Managed Home Agent Contact Center Improves Service Levels and Reduces Costs by Outsourcing Customer Care Services using a Virtual Workforce Model

THE CHALLENGE

A leading utility company faced multiple challenges when one of its key facilities closed and its operations became centralized and consolidated. Despite preparations to absorb the volume and complexities of the newly integrated customer base, the company struggled to meet appropriate service levels in its customer care center. In addition to service level issues, the new training programs were lengthy and complex and customer care agents had trouble retaining the detailed content once they were assimilated into the brick and mortar work environment.

A final area of concern was the company’s geographic location. Inclement weather frequently prevented agents from traveling to the building location, negatively impacting shift requirements. The level of absenteeism during these periods greatly reduced service levels.

THE SOLUTION

The ManpowerConnect team partnered with the customer to better understand their issues and brainstorm potential resolutions. The team then further engaged company representatives to formulate a customized solution. A due diligence process was performed by teams comprised of training, IT, and operations employees. The ManpowerConnect project manager mapped out and tracked outstanding deliverables from each group, organized information process flows, and helped coordinate the IT integration processes.

ManpowerConnect trainers partnered with the customer’s training leadership to jointly conduct an initial training session which also served as a “train the trainer” event. The ManpowerConnect trainers spent additional time at the client location to better understand the dynamics and nuances of the physical environment which could later be replicated in remote training environments to a virtual workforce.

Through a virtual application process, the ManpowerConnect team sourced, hired, on-boarded, and trained 60 agents. While these critical tasks were underway, the ManpowerConnect IT team orchestrated the connectivity elements required to ensure a smooth transition to a live, at-home program.

THE RESULTS

The ManpowerConnect team hired 60 agents by the customer's target date and successfully trained those agents in an existing Manpower^® facility which was converted into a classroom and on-the-job training environment. The dedicated team has managed agent performance to established customer service levels using ManpowerConnect call center technology. By providing a flexible, virtual workforce the ManpowerConnect solution addressed the customer's space constraints and lack of training resources while providing supplemental staff to support catastrophe response.

Finally, the ManpowerConnect operations team answered more than 30,000 calls over a 10 day period – outside the stated scope of work – supporting the customer’s operations during hurricane Ike which affected the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Since ManpowerConnect agents were recruited outside of the customer’s region, they were not affected by the hurricane and could provide the assistance needed without disruption. The ManpowerConnect solution provided a key addition to the company’s disaster recovery plan.