• Increases revenue with new virtual sales channel that now represents 20% to 30% of all custom fittings

• Saves staff time, reduces costs, improves customer service, and eliminates missed calls and texts

• Builds an efficient, remote-first culture that supports a thriving hybrid work business model

Blank Label employees collaborated on Google Workspace for over a decade before COVID-19 struck in early 2020. However, the company rapidly expanded its use of the flexible solution as pandemic restrictions limited in-store operations.

"We knew replicating our famed brick-and-mortar retail experience through more digital services would be challenging," says Kaitlyn Mentlick, Client Services Director at Blank Label. "Fortunately, Google Workspace made the transition easy with virtual Google Meet appointments that can be scheduled and opened directly from Gmail with a simple click. Customers now feel like they are in the same room with our specialists when they tell them what should come next after that solid gray or navy suit."

Virtual consultations and fittings are now so popular with customers that Fan Bi, Founder and CEO of Blank Label, sees Google Meet as a major sales channel.

"Blank Label customers want skillfully designed, tailor-made clothes that perfectly match their size and style," says Bi. "Our customer interactions have always been high-touch, with a strong focus on outstanding in-store services. Although we previously accommodated our customers with limited remote fittings, they now represent 20% to 30% of our business thanks to Google Meet."

In addition to creating a virtual brick-and-mortar experience with Google Meet, Blank Label seamlessly ported disconnected landline numbers to Google Voice during the pandemic. Blank Label now uses Google Voice as its primary telephone service, with staff conveniently calling and texting customers from their smartphones, tablets, and the web, reducing phone costs by 50% and adding additional flexibility.

"We recently acquired Black Lapel, a custom clothier based in New York City," says Mentlick. "One of the first things we did was move their entire phone system over to Google Voice and assign individual numbers to the sales team, just like we have at Blank Label. I don’t think any of us could manage without it. Google Voice reliably forwards calls, automatically transcribes voicemails, and brings everything together in one convenient place including text and call history."

Google Workspace also makes it easy for Blank Label to simplify, streamline, and scale customer service operations. Because most employees are already familiar with Google apps from personal use or at previous employers, adoption for work is quick and intuitive. The team spends minimal time on day-to-day processes such as scheduling, billing, and returning missed calls. Instead, they focus on building and maintaining the high-quality personalized customer relationships that Blank Label is known for.

"Blank Label is a very approachable, engaged, and trusted brand," says Connor Lees, Director at Blank Label. "With Google Workspace, getting to know our clients is easy because we’re always available and always ready to help. Our customers look forward to talking with us—and appreciate when we tell them to skip those French cuffs or tasseled loafers if they don’t fit a particular workplace or occasion."

Because Google Workspace is a single solution that brings together all communication and collaboration tools in one place, Blank Label efficiently responds to hundreds of customer inquiries via Gmail, Google Voice, and Google Meet. In the future, Blank Label plans to uplevel its proactive marketing activities by reaching out to returning clients via email and text. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, Blank Label continues to distinguish itself from other custom clothiers by delivering unmatched customer experiences.

"When customers connect with Blank Label, they speak directly with a member of our team," adds Lees. "From mailing personally selected swatches to scheduling video consultations and guaranteeing same-day responses to urgent questions, we're proud to provide a premium online ordering experience that's incredibly personal and responsive."

As Blank Label shifted its brick-and-mortar operations online, the company decided to take advantage of the move to enhance internal collaboration by further optimizing workflows and streamlining staff communications.

"We immediately made sure all company files—such as spreadsheets, documents, slides, and clothing renders—were safely stored, available, and editable on Google Drive," says Mentlick. "With Google Workspace, all changes made to Docs, Sheets, and Slides are highly secure and tracked in real-time with a straightforward version history that helps us see who changed what."

Although in-person interactions were initially missed, Blank Label employees adapted to the reality of the pandemic by moving all staff meetings to Google Meet. Similarly, Google Chat is the new go-to place for quick discussions or questions that don’t require video or audio to resolve. We also have spaces set up for a few different departments: shipping and operations, sales team, HQ team, and plenty of others that arise as situations may dictate.

As Bi emphasizes, Blank Label staff are now completely immersed in the Google Workspace ecosystem.

"Google Workspace seamlessly and more securely brings together messaging, meetings, docs, and tasks," says Bi. "Because of this, I almost never leave Google Workspace—and spend about 70% of my day on Calendar and Meet and the other 30% on Gmail. The world is becoming much more connected, and the simplicity of Google Workspace makes it easy for us to adapt and efficiently run Blank Label as a remote-first company."

As vaccination rates increased in 2021, Blank Label welcomed both staff and customers back to its Boston store. However, most Blank Label employees continue to work from home, while some clients prefer to meet virtually.

"With Google Workspace, Blank Label successfully shifted to a remote-first model and is well-positioned for growth by reducing costs, increasing revenue, and stepping up acquisition activity," Bi concludes. "Whether in our Boston shop or online, we continue to stand apart from other retailers and custom clothiers."