The challenge

In the travel industry, customer loyalty is everything. An airline company that had built a robust loyalty program was seeking to transition associate support for its premium loyalty members to an offshore model without sacrificing the high level of customer care that members expected. With TTEC’s record as an excellent partner that produces results, the company entrusted our associates with its premium member experience.

Our solution

The transition to the offshore model was carried out in three phases: associate selection, training, and continuous improvement. Managers nominated associates who provided voice and email support for the partner’s top service tier to undergo a screening process that included a sales assessment test followed by a call assessment with the client for final approval. On a parallel track, the partner also needed associates who would do outbound calls to loyalty members, such as offering opportunities to use their loyalty points to retain their Gold or Premium status.

Next, the selected associates participated in a specialized training program. Internal trainers and leaders were engaged in creating the curriculum in addition to providing first-hand insights during the training sessions. All associates also participated in the Level Up Project, a training initiative that was designed to shift employee mindsets toward a proactive, problem-solving approach in customer management.

For soft-skills training, associates participated in exercises designed around the Four As: analyze, adapt, advocate, alter. Additionally, the training included mock call assessments, a review of case studies on handling complaints, as well as a review of the top call demands.

Finally, call calibration sessions were set up across the client and operations teams to share insights and lessons and ensure continuous improvement. A weekly forum was also organized for associates to discuss issues and concerns with stakeholders on the partner side as well as from TTEC.

The results

Selecting associates with the right skills and providing them with comprehensive training has produced a superior associate performance. The offshore team that was selected to support the partner’s premium members quickly exceeded their NPS target of 60. In December, soon after the program began, NPS was at 67, and two months later it was at 72, (20% above target) and continues to grow.

The associates who focused on outbound calls easily hit their KPIs, notably exceeding 100% of their targeted redeemed points within the first three months of going live. The client also saved 60% in employee costs by switching to an offshore model.