Wagenborg Ferry Services (in Dutch; Wagenborg Passagiers Diensten or WPD) transports 2 million passengers and around 200,000 cars and trucks to and from the Wadden Islands in the Netherlands every year. WPD and Perplex Digital are constantly working together to make sure that the WPD website provides an optimal user experience. Using Umbraco, they completely renewed the ecommerce platform, including a Customer Service Hub, monitoring dashboard and ticket machine integration. Perplex is sharing the story of the award-winning case:
Skills used
- Digital Strategy
- eCommerce
- Integrations
- Architecture
- Marketing Automation
Sector
- Retail
- Transport & logistics
- Tourism & hospitality
Partner doing the case
- Company: Perplex Digital & Marketing
- Website: https://www.perplex.nl
- Type: Platinum Partner
A long term relationship
Wagenborg Ferry Services already had an Umbraco website on which customers could buy ferry tickets online. This website was developed by Perplex Digital 7 years ago.
A new (additional) ferry service that was announced in 2018 (a faster ship for only 48 passengers reducing the travel time to only 20 minutes instead of 50) was the starting point for developing a new e-commerce platform.
We started with the customer
Due to the large number of steps in the customer journey and the amount of variations in the process, extensive preliminary research was essential. In addition to the rating of all the touchpoints in terms of performance and quality of the interaction, the impact of the touchpoint in the complete journey was mapped; what if Wagenborg wouldn’t communicate clearly or is not able to help out the customer in that specific moment? This also resulted in a rating.
This research led to an overview of the key moments; touchpoints with a high impact score and a low quality score. These key moments were most important to focus on and solve in a new online platform.
From Customer Service Hub to ticket vending machines
The findings of all the investigations have been the basis of the new e-commerce platform which makes it possible to check departures, buy ferry e-tickets to the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog and buy parking e-tickets.
Online payment with country specific payment methods is completely integrated.
E-tickets are sold through the full hybrid website but also through several ticket machines. These ticket machines serve an additional website (built on the same Umbraco installation as the website) which from a usability point of view is optimized for touch screen usage.
In Umbraco the specific ticket vending machine can be configured from headquarters by selecting the location and available ferry services.
Within the Umbraco backoffice a Customer Service Hub was developed which makes it possible to support online (and offline) customers with real-time insights in orders, payments and ferry and parking e-tickets.
E-tickets can easily be adjusted and resent by email to the customer.
The complete system is technically monitored and visualized on a custom made dashboard which runs on the same Umbraco platform as the website, the ticket vending machines and the Customer Service Hub.
Result - a personalized, user-friendly journey
The new platform makes it possible to personalize tickets; each ticket for each customer is completely personalized based upon the companion they travel with (babies, young children, group, a dog), the transportation they take to the ferry (public transport or by vehicle), the type of transport they take with them to the island (bicycle, motor, car, mini-van, camper, bus, truck, caravan, etc.), their luggage and finally the type of Ferry Service.
All this data results in an e-ticket with personalized directions and tips which will take away all your remaining questions and make the trip even more relaxed and pleasant.
Award-winning solution
Using Umbraco, we successfully transformed Wagenborg’s digital presence for the better. Even more.
The project brought us home not just one, but two trophies from Umbraco Awards 2019. We’re winners under the Best Custom and Best Gold Partner Solution category!
