The wireless accessories industry has seen explosive growth, and Xentris Wireless has adeptly navigated this expansion alongside its diverse clientele, ranging from major retailers like Best Buy to providers such as Verizon. Originating in 2003 with a primary focus on product solutions, Xentris has consistently refined its business platform to proactively address the changing demands of its customers and provide superior Xentris Customer Service.
Xentris Wireless delivers a comprehensive suite of solutions, broadly categorized into three core areas, each contributing to enhanced xentris customer service. The first pillar is product development, where Xentris leverages its advanced manufacturing capabilities at its expansive 132,000-square-foot facility in Addison, Illinois, to produce innovative, cutting-edge wireless gadgets. This in-house production ensures quality control and responsiveness to market trends, directly benefiting xentris customer service through reliable product availability.
The second category encompasses comprehensive marketing support for Xentris’s partners. This includes creating impactful product launch materials, developing strategic store plan-o-grams, and producing compelling sales sheets, alongside broader marketing and promotional assets. Crucially, xentris customer service extends to assisting clients in designing effective and appealing product packaging. These packaging solutions are tailored not only to meet display requirements but are also strategically crafted to boost sales performance, demonstrating a deep understanding of customer needs and market dynamics.
The third critical component of Xentris’s offerings, as highlighted by President and CEO Bill Christy, is the logistics aspect of the business. “We are well-equipped to manage packaging and most of the distribution processes,” Christy explains. This logistical expertise is a cornerstone of xentris customer service, ensuring products reach their destinations efficiently. However, Christy notes a significant shift in retailer and carrier distribution strategies over the past decade.
The prevalent industry model has moved away from extensive warehousing. Many of Xentris’s clients are now opting for direct sourcing from overseas manufacturers, subsequently partnering with Xentris to manage the critical steps of product acquisition from China, specialized packaging, and comprehensive logistics management. This evolution underscores the adaptability of xentris customer service to meet changing industry practices.
“Our customers are increasingly seeking to minimize their own warehousing needs,” Christy states. Furthermore, distribution patterns have transformed significantly. Instead of large bulk shipments, like 100,000 units to a central Best Buy distribution center, Xentris now frequently handles shipments of smaller quantities, such as 25 units, to as many as 4,000 individual store locations. This granular distribution model demands sophisticated logistics and exemplifies xentris customer service tailored to modern retail demands.
Streamlining Operations for Enhanced Customer Service
While the shift in distribution methods hasn’t necessarily decreased the total volume of products Xentris handles for clients like Best Buy (still around 300,000 units, for example), the increased complexity of packaging to specific codes and managing deliveries to numerous addresses presented operational challenges. The company’s dedicated 54 full-time employees faced mounting pressure to maintain efficiency and responsiveness, impacting xentris customer service if processes were not optimized.
To proactively address these challenges and maintain its commitment to excellent xentris customer service, Xentris invested in a $1 million Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system throughout 2010. Christy emphasizes that the implementation of the Epicor system was crucial in empowering employees to concentrate on their core responsibilities, such as product innovation, rather than being bogged down by process workarounds needed to meet escalating demands.
“Previously, there were many informal, undocumented processes; teams were not always fully aware of interdependencies. Despite this, everyone demonstrated incredible dedication to their roles and the company’s success, ensuring operations continued,” Christy acknowledged. “However, managing these increasingly complex, multi-destination shipments became extremely time-intensive. We realized that investing in a new system and fundamentally changing our operational approach was the only way to maintain accuracy and scale effectively, ultimately enhancing xentris customer service.”
The new ERP system, launched in May, marked a significant operational transformation. While system implementations are rarely seamless, the necessity for change was driven by increasingly complex deals, such as fulfilling a single Motorola order requiring shipments to 200 to 300 military addresses. Without process optimization, maintaining efficient xentris customer service in the face of such complexity was unsustainable.
The ERP system also positioned Xentris to effectively manage its rapidly expanding online sales channels. For example, Xentris manages online sales for BestBuy.com, creating specific online promotions and coordinating direct shipments to end consumers. This capability is a vital component of modern xentris customer service, catering to the growing e-commerce sector.
“While not an entirely new business area, our internet sales segment has experienced substantial growth,” Christy noted. “Just a year prior, we might process around 20 online orders weekly; now, we are handling several hundred each week.” This surge in online order volume further underscores the importance of robust systems for maintaining excellent xentris customer service.
A Hybrid Approach to Customer-Centric Solutions
Beyond e-commerce, Xentris is experiencing significant growth in traditional retail channels. Accounts with major retailers like Radio Shack and Best Buy have seen growth in the hundreds of percent year-over-year. “Our strengthening partnerships are driven by our expanded capabilities. We not only design products under the Xentris brand but also manage packaging and manufacturing for their private label brands,” Christy explained. This expanded service portfolio directly enhances xentris customer service by offering more comprehensive solutions.
In the partnership with Best Buy, Xentris manufactures products under Best Buy’s Rocket Fish brand. Best Buy then assumes ownership of the product in China and manages subsequent processes. Conversely, when Xentris manufactures products under its own brand, it manages distribution from its center according to retailer specifications. A similar private label arrangement is in place with Radio Shack. This flexible approach is key to xentris customer service, adapting to diverse client needs and operational models.
“Our approach is distinct,” Christy emphasizes. “It’s a hybrid strategy, blending established business practices with adaptations driven by our customers’ evolving needs.” This customer-centric hybrid model is at the heart of xentris customer service.
From the carrier side, Xentris has been a long-standing service provider for Verizon, a relationship that alone sustained the $150 million company effectively. However, to maintain market competitiveness and expand xentris customer service reach, Xentris has strategically broadened its carrier partnerships to include mid-tier providers such as Cricket, Go Wireless, and Wireless Zone.
While these mid-tier carriers operate fewer stores (between 400 and 1,000), their collective purchasing volume contributes significantly to Xentris’s continued growth. Moreover, many larger carriers are periodically exploring direct sourcing for commodity products.
“We anticipated a potential shift in some commodity business segments towards direct sourcing. However, we recognized a substantial market opportunity within the mid-tier carrier segment, which highly values these product categories,” Christy stated. “While we continue to serve major players like Verizon and AT&T, our focus remains on delivering innovative solutions throughout the wireless industry, ensuring consistent and adaptable xentris customer service across all market tiers.”
Admin 5 min read
Brand strategyInsights
