A large rental company in the world had over 400 branch locations, each operating under the same client name but responsible for handling its own calls, from many different phone systems. Further exacerbating the problem of disparate systems was the client’s acquisition of a competitor’s 450 stores, each also operating independently. The customer experience from branch to branch was dissimilar, and included inconsistent IVR prompts and call handling. Callers could be met with busy signals, be put on hold for long periods of time, or have their calls go unanswered. The client knew it was losing customers due to unanswered and dropped calls, but had no means for fixing the problems, or even knowing how extensive the problems were.

The client wanted to update its outdated telephone system to centrally manage incoming calls, as well as to achieve more transparency in call and order handling, including detailed reporting for analysis and strategic planning.

Our solution allowed for the virtualization of contact center locations with all incoming calls being routed via the VoIP Network to a central instance of Cisco Customer Voice Portal (CVP). When a call is placed to a local branch, first it rings at that location; if not answered, it rings at locations nearby, and finally, is routed to a contact center. In addition, the utilization of Intelligent Call Routing, coupled with leveraged client’s data center routing logic, allowed for effective, first call resolution. Subsequently, we upgraded the client to UCCE v9, and changed the hardware technology to a virtual server environment (Cisco VMware).

We deployed a centralized methodology for managing the contact center clients (CTIOS), using a terminal server infrastructure to ensure that the specifications of the associates’ PCs were kept to a minimum to accommodate the Citrix used for all other apps, further simplifying the client’s software support model. We also implemented a customized screen-pop using its Branch PBX (Cisco Call Manager) phones, integrating Call Manager with its home-grown, terminal emulating CRM system.

The process of routing calls to nearby branches, and a centralized contact center when branch locations are busy resulted in an increase in customer satisfaction as well as sales. The reporting functions gave the rental retailer the transparency it needed to assess the associate effectiveness and branch productivity. The branch managers are able to manage business hours to accommodate local demand and conditions, while customers still receive a consistent experience from branch to branch. Our solution provided the means for the client to revolutionize its business, drive increased sales, and enhance customer experience.