Case Studies and Client Results
Become Your Own "Wild Successful" Story!
Our clients have had many great success stories, employing the tools and training we have provided. If you would like to create a success story similar to the ones below, give us a call today - 954-729-2160. We can discuss your specific goals and challenges, and propose a plan of action for you.
Sprint
Telecom company that provides all telecom, wireless and TV products to consumers from 25+ call centers. Sprint's goal was to mature its service/sales organization, grow revenue through this inbound channel, create consistent (and higher) results, and reduce employee attrition.
Unique Challenge
- Despite having high quality targets at the start of our work, there were large gaps between expectations and results.
- Cross-selling was encouraged but not effectively managed at most centers.
- Senior call center leaders were concerned that cross-selling would reduce quality scores (the misconception that selling attempts offend most customers).
- The initial challenge was to convince agents and leadership that effective cross-selling and up-selling was actually good for the customer and would net better quality scores (most customers appreciate the information about other products when it is provided in a customer-friendly way).
Training Provided by Call Center Training Solutions
CCTS built a fully-customized, service-to-sales version of its Telephone Sales Master Inbound and Superior Service programs, calling it "Directional Selling." Improving the supervisors' coaching presence on the center floor was also a critical element, if any long-term sustainability was going to occur.
- All agents at all centers received the training.
- Implementation took about seven months.
- The CCTS team certified trainers at each site.
- Some classes were trained by CCTS instructors, but certified company instructors trained the majority of the agents across the enterprise.
- All supervisors participated in the Call Center Floor Management program.
- Senior leadership at each site established and managed a “Power Hour” for every supervisor (view Power Hour video).
- Live coaching on the center floor was new to the sites. Supervisors embraced it.
End Results
Over a period of three and a half years, sales grew consistently. When the initiative started, the IB service organization was posting $700 million in annual sales. Four years later, sales eclipsed $1.4 billion. These record results occured despite the average product and bundle price decreasing and no increases in advertising over the duration of the initiative. In addition, the company’s employee attrition decreased and employee satisfaction increased. Many of the reps claimed the biggest positive change was the new approach to consistent, daily floor-coaching. They always felt like part of the success.
Buckeye Health Plan
Buckeye Health Plan, part of Centene Insurance, is an Ohio-based Medicaid/Medicare health insurance provider, with a 150-seat member service center. CCTS is presently working with the inbound reps, rolling out a customized version of our Superior Service program, called "World Class Member Care." This case study is about Buckeye's small outbound group. Prior to the start of the initiative, Buckeye leadership had created an outbound calling team, expecting to improve the company’s overall quality scores. Having a dedicated outreach team was one big way to show Buckeye’s care for its members, checking in with them, making sure they are doing well, and setting up appointments where needed (e.g. if a member missed an Annual Well Visit, the team would reach out and offer to reschedule the appointment for the member). Missing these required visits causes a "Care Gap," which reflects badly on the provider and its overall quality. The goal for the CCTS training was to increase the amount of appointments set by the team, thereby reducing Care Gaps and increasing quality scores.
Unique Challenge
Most of these calls went out to Medicaid members. Although the agents (Advisors) were happy to offer appointments when needed, they were having a difficult time connecting with the member and few said "Yes" to the offered appointment. Some members did not know that Buckeye Health Plan was their insurance provider. Others did not feel like talking to the Advisor. Others told the Advisors they would set their own doctor’s appointments, but usually did not.
Training Provided by Call Center Training Solutions
CCTS pulled skills from both its Telephone Sales Mastery Outbound and Superior Service courses to create an outbound course for the Advisors, called "The Member Connection: Proactive Service" workshop. Training was broken up over four days.
- The course provided new skills for the Call Opening, responding to Early-Call Objections, Rapport skills and Offering to set the new appointment for the member.
- All Advisors were trained to be “bolder” when talking about the Member’s situation and recommending that they set the appointment up while on the call.
- The big focus shifted from the appointment to the member’s health. Taking the appointment generally meant taking care of their health.
- Each day, Advisors would participate in the training during the morning hours.
- In the afternoon, they went back on the phones to employ the new skills.
- The CCTS instructor, along with the team's supervisor, provided live floor-coaching during the afternoons.
End Results
Prior to the training, the Outbound team’s best month ever for appointments was 26. In the first month after the training, the same group of Advisors set 230 appointments. For at least eight months since the training, they have been able to achieve similar results. The best part is that the Advisors are now connecting with Members on viturally every call. If a Member is unhappy about anything health-related, the Advisor is much bolder in showing care and helping the member resolve the concern. Appreciative members now welcome the Advisor's suggestion to set the appointment (and eliminate the Care Gap).
Express Scripts
Express Scripts is one of the largest Pharmacy Benefits Management companies in the US. At the start of the training initiative, Express Scripts was in the process of reaching out to all its members, requiring them to make a decision to either a) choose Home Delivery for their long-term prescription medications, or b) remain with their local pharmacy. Calls came into a 200-seat center in Missouri. At the start, inbound calls had a very low conversion of 31% to the Home Delivery product. Express Scripts leadership was trying various ways to increase this number for more than a year. They felt it should be much higher, considering that Home Delivery offered a 90-day supply for a lower price. It removed the need to drive to a pharmacy, saving time, and Express Scripts used the most accurate medication filler (hi-speed bottle filler) in the US, greatly reducing the chance of an incorrect prescription being sent to a member.
Unique Challenge
- The ES agents (Advisors) already felt like they were working hard and doing a good job. They did not want to feel pushy.
- In their minds, any attempt to move more Members toward a Home Delivery option would have to be the Member’s decision only.
- The floor management team had never been considered a strength of the center.
- Very little coaching of any kind existed at the start of training.
- CCTS saw the big opportunity in helping Advisors to realize that, if they “boldly” presented Home Delivery in a very positive light, members would see it as a value-add and a great decision, both from a convenience standpoint and a money savings.
Training Provided by Call Center Training Solutions
CCTS created a new service/sales blended program called The Member Connection Workshop. This was a combined program from CCTS courses, Superior Service and Telephone Sales Mastery Inbound.
- Training's Big Idea: Dramatically improve connections with members on calls, discuss members' opinions about their prescription-buying process and boldly suggest Home Delivery, citing its many values and world class saftey record.
- Various high-publicity kick-off events and messaging were carried out to get reps excited.
- The CCTS instructor team rolled out each course.
- Leadership invited Advisors to come back into subsequent training classes and annouce "immediate success stories."
- Supervisors helped co-facilitate classes to establish accountability and legitimacy.
- Every leader participated in the Call Center Floor Management program.
- A Power Hour schedule was implemented for all supervisors (view Power Hour video).
