Summary
In early 2000, JVC Service & Engineering Company embarked on a plan to improve customer service by extending its contact center hours beyond weekday business hours. The electronics manufacturer also sought a more comprehensive and flexible data collection system to track and manage customer issues and trends. In May 2000, JVC selected Source One to provide world-class after-hours contact center support and sophisticated customer relationship management software and analysis.
"Source One was the only contact center that offered us a customized solution instead of an off-the-shelf product."
Mike Colicchio, National Manager of Customer Relations, JVC Service & Engineering Company
Situation/Challenge
As one of the largest manufacturers of electronic devices worldwide, JVC enjoys a significant customer base throughout the U.S. The company runs an internal contact center operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday. However, JVC's internal customer contact center hours did not provide full business day coverage for customers in the Western states, nor was it open to answer weekend calls. JVC identified that nearly 50 percent of inbound calls were abandoned.
Additionally, JVC was using antiquated data collection software that limited the depth of information recorded and retrieved about its customers and their needs. JVC looked for an outsourcer to help resolve the challenges it faced. This would mark the first time that the company outsourced any portion of its contact center operations. JVC wanted to maintain control over what was communicated to its customers and required that its partner provide high-quality service.
Source One's experience in the consumer and business electronics fields, along with its customizable technology offering, Customer Handling and Relationship Management System (CHARMS), well suited JVC for the breadth of service the electronics company required.
The Approach
In May 2000, Source One began providing after-hours customer interaction support from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and support from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Source One also implemented and launched JVC's data collection and analysis technology.
Comprehensive Training
Responding to JVC's concerns over quality and effective communications with their clients, Source One rigorously trained its representatives on JVC's products and customer care protocols. Source One reinforces this training through extensive mock calling sessions to ensure its representatives' knowledge of JVC products and exacting customer care skills. The training prepared the representatives to handle:
Presales.
Operational assistance.
Hookup and functions.
Trouble shooting.
Service referral support for several products, including: VCRs, DVD players, televisions, home theater systems, cameras, camcorders, home and portable audio equipment and car audio products for JVC.
Monitoring
Source One also maintains an independent Quality Assurance Department that randomly monitors the quality of JVC's calls while they are in progress. Quality assurance analysts provide daily feedback to agents, evaluate agents weekly with their team leaders and peer monitors, and provide weekly reports on agent performance. Agents also undergo bimonthly formal coaching to focus on individual trends and goals, as well as ongoing training to keep up with any product developments or service changes JVC might have. In addition to its own extensive internal monitoring, Source One provides JVC with an 800 number so it can remotely monitor calls from anywhere, at any time.
Flexible Technology
Source One's team worked with JVC to identify the requirements for a customized version of CHARMS, including data collection history and reporting flexibility. Calls are categorized under several headings, including region of caller, model category, model number, vendor, reason for call and call resolution. The system captures precise demographics from each caller and enables JVC to run specific searches within the database using any combination of categories. JVC uses the data compiled by the system to anticipate issues before they become problems.
Identifying Trends
The new technology has enabled JVC to identify issues quickly and early. On one occasion, the data compiled during customer interaction helped the company recognize the need for greater consumer education on downloading images from digital camcorders to PCs. JVC and Source One took action by developing special training sessions for its customer representatives that focused on helping customers understand their digital camcorders' abilities to interface with PCs. The reps used that knowledge to proactively help customers with downloading whenever the customers called with inquiries related to those products.
CHARMS also interfaces with JVC's web site, where customer representatives can access information on all JVC products as well as execute dealer and service center lookups. While accessing the site, representatives educate consumers on the self-service features available on the site, thus reducing the number of return calls.
Two Companies, One Team
Merely exceeding JVC's customer expectations isn't enough for Source One. When JVC scheduled an upgrade of its internal computer systems, which would temporarily displace JVC's contact center employees, Source One invited the JVC employees to work out of its facility in Bloomfield, NJ. Working together under one roof further strengthened the relationship between JVC and Source One.
The Results
Source One expanded JVC's after-hours customer support on weekdays and on weekends using the right technology and knowledgeable and responsive agents. The result was that Source One reduced JVC's abandoned call rate by more than 90%.
Improving Customer Loyalty
Additionally, Source One's commitment to quality customer service is improving the loyalty and satisfaction of JVC customers. The Center for Client Retention (CCR), an independent research firm, surveyed JVC customers who spoke with Source One representatives. Even though most calls started as complaints, CCR found that 39% of JVC customers indicated that they would either maintain or increase the number of JVC products they buy after speaking with a Source One representative. This means that, every month, Source One turns over 2,500 customer complaints into repeat buyers of JVC products.
Conclusion
Source One successfully manages JVC's after-hours contact center support. It achieves high quality levels by regularly training representatives and working closely with JVC to maintain top-quality service standards. To improve data collection and analysis, Source One's IT team partnered with JVC to develop a dynamic system that serves as a vital link in JVC's total CRM solution-ultimately leading to better customer service. Source One's commitment to quality, superior technology, and a team-oriented approach has resulted in more loyal JVC customers.
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