As organisations around the world mark Customer Service Week under the global theme “Going the Extra Mile,” e-commerce leader Jumia Nigeria shares what exceptional service means in the current digital retail space.
For Jumia, going the extra mile goes beyond handling complaints or closing support tickets. It means taking ownership of the customer’s experience from the moment an order is placed through to its final delivery and after-sales support. This approach is part of a technology and logistics journey that Jumia has been building since it launched in Lagos in 2012. Over the years, the company has invested in technology and expanded the infrastructure supporting online shopping across Nigeria and other African markets.
“Going the extra mile means taking ownership beyond simply answering a customer’s complaint,” says Jumia’s Head of Customer Operations. “If a delivery is delayed, or a customer is having difficulty receiving an order, our Customer Operations team coordinates closely with our Logistics team to understand the situation and keep the customer informed until successful delivery. Going the extra mile is not about one team working alone, it’s about working together to ensure a more convenient experience for our customers.”
This coordination is particularly important when delivery delays, incorrect address entries or local logistics challenges affect an order. By keeping communication open between teams and customers, Jumia aims to resolve issues promptly and provide customers with updates throughout the process.
The importance of this approach grows as the company continue to extend its delivery reach. In 2025, the company Jumia reported more than 350 Pickup Stations across Nigeria and a network of 67 logistics partners, with more than half of its orders coming from secondary cities and remote areas. For customers, that means customer experience is shaped both by what happens on the platform, and also by how easily an order gets to them.
Technology also plays a growing role in helping customers access support. As e-commerce expands, timely responses can make a difference to how customers experience a platform. Jumia has therefore integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and contact centre automation into its operations to help reduce waiting times and make customer support more efficient.
The company’s use of technology in customer care is not entirely new. Jumia has previously deployed a unified customer-experience platform that brings together interactions across channels including live chat, email, WhatsApp and social media. The platform was designed to give customers support through the channels they already use, while helping Jumia teams manage and respond to those interactions more effectively.
On ensuring seamless order fulfilment and reducing customer friction, the Head of Customer Operations said Jumia is using AI and automation in its contact centre to make support faster and reduce customer effort.
“AI helps us handle routine queries, provide agents with the right information faster, and identify recurring customer issues. This means customers spend less time waiting, agents can focus on more complex cases, and we can spot operational issues early enough to act before they affect more customers.”
The approach combines technology efficiency with human support. While automation can help address routine enquiries, customer service agents remain important in handling more complex situations that require judgement, understanding and empathy.
Customer interactions can also provide useful insights into the wider shopping experience. When similar questions or complaints arise repeatedly, they may indicate an underlying issue with an order, delivery or another stage of the customer journey. Identifying these patterns can help teams determine where improvements are needed.
This fits into Jumia Nigeria’s broader customer-experience focus for 2026. The company has said its goal is to keep improving the experience across the entire e-commerce journey, from accessing the platform and placing an order to delivery and after-sales support, alongside continued investment in people, processes, technology and logistics.
As Customer Service Week activities unfold, Jumia’s focus remains on listening to customer feedback and improving the shopping experience. By paying attention to where customers encounter difficulties and using technology to address them, the platform continues to work on making each stage of the customer journey easier.
Through its focus on listening, improving, and putting customers first, Jumia is marking Customer Service Week by highlighting the work that goes into delivering convenience, value, and a better shopping experience for consumers across Nigeria.