As Amazon's Australian launch looms, MSY to overhaul website and add e-commerce

MSY Technology is expected to roll out a new e-commerce website in February, overhauling its famously clunky, PDF-based site as it faces new pressure in the form of Amazon's Australian launch.

The new website is currently in beta undergoing stress tests, according to representative of the computer retailer who took part in an ask-me-anything (AMA) post on OzBargain.com. 

“Beta is out for internal testing now (no bugs so far, just need some more stress tests),” the executive said. “The final version will be released really soon.

“We will have a much better backend support and you can find exact items that you need in our website.”

The company had posted two job openings earlier this year for a Magento developer and full stack developer to develop the e-commerce website.

MSY will introduce a new centralised ordering system, aimed at shortening in-store wait times for customers that have ordered online. 

“We will be centralising the system to make the ordering process more simple and easier to manage,” according to the AMA. “We hope this move will provide a better experience to all customers shopping with MSY Technology.

“In the meantime, we will work closely with branch staff to improve stock accuracy and faster turnaround time, especially for online customers.”

MSY will follow online reseller Kogan by adopting adopt ZipPay, which allows customers to pay over an agreed period of time and is interest-free for purchases up to $1000.

"We are teaming up with ZipPay to provide potential shoppers an alternate flexible payment method.”

Customer service

MSY has been under scrutiny over customer service, off the back of a $750,000 fine for misrepresenting consumers’ rights on remedies for faulty products – and the staff member used the AMA to reveal how the reseller would lift its game.

“We have performed some changes to the call centre,” he said. “Please give us a try starting next Monday [20 November]. I am pretty confident to say they will answer most of the phone calls.”

Rostering and stock levels will be changed across the company’s stores, and MSY will roll out incentives for staff, with the intention of improving the customer experience.

“They should have assisted you much better than that. We are rolling out some other incentive programs for staff to help make the whole shopping experience better,” he said.

MSY is looking to expand its customer base beyond tech-savvy hobbyists and enthusiasts. “We are slowly changing to adapt to all customers, including people who are not so computer-literate,” he said.

In response to a question about the arrival of Amazon in Australia, the representative said: “We may suffer a bit once Amazon arrives but we do have our own strategies in place for the next 12 months to grow the business.”

He added that MSY was also looking to implement a new marketing and social media strategy next year.

“There are so many things that we can do on the marketing side,” he said. “A new 12-month marketing plan has been approved, starting next year.”

He added that the company would be opening more stores within the next 12 months, but declined to reveal any specific locations.