FedEx TechConnect
Company: FedEx TechConnect, Memphis, TN
Company Description: FedEx provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. We offer integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. FedEx consistently ranks among the world's most admired and trusted employers.
Nomination Category: Customer Service & Call Center Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Award for Innovation in Customer Service - Other Service Industries
Nomination Title: FedEx TechConnect's Customer Service Innovations
Tell the story about your organization's innovations in customer service since the beginning of July 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
FedEx TechConnect’s (FTC) decision to deploy 75% of its call center staff to work remotely from home presented several unique challenges. Among them, the requirement to reproduce extensive individual skill practice during a four week training class, and a week of continuous side-by-side, on the job, performance coaching for reps working and/or hired to work from home.
To meet this challenge FTC developed a new hire class conducted in a 100% virtual environment and a remote coaching strategy using online classroom technology, desktop monitoring software, traditional call center headsets and Bluetooth wireless headsets. This configuration accommodates screen sharing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and enables both the remote coach and rep to have visual and audio access to the CRs Customer Relationship Management (CRM) desktop. When working on their desktops, CRs receive customer calls through the call center headset in one ear and coaching instructions, when needed, through the Bluetooth wireless headsets (utilizing VoIP) in the other.
None of these tools are new. What is new is that they have been combined and adapted to offer the remote coaches and CRs the opportunity to simultaneously see and work on the CRM desktop application and hear both customer and CR responses in real-time, regardless of their respective geographic locations. With full visibility to CR activities, coaches not only hear the customer issue but the tone, intonations, and other verbal indications of customer satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction. With this information the coach can help the Learner/CR formulate real-time solutions for a satisfactory customer experience without customer distraction or awareness of third party assistance. In extreme cases, the remote coach can take over desktop through screen sharing to complete customer transactions. Instant Messaging communication is also available but not necessary to this process.
All of this affords CRs a safe environment to become proficient in newly acquired skills and deliver a satisfactory customer experience. Previously coaching was only possible by CRs sitting adjacent to coaches in a brick and mortar center. After exhaustive research, FTC concluded this technology was not available in any existing call center applications, online meeting or VoIP technologies; therefore FTC developed it to achieve necessary results.
The results were learners performed and rated their learning equivent or higher than those educated and coached in brick and mortar centers. (See supporting deck for the results). In support of the virtual learning strategy, the coaching technology:
1. Supported cost reductions associated with staffing and maintaining brick and mortar call centers.
2. Allowed dedicated and fully interactive live coaching sessions between CRs and coaches located in different cities.
3. Allowed managers to remotely monitor and advise on performance
4. Allowed the CR to gain proficiency without having travel to brick and mortar locations
5. Offers the customer the benefit of expert support from novice CRs.
This online coaching technology was a critical element of FTC’s virtual learning strategy, duplicating side by side coaching with all the benefits to the company, the employee, and the customer. A patent application for this online coaching technology and process is in FTC legal for review (see supporting documentation).
Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated customer service organization:
The nominee is FedEx TechConnect Strategy, Planning, Engineering, Innovation and Customer Identity. This organization leads the FedEx enterprise in a number of crucial areas. A group of only approximately 140 people supports the entire enterprise with engineering, business forecasting, customer service call forecasting, strategic planning, innovation and development of a consistent FedEx identity for customers who use the services of multiple operating companies.