Context

Our client, a major telco with a history of customer service issues, lacked an effective and cost efficient customer service delivery model. They were handling higher volumes than benchmarks, with most interaction transactional, low value and/or avoidable, and spread across a fragmented estate.

The impact was showing in agent training and lack of disseminated best practice, in their ability to manage change successfully, and in customer satisfaction, as well as in their costs.

Approach

In 3 phases over 12 months, we supported the client to reconfigure the customer service delivery model.

We developed plans to consolidate the call centre site footprint and outsourced partnerships, exit the highest cost sites, and increase cross-selling and multi-branding.

Our combined client and consultant teams then implemented a series of restructuring and tendering workstreams to deliver: a clear path to annual cost savings of £30m+, the successful exit of 3 sites and 3 outsourcing partnerships, a selection process for replacement outsourcers, and the repositioning of two further in-house sites.

Impact

Transition to the new customer service target operating model was successful, with change completed to challenging timescales and with minimal impact on customers. This was achieved with no disruption to ongoing call reduction initiatives.

As a result, the business achieved its £30m cost saving target and was well-positioned to deliver future proposition expansion cost effectively.