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TELUS Consumer Solutions
Smart Desktop
TELUS' call-centre representatives now have a user-friendly interface with all the tools, features and information needed to satisfy clients
Challenge
Customer service is a key differentiator in the competitive telecommunications industry. At TELUS, call centres are expected to meet the highest standards of customer service. Given the breadth and depth of its evolving product and service offerings, this is no easy feat. Its wireline and wireless offerings include data, Internet protocol, voice, entertainment and video services. TELUS has 4.5 million wireless subscribers, 4.7 million wireline network access lines and 1 million Internet subscribers.
In the past, customer service representatives (CSRs) relied on a customer-service-management application that made the role somewhat challenging. For example, one had to learn to apply certain business and provision rules before making changes to customer accounts. Various screens required the CSR to enter the same information in multiple places, increasing the risk of transcription errors.
Multiple applications and tools often had to be used to serve the same client. Time that could have been invested in selling to customers was often wasted navigating and sifting through information on multiple screens Although responding to immediate client needs is the CSR's primary function, no tools were readily available to help identify current or future customer requirements.
To support the myriad of client requests, and wireless plan and feature options, the organization was eager to develop a comprehensive tool that would do better.
Objectives for the solution were to:
- Deliver an optimum client experience by providing CSRs with the information and tools to handle any client request;
- Reduce training time and information complexity for CSRs through an intuitive user interface, coupled with automated client-handling processes and built-in business rules to facilitate application usage and reduce errors;
- Lower the costs and turnaround time for application enhancements and establish a front-end platform for future integration with a next-generation billing system;
- Decrease IT operational and maintenance costs.
Solution
Between the end of 2004 and mid-2005, TELUS invested $6.5 million in the development of Smart Desktop and implemented it at more than 1,000 customer service sites.
This powerful and sophisticated Web-services application permits CSRs to efficiently and easily characterize any customer account thoroughly and provide real-time set up and provisioning of service. There is a significant amount of sophistication at the Web application level in that requests from the customer service application are directed to the appropriate application at the legacy tier and the business logic tier at the back of the system. The result is immediate customer service in the truest sense of the word.
With Smart Desktop, CSRs have everything with which to serve a customer on the screen. They can view offerings and promotions, move through a number of accounts quickly, open multiple accounts simultaneously and converse with one or multiple customers at the same time. Information is provided through pop-ups on the screen and "mouse-overs" for certain functions. By eliminating multiple re-keying tasks and automating business rules through Smart Desktop, the number of user errors has decreased tremendously.
Results
The solution has reduced the tedious administrative aspects of the role and enabled CSRs to focus on up-selling. Between 2004 and 2005, feature sales, based on additional services to rate plans, have increased by more than 25 per cent across all products and more than 125 per cent for the Mike all-in-one communications tool.
In 2005, training time was reduced by four hours for each full-time equivalent staff member (FTE), saving $112,968. The ramp-up time for each new hire was also reduced. This resulted in $570,000 in savings or the equivalent of 10 FTEs. Estimated savings from reduced client service time and errors were $744,575. Cost savings of approximately $650,000 were realized due to a reduction of more than 80,000 call transfers. Total IT cost savings were $1.3 million.
Innovative Use of Technology
The functionalities and business processes built within Smart Desktop are derived directly from TELUS CSR experiences with clients. The technological strategy and innovation behind it have enabled call-centre representatives to consistently achieve high levels of customer satisfaction. This is evident from the company's low customer churn rate of 1.39 per cent in 2005.
As an in-house developed application, the solution is able to respond quickly to changes within the industry that are brought about either by regulatory requirements or the need to maintain competitive advantage. The application is also designed with the TELUS "Future Friendly" strategy in mind, as it establishes a flexible front-end platform for the company's next-generation billing system.
A 2006 CIPA Winner!
For its exceptional application of information technology to solve real-world business problems, TELUS Consumer Ssolutions has been awarded a 2006 CIPA Silver Award of Excellence in the Efficiency and Operational Improvements, For Profit category.
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