 Type of Call Center: Financial Services
Center location: Chattanooga, TN, and Portland, ME
Average annual call volume: 4.2 million
Number of agents: 245 (95 in Chattanooga and 150 in Portland)
Hours of operation: 8am – 11pm EST
Type of Site: Multi-site/Single media (phone)
TotalView Modules: Workforce Management, SkillPlan, Vacation and Holiday Planner, WebStation
BackgroundUnumProvident insures a number of well known carriers, providing a benefits and claims service solutions designed to help people protect their incomes from the effects of illness or injury. The centers implemented TotalView in 2000.
ChallengeThe center relied on Excel spreadsheets and call histories, which required managers to adjust headcount, create schedules and plan training based on assumptions derived from observed trends. This largely manual process, besides being time-consuming and labor-intensive, was inaccurate most of the time.
TotalView Results- Customer Service and Satisfaction: With TotalView, the two centers have handled increased call volume while maintaining service levels. Average answer speed is 20 seconds with an abandon rate goal of less than 5%. Having resources on hand when calls arrive has significantly impacted customer satisfaction.
- Cost Savings: With improved efficiencies, the centers were able to absorb call volume from a smaller California office and reduce headcount by 15. As a result, the company saved more than $500,000 annually.
- Agent Productivity: Previously, managers had no tools even for measuring schedule adherence. Since implementing TotalView, managers have applied this information to coach agents and have witnessed “great improvement” in adherence. The centers have also used TotalView’s Skill Plan module to segment calls effectively, quickly identify training and cross-training needs, and pinpoint flaws with schedules.
- Agent Satisfaction: TotalView’s WebStation module enables managers to share schedule changes with agents immediately. Agents also can access their statistics daily, a capability the centers did not possess previously. The Vacation and Holiday Planner module has allowed agents to view reports and check availability of dates quickly and conveniently. Meanwhile, the flexibility provided by TotalView has enabled the centers to seek employee input that newly formed Improvement Teams can use to augment agent satisfaction and departmental performance.
The Bottom Line“TotalView has given us the ability to accurately forecast our business requirements, which in turn has helped us achieve accuracy and flexibility in scheduling. Our improved efficiency has enabled us to control headcount growth while maintaining strong service levels.” |
