The post-purchase experience has become a critical battleground for retail brands, yet many e-commerce teams still treat it as an afterthought. For ME+EM, a UK-based luxury fashion brand spotted on everyone from Kate Middleton to Nicole Kidman and Claudia Winkleman, the customer journey doesn't end at checkout. It's where the real relationship building and customer satisfaction begins.
In a recent conversation on the Factory Podcast, Rosie Duffy, Head of Customer Care at ME+EM, revealed how the brand is revolutionising its post-purchase strategy to drive customer lifetime value (CLTV) while maintaining the personal touch that luxury customers expect.
More than just customer service
"We deal with 2,000 to 3,000 customers a week," Rosies explains. "They tell us what's working, what's not working. We use that data — actual evidence of broken processes, pain points, what customers are asking for — and then use that to help drive our customer experience strategy."
This data-driven approach has positioned ME+EM's customer care team as more than just a cost center. They've become a strategic intelligence unit, feeding insights directly back into product development, marketing, business, and delivery strategy.
Customer feedback in action
One striking example of this feedback loop in action came through customer advocacy for model diversity. "We've had customers call out about the size of our models in our brochures," Rosie shares. "People are very passionate about variation in size, age, and range of our models."
The result? ME+EM introduced a size 16 model in their February brochure, directly responding to customer feedback. "Our customers have replied back to us saying thank you for listening. This is so good to see," Rosie says, highlighting how post-purchase insights can drive meaningful brand evolution.
AI with a human touch
Perhaps most intriguingly, ME+EM has successfully deployed AI to handle 40% of their customer email tickets through their partnership with Digital Genius. It's not a story of automation replacing human connection though — it's about amplifying it.
ME+EM's AI system, affectionately named 'Emily,' handles routine inquiries like order status and refund requests. "The customer gets an accurate response in a timely fashion," Rosie explains, but the human element remains paramount.
"You have to make sure that you've got humans ready to pick up the pieces really quickly if anything goes wrong," she emphasizes. The team meets weekly with Digital Genius to refine automations and ensure quality remains high.
This AI implementation isn't about cost-cutting — it's about strategic resource allocation. "I wanted to make sure that the team of highly skilled, enthusiastic, passionate people that I've got spends their time doing the worthwhile value-adding stuff," Rosie says explains. It includes product styling advice, building customer relationships, and handling complex inquiries that require human judgment.
Why phone lines still matter
In an increasingly digital world, ME+EM maintains something many brands have abandoned, and that's a staffed phone line. "Our phone line is the busiest," Rosie proudly states. "We always hear 'it's so nice to be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone' and we will never take that away."
This isn't just about customer preference — it's about loyal customers and revenue. ME+EM still processes phone orders from customers who prefer shopping from monthly brochures, making the phone line a direct revenue generator rather than just a cost center.
Scaling without compromise
ME+EM's approach to peak season — summer sale, rather than traditional Black Friday — demonstrates their commitment to maintaining service quality. Rather than outsourcing, they bring in temporary advisors on 2-3 month contracts.
"ME+EM puts itself in the luxury market, so we need to make sure that we don't fall over," Rosie explains. "When customers shop with us, peak season shouldn't be their problem. We need to handle the increased volume just like our warehouse does."
The secret weapon of post-purchase experience
When asked whether post-purchase experience is CLVT's secret weapon, Rosie didn't hesitate: "Yeah, absolutely." With rising customer acquisition costs, the post-purchase experience has become critical for customer retention. "Because of it's expensive to acquire customers, businesses are realising we need to take care of our shoppers, once we've invested that money to get them."
For ME+EM, the post-purchase experience isn't just about solving problems but also creating advocates, driving repeat purchases, and building the kind of customer loyalty that luxury brands depend on.
What's next? The brand is currently undergoing a significant digital transformation, implementing Centra, the DTC e-commerce platform for fashion, and Ingrid, the delivery experience platform for enterprise retail.
As the e-commerce landscape shifts and competition intensifies, the brands that treat post-purchase experience as a strategic priority — rather than an operational afterthought — will be the ones that build lasting customer relationships and sustainable growth.
What's next?
Forward-looking fashion brands are investing in digital re-platforming and smart e-commerce integrations to create premium customer experiences that drive loyalty and scalable revenue, today and in the years to come.
With Ingrid, ME+EM aims to bring more personalisation and transparency to the online delivery process, aligning with customer expectations worldwide. It’s a privilege to be part of this journey and together, push the boundaries of e-commerce as we know it.
Is your retail brand shifting the focus from top-line growth to business profitability? If so, pricing your e-commerce delivery and returns must be one of the biggest questions your team wants to answer before 2026.
