent churn and lowering training costs. Unilever deployed a crowdsourcing platform to recruit product Experts through targeted marketing campaigns. After qualification via an onboarding program, these Experts answered consumer enquiries about Unilever brands and received rewards. The approach supported a flexible, on-demand workforce across Unilever’s biggest markets, including the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, India, and Brazil. Unilever shifted to 24/7 on-demand support and improved productivity by optimizing staffing with an agile workforce. It reduced cost per case by up to 40% using a pay-as-you-go, per-case model that paid only for resolved cases rather than active headcount. The program expanded from an initial deployment in UK & Ireland in November 2016 to a further 12 markets with multiple languages globally.

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