The multi-channel retailer has deployed OpenSpan technology at its two branch contact centres in Manchester and Glasgow, which handle an estimated 4.5 million calls per year.

More than 600 customer service assistants will be using the OpenSpan Desktop Automation system to help reduce average handling times, with agents having to launch and search fewer desktop applications for some customer queries.

The system will also reduce agent manual work by automating updates to note fields in multiple applications, and quicken order fulfillment by providing a unified view of stock availability and delivery status, and controlling costs associated with out-of-area deliveries.

"OpenSpan is a key tenet of our continuous improvement strategy for our contact centres," said head of John Lewis contact centres David Dickins. "At John Lewis we are leveraging OpenSpan to help our contact centres deliver on-going improvements in business process efficiency and accuracy."

In other contact centre news, to customers' emails from ten working days to just three, after implementing a cloud-based contact centre platform.