Energy Retailer
The Challenge
This utility asked for our assistance because they wanted to:
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Free up capacity in their contact centres where handle times had never returned to their levels prior to a major IT system cutover
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Improve sale and cross sale performance for the phone channel to meet growth targets of adding 500,000 customers.
Our diagnostic found that huge amounts of time and customer effort were tied up in hold time, transfers between separate skills and after call work. Each of the skills mixed simple and complex work and novice agents fumbled their way through with lots of escalations for help and low rates of resolution
Key Points
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Major Australian energy retailer
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High handle times, poor resolution and ineffective sales conversion
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We designed best practices that streamlined the call flow and baked in sales and credit outcomes
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We introduced a new operating framework that helped them to manage the omni channel functions more effectively and locked in coaching
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Capacity created of over 25% through reduced work and handle times across the centre
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Customer effort reduced by 30%
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Hybrid teams handled both calls and emails – meeting service levels for both
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Lowest rate of complaints /10,000 customers in the industry
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Sales outcomes improved dramatically including breaking agents of the habit of relying on discounts
Our Solution
We created a two tiered contact centre structure be built around complexity rather than their skill model that was causing high transfer rates and extended handle times. We also defined processes for every enquiry type and identified many process improvements. The processes streamlined call and email contacts to create a better omni channel experience and baked in sales and certain credit outcomes.
We also created an operations framework for Team Leaders including daily scrums to plan the day - ensuring daily coaching was locked in – and a real time desk function to integrate email handling to create a more flexible centre. We held Team Leader development workshops to enable them to become more effective Team Leaders and especially how to coach to change behaviours that lead to performance improvement.
Results
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Capacity created of over 25%
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Customer effort reduced by 30%
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Sales outcomes improved dramatically
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Service levels achieved for calls and emails
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Self-service channel usage increased and mailing costs reduced
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Improved credit outcomes such as the promotion of direct debits and effective use of different payment mechanisms.
A number of the programme's achievements were flagged in the company’s 2011/12 annual report. The client is a reference site for us and has hosted a number of site visits to showcase the model