Longevity in the retail industry is earnt by organisations that deliver top-notch customer interactions. One outdoor specialty retailer knew its contact centre platform couldn’t meet self-service expectations for product questions and credit card activities.

The merchant needed an upgrade to support more real-time features and save customers from wasting valuable time. Its existing IVR and call routing system were insufficient. Staffing couldn’t keep up with rising call volume.

We deployed a new Cisco-powered (HCS/CCaaS) cloud solution for its five contact centres and 450 associates supporting both credit card and retail customer service operations.

On the Credit Side

New security safeguards were put in place to meet regulations, including automatic caller verification and account escalation protocols. Interactions became more streamlined.

The solution provided callers precision queueing to reach the best-equipped associate for complex issues, whilst robust self-service options gave customers control over balance and credit availability enquiries, payments by phone, and even clearing credit holds in the case of suspected fraudulent transactions.

Improved outbound collections routing enabled delinquent cardholders to make immediate payments without needing to speak to an associate — if that was their preference.

For the Retail Division

Customers can call for assistance placing orders, billing enquiries, order tracking, and product support. Callers enquiring about specific products were connected from the contact centre to in-store employees using micro-applications on the associate desktop, removing friction from the experience.

Both divisions offered courtesy callbacks so callers were called when it was their turn, eliminating time spent on hold. Finally, associates more easily accessed back-end customer information through soft phones and screen pops, as well as CRM integration.

The new system routed nearly two-thirds of inbound calls to the self-service IVR, with containment (calls sent through the IVR not routed to an associate) approaching 65%. First call resolution (FRR) reached an impressive 85%, whilst average handle time (AHT) improved 34 seconds in the first year for a €626,000 annual savings.

Custom reporting provided detailed information to enable managers to optimise staff utilisation, greatly reducing unproductive time (shrinkage), and saving €916,000 in the first year, whilst outbound collections routing saved the client about €927 a day. At the end of the first year, the client saw a total cost savings exceeding €2.3 million, all whilst improving both the customer and associate experience.