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Our Client:
A Call Center Working For A National High Speed Internet, Cable, and Phone Supplier

Situation:

Our client is a call center that handles an established program for a National cable, internet, and phone service provider.  Their inbound servicing team’s role was to field account servicing calls from their client’s existing customers. The calls mainly consisted of customers asking to cancel accounts, resolve issues with their service or billing statements, or forging complaints about the service provider’s technician who failed to show up for their service appointment. As an understatement, the agents were dealing with emotionally charged customers. Our client needed to quickly improve customer satisfaction scores, regain customer loyalty, and drive increased revenue with additional services. Additionally, our client was managing a very difficult program combined with high agent turnover.

Direct Channels Solution:
  • With high agent attrition, we found it best to focus on the Team Leaders, improving their ability to mentor and engage their teams. We showed them how to plot agent performance, then to use that information to create structured game plans to address undesired behavior.
  • We improved on their existing call guide, updated verbiage, and added very specific, user-friendly transition statements to help move the call forward naturally and to create openings for cross-sell conversations.
  • We conducted onsite and virtual class sessions for Team Leaders, working in small groups and one-on-one sessions to bring out individual coaching skills, enhance existing capabilities, and incorporate new skills including how to deliver constructive feedback and how to coach different types of learners.
  • And, to ensure alignment with program expectations and overall business goals, we also redeveloped call handling assessments (call monitoring forms) as a tool for leaders to identify areas of opportunities for their agents and a coaching program to address any gaps found in those assessments.

 

Results:

Leaders became more equipped to support other programs, and were better prepared to advance. Our client benefited from greater retention of Team Leaders that attended the program, and from the participation of their teams who consistently out-performed the teams of non-participating leaders. Agent performance increased a better than expected 4%, while at the same time, non-participating leader teams saw a dip of 2%. 

“Direct Channels Group has proven to be a strategic partner in our telesales channel.  The expertise and thought leadership provided by the DCG team has had a positive impact on the success of our program and given me peace of mind. When it comes to translating our overall tele-strategy into tactical action, DCG delivers.  Their support in crafting the right dialogue with vendors, agents and customers enhances our ability to get the right message out to our customers and drive bottom line results.”

LORNA KAPUSTA, VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAN EXPRESS

“Direct Channels Group provided critical support in the launch of two new external call centers within six months.  They delivered a robust training curriculum and facilitated the new hire training in a clearly defined and effective method.  Their on-site coaching support resulted in key behavioral changes and improved call quality for new agents. DCG has been instrumental in the development of new merchant engagement programs.  From overall strategy conception to tactical implementation, DCG has shortened the time to market and improved chances of success for our new initiatives by providing expert support and sound advice.”

DEANNA PERRIN, GLOBAL PARTNER MANAGEMENT, GROUPON

“Melody Medina and Direct Channels Group had an enormous impact on our business at Chartis.  DCG hit the ground running and, unlike any other consulting group, immersed themselves in our business, learning our practices, understanding our goals and listening to our customers.  As a result, they were able to deliver tangible and long-lasting results.”

LESLIE HYMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, AIG (CHARTIS)