Turning a problem, into an opportunity
When Ken Hills agreed to run the Thus Contact Centre Services
(TCCS), he knew he had to make changes to retain a number of key
clients and tackle fundamental operational issues.
He knew, also, that he needed external help to make the
necessary business improvements to TCCS, a leader in the call
centre services market. Hills was determined to work with contact
centre specialists who were strong in both diagnosis and
implementation. He chose VISION, following a recommendation from
Intelligent Finance, to significantly improve a key relationship
with a critical client.
"The work we did with VISION
contributed significantly to an improvement in the relationship
with our clients."
Ken Hills, Director of Business Services, THUS
plc.
Thus, based in Glasgow, Scotland, is a leading provider of
voice, data and Internet services, employing some 2,500 staff. TCCS
is a leader in the call centre services market, with services
ranging from telemarketing, call centre integration and fulfilment,
to consulting on a fully outsourced basis.
Business improvements
Thus had to resolve crucial issues that affected the
relationship with one of its most important clients. No
standardised processes existed, which impacted the delivery and
consistency of service offered to the client.
VISION performed a diagnosis to assess the key problems in
Thus's relationship with its client. The client, Thus and VISION
collaborated, resulting in the design of new processes that were
focused around customers' requirements. Two Thus agent teams, with
up to eight people per team, piloted and implemented the newly
designed processes.
Performance intelligence
A performance dashboard, which provided the agents and
management with precise efficiency and performance metrics, was
created and rolled out across the business. The dashboard was
implemented along with a coaching practice to show agents how they
were performing and to empower them to change their behaviour and
become more effective.
As a result of the new processes, Thus's people assess the
client's requests before committing to fulfil them, ensuring they
can successfully deliver within the promised timeframes and
resources.
The performance dashboard provides Thus with an accurate
performance measurement tool, such as time-on-line and calls
handled. Management has a reliable tool to measure operational
performance; agents can now self-assess and improve their
day-to-day performance. In some cases, agent productivity, such as
time-on-line and calls handled, increased by an average of 20%.
Solid relationship
The project has built a stronger relationship with Thus and one
of its key clients, which is based on mutual trust. Ken Hills says
"Our client reviewed our entire relationship and they felt that
we were more responsive and committed to their account".
Thus has a new, proactive approach to the provision of accurate
and useful MIS to support the service provided.
Future development
The design and implementation of a comprehensive training
strategy means that the Thus team is now positioned to roll out the
improved processes and internal coordination to the rest of the
company, without support from VISION.
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