Key Takeaways
- Mobility product customers need more than fast answers — they need reassurance. Generic agents couldn’t handle sensitive questions about weight capacity, safety, or medical recovery. Callnovo trained agents who understood the products and the people using them.
- Amazon Seller Central integration eliminated missed messages and duplicate replies. With HeroDash pulling all Amazon messages into one dashboard, AKOASM’s response rate hit 99.5% — up from 87%.
- Proactive post-purchase outreach cut assembly-related returns by 30%. Agents now send personalized setup guides within 24 hours of delivery, catching confusion before it becomes a return.
- Empathetic, knowledgeable support turned negative review trends around. Seller rating climbed from 4.3 to 4.7 stars in four months.
The following is an edited conversation between Callnovo CTO Manny Xu and AKOASM founder Lu Zou, recorded in January 2026.
”We Build for People Who Refuse to Stop Moving”
Manny Xu: Lu, tell me about AKOASM. What’s the story behind the brand?
Lu Zou: AKOASM started from a personal place. My grandmother had a stroke a few years ago, and watching her struggle with a cheap, unstable walker was painful. The options on the market were either flimsy and dangerous, or hospital-grade ugly and overpriced. I thought — why can’t mobility products be safe, well-designed, and affordable? That’s what AKOASM is about. We design rollator walkers, upright walkers, knee scooters, and accessories that help people stay independent without compromising on quality.
Manny: And the name — AKOASM?
Lu: It’s a play on words. We wanted something that felt fresh and didn’t sound like a medical device company. Our tagline is “Enjoy Comfortable Walking Experience” — that’s the whole philosophy. Mobility aids shouldn’t feel clinical. They should feel like freedom.
The Product Line: More Than Just Walkers
Manny: Walk me through what you sell.
Lu: Our core lineup is about 15 SKUs across three main categories. First, our 2-in-1 rollator-wheelchair combos — these are our bestsellers. You flip the backrest and it converts from a rolling walker to a transport wheelchair. We have a lightweight version rated to 300 pounds and a heavy-duty version rated to 450 pounds. Second, our upright walkers — designed for people who need more postural support. Third, knee scooters for people recovering from foot surgery, ankle injuries, or fractures.
We also sell accessories — detachable foot rests, cup holders, storage bags. Everything’s available on Amazon in the US and on Walmart. We come in multiple colors — grey, purple, blue, champagne. Seniors care about style more than people think.
Manny: What sets your products apart technically?
Lu: Three things. Our 3-in-1 braking system — free roll, slow, and full stop. Most competitors offer two modes at best. This matters enormously on slopes and in crowded spaces. Second, our 8-inch non-pneumatic tires — they won’t go flat, they absorb shock well, and they work on carpet, gravel, grass, hardwood, everything. Third, the adjustable seat and handle heights — six levels on the handles, three on the seat. One walker fits a 5’2” grandmother and her 6’1” son who’s pushing her. That versatility is rare.
The Challenge: Customers Who Need More Than a Quick Answer
Manny: When did customer service become a pain point?
Lu: Almost immediately after we started scaling. In our first year, I handled every message myself. When someone asks “is this walker safe for my 280-pound mother who just had hip surgery?” — that’s not a question you can answer with a template. These are real people making decisions about their safety and their loved ones’ safety. You need to know the product cold, and you need empathy.
By mid-2025, we were doing 150+ orders a day across Amazon. I was getting 60-80 buyer messages daily. Questions about weight capacity compatibility. Assembly confusion — our 2-in-1 conversion feature is brilliant but not everyone figures it out from the manual alone. Sizing questions. Terrain questions. And emotional messages — “My dad just came home from the hospital and this walker is too hard for him to use, please help.” Those hit different.
Manny: What happened when you tried to outsource?
Lu: I hired two freelance agents from a general VA platform. It lasted six weeks. The first problem was product knowledge — they didn’t understand the difference between our 300-pound model and our 450-pound model, or when to recommend one over the other. The second problem was tone. One agent replied to a worried daughter asking about her father’s walker with “Please refer to the product manual for assembly instructions.” That daughter left a two-star review mentioning the cold response. On Amazon, that stays forever.
One agent replied to a worried daughter asking about her father's walker with 'Please refer to the product manual.' That daughter left a two-star review. On Amazon, that stays forever.
Lu Zou, Founder, AKOASM
Why Mobility Products Make Amazon Support Harder
Manny: What’s unique about selling mobility products on Amazon versus other categories?
Lu: Three things make it brutally hard. First, the stakes are higher. If someone buys the wrong phone case, they’re annoyed. If someone buys the wrong walker, they could fall and get seriously hurt. Every message carries weight.
Second, the customer is often not the buyer. Adult children buy walkers for aging parents. Caregivers buy knee scooters for patients. So you’re often talking to someone who’s anxious, who doesn’t know the product, and who’s making a decision on behalf of someone vulnerable.
Third, Amazon’s return and review system punishes ambiguity. If a customer is confused about assembly and can’t get help quickly, they don’t troubleshoot — they return it and leave a bad review. Our heavy-duty walker weighs 32 pounds. Shipping it back costs us $15-20 each time, plus the restocking cost, plus the review damage.
Manny: And Amazon’s own tools don’t help with managing this volume?
Lu: Seller Central messaging is barely functional for high-volume sellers. No ticket assignment. No conversation threading. No way to tag messages by issue type. I had agents logging into my account directly, which is a security risk, and we still missed 8-10 messages per week. On Amazon, a missed message within 24 hours hurts your Account Health score. We were trending dangerously close to the threshold.
Finding Callnovo: “They Sent an Agent to Assemble Our Walker on Camera”
Manny: How did you find us?
Lu: I saw a case study on your site — actually, I think it was about another Amazon seller. What caught my attention was the Amazon Seller Central integration. Every other outsourcing company I talked to wanted me to forward messages by email. That adds delay and creates chaos. You offered a direct connection.
Manny: What did the onboarding look like?
Lu: Your team surprised me. They didn’t just read our Amazon listings. They asked me to ship them one of each product — the lightweight walker, the heavy-duty walker, and the knee scooter. Then they had agents physically assemble each one, convert the walker to wheelchair mode, test the braking system, fold and unfold them. One of your trainers actually video-called me and assembled the 2-in-1 walker on camera while I watched, asking questions like “customers keep saying the footrest is hard to attach — can you show me the trick?” That level of effort told me these people were serious.
They also asked about our customer base. I explained that many of our customers are elderly or caregivers dealing with stressful medical situations. Your training team built a tone guide specifically for our brand — professional but warm, never clinical, always patient. That was exactly what we needed.
The Solution: HeroDash + Amazon Seller Central Integration
Manny: Walk me through the setup.
Lu: You connected HeroDash directly to our Amazon Seller Central account. Every buyer message now flows into HeroDash in real-time. Agents see the customer’s order history, the specific product they purchased, previous conversations, and delivery status — all in one view. They respond from HeroDash and it pushes back to Amazon automatically.
You also set up smart templates — not generic canned responses, but product-specific ones. The template for a 300-pound walker question is different from the 450-pound version. The template for a knee scooter assembly issue includes a link to our video guide. Agents personalize from there.
Manny: How’s the team structured?
Lu: We have two dedicated Callnovo agents covering 14 hours a day, Monday through Saturday. One focuses on pre-sale questions — “which walker is right for my situation?” — and the other handles post-sale support — assembly help, returns, replacements. During November and December we scaled to four agents. Your team had the extra agents trained and ready in 72 hours.
The Results: Numbers That Changed Our Business
AKOASM's Results with Callnovo
Manny: Let’s talk impact.
Lu: The numbers tell the story:
- Average response time dropped from 14+ hours to under 3 hours. For mobility products, that speed can be the difference between a customer figuring it out and a customer requesting a return.
- Buyer message response rate went from 87% to 99.5%. We haven’t missed a message in five months.
- Our overall seller rating climbed from 4.3 to 4.7 stars. That took four months. We were heading in the wrong direction before Callnovo.
- Assembly-related returns dropped by 30%. Agents proactively send a setup guide within 24 hours of delivery — tailored to the specific product the customer ordered.
But the number I’m most proud of? Repeat purchase rate is up 18%. Customers who had a great support experience come back to buy accessories, or buy a second walker for a different family member. One customer bought our lightweight model for her mother, then came back two months later for the heavy-duty version for her father.
One customer bought our lightweight walker for her mother, then came back two months later for the heavy-duty version for her father. That's what great support does — it builds trust.
Lu Zou, Founder, AKOASM
What Surprised You?
Manny: Anything you didn’t expect?
Lu: Two things. First, the agents started catching product issues before they snowballed. They noticed a cluster of messages about the knee scooter’s brake cable feeling stiff out of the box. We traced it to a specific production batch and added a “brake break-in” note to the packaging before it became a review problem. That kind of early warning system is worth its weight in gold.
Second, the emotional impact. I started getting screenshots from agents of customers thanking them — “You helped my dad get back on his feet, literally.” One customer sent a photo of her grandmother using our walker in her garden for the first time after surgery. When your support team can create those moments, you’re not just preventing bad reviews — you’re building a brand people love.
Advice for Other Amazon Sellers in Health & Mobility
Manny: What would you tell other sellers in this category?
Lu: Three things:
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Your support team is your safety net. In mobility and health products, a wrong answer can cause physical harm. Invest in real product training. Don’t let anyone represent your brand who hasn’t physically used your product.
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Tone matters as much as accuracy. Your customer might be a 75-year-old woman who’s scared of falling, or a son who’s overwhelmed caring for his parents. Empathy isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a business requirement.
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Get ahead of assembly confusion. If your product requires any setup, proactively reach out after delivery. Don’t wait for the frustrated message. A $0.50 email saves a $20 return shipping cost and a permanent bad review.
Manny: And for anyone in the market for a walker?
Lu: (laughs) Check out our 2-in-1 rollator. Your future self will thank you.
About AKOASM
AKOASM is a mobility products brand designing rollator walkers, upright walkers, knee scooters, and accessories for seniors, recovery patients, and caregivers. Their product line features patented 2-in-1 walker-wheelchair conversions, 3-in-1 braking systems, and all-terrain non-pneumatic tires — with weight capacities up to 450 pounds. With consistently top-rated products on Amazon and Walmart across North America, AKOASM is building a reputation for thoughtful, well-engineered mobility solutions that help people stay independent. Learn more on the AKOASM Amazon Store.
