Mercado Libre: Customer experience goes beyond 24-hour delivery 

Mercado Libre, a Latin American eCommerce and FinTech company, prioritizes customer experience. Learn how they leverage AI, partnerships, and a “continuous beta” approach to exceed customer expectations.

Ana Rukavina Junior Content Writer

A well-worn leather jacket, a classic car passed down through generations, that favorite book you reread every year – these objects hold value far beyond their initial purchase. But what about experiences? Can companies create something with lasting impact, something users cherish just as much as that worn-in denim? 

Mercado Libre, the Latin American eCommerce and FinTech giant with over 218 million unique active users, has built a trusted ecosystem that effortlessly connects buyers and sellers, making online shopping and financial services accessible to everyone. They’re not just focused on facilitating transactions. They’re dedicated to building customer relationships that stand the test of time. 

Mark Twain once said, “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” Mercado Libre actively embodies this philosophy through their continuous beta approach. They’re constantly experimenting, improving, and always striving for the best possible customer experience across their eCommerce and FinTech platforms. At Mercado Libre, ‘done’ is never really done.  

To understand how Mercado Libre brings this philosophy to life, we sat down with Rodrigo Magallanes, the Director of Customer Experience, to gain a deeper understanding of their knowledge and perspective. 

New standards in customer experience

For centuries, lone riders galloped across vast plains, clutching a weathered letter in their hand. Time was a luxury few could afford, and 24-hour delivery was a distant dream until airplanes and modern delivery companies came along.

Today, waiting more than a day for a package can feel like an eternity. We track our orders obsessively, refreshing the page until that “out for delivery” notification pops up.

What used to be crazy—deliver in 24 hours—today is an industry standard.

Rodrigo Magallanes Mercado Libre Infobip

Rodrigo Magallanes

Director of Customer Experience, Mercado Libre

But Mercado Libre knows that meeting this new standard is just the starting point. Today’s customers demand more than just speed, they want: 

  • Proactive communication: Customers want to be informed about their orders and any potential delays.     
  • Easy returns and refunds: They want hassle-free options for returning or exchanging items.     
  • Personalized recommendations: Consumers expect to get suggested products or services relevant to their interests.     
  • Omnichannel support: Buyers want help through multiple channels, such as chat, email, and phone. 

Mercado Libre is dedicated to meeting these needs, even after the purchase is complete—whether tracking an order, figuring out a return, or just getting a quick answer to a question. Their focus on customer experience is an investment in the future, creating lasting relationships that will fuel their growth for years to come. Magallanes states that this kind of ongoing support is “key so that the user continues to trust and continue to buy.”   

Except Mercado Libre’s journey is unlike any other. It’s a story of bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds, all while keeping the customer at the center. 

A different kind of digital transformation 

For most companies, digital transformation is about taking their business online. But Mercado Libre has always been a tech-forward company. Their challenge wasn’t so much about becoming digital but rather about integrating the physical world into their online presence

They needed to find ways to bring their digital expertise into the everyday lives of their customers. That meant finding innovative solutions for: 

  • Delivery and logistics: It’s not enough to just click “buy.” They needed to ensure that products travel quickly and reliably from sellers to buyers, no matter where they are. 
  • Payment solutions: Whether you’re paying with a credit card, a mobile wallet, or even cash, Mercado Libre needs to make the experience secure and convenient, both online and in physical stores. 
  • Customer support: When you have a question or need help, you want to be able to get assistance quickly, whether you’re browsing the website, using the app, or visiting a physical location. And increasingly, that support is powered by artificial intelligence. As Magallanes points out, AI is a paradigm shift that allows Mercado Libre to offer even better service, especially for common or simple issues. 

By integrating AI, Mercado Libre:  

  • Personalizes user experience: AI analyzes data and understands user behavior to provide tailored recommendations, anticipate needs, and proactively address potential issues. 
  • Increases efficiency: Agents have more time to focus on complex problems. 
  • Drives innovation: Mercado Libre has lower costs and can allocate more resources to developing new products and features that further enhance the customer experience.  

Infobip and Mercado Libre: A partnership built on shared values  

Mercado Libre’s commitment to innovation and customer-centricity led them to seek a partner who shared those values. But it wasn’t just Infobip’s reputation that attracted Mercado Libre. It was also our shared culture—a focus on collaboration, understanding, and finding solutions together. 

What we see, on the other hand, is a culture very similar to ours. A culture that tries to help and tries to understand the problem. They are not just engineers who are dedicated to looking at coding to see if it works or not. They talk to us to see how we can help and where the problem is, trying to understand things together.

Rodrigo Magallanes Mercado Libre Infobip

Rodrigo Magallanes

Director of Customer Experience, Mercado Libre

The shared understanding has led to a fruitful partnership, with us providing key solutions that help Mercado Libre enhance its customer experience.  

For example, our Voice powers Mercado Libre’s Click2Call feature that allows customers to easily connect with customer service representatives by phone, ensuring they get the support they need quickly and efficiently. 

Beyond specific solutions, our partnership brings stability and reliability to Mercado Libre’s operations. Magallanes highlights the importance of this stability, especially in the early stages of our collaboration. “As long as the service stability is there, that is what helps us again in these conversations that we have had until today,” he says. 

I think the basis that two companies can work together is the way they face the challenges they have in front of them and I think we have several things in common, so surely we have more things to do.

Rodrigo Magallanes Mercado Libre Infobip

Rodrigo Magallanes

Director of Customer Experience, Mercado Libre

Deliver better omnichannel customer service and support

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Feb 3rd, 2025
5 min read
Ana Rukavina Junior Content Writer