Safelite Group

Company: Safelite Group, Columbus, OH
Company Description: Safelite Group is the nation's largest vehicle glass repair and claims management organization. The company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of four major business operations that include vehicle glass repair and replacement services. The company employs more than 9000 throughout the United States.
Nomination Category: Customer Service Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Customer Service Department of the Year

Nomination Title: Safelite AutoGlass Executive Services Department

1. Tell the story about what this nominated organization/department achieved since January 1 2009 (up to 500 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:

Safelite AutoGlass® is the nation’s leading provider of vehicle glass repair
and replacement services. The company serves approximately 4 million customers
each year in all 50 states.

Safelite® promotes a service-oriented culture which stresses on delighting
customers. As an important tool in this mission, the company employs a variety
of survey techniques, and improves processes based on the results. A 2008 net
promoter score (NPS) survey found that scores for most customers were
consistently above the 80% range. However, among customers who had encountered
an issue after service, and had gone through the company’s resolution process,
that score was only 19%. In response, Safelite® undertook a large study to
address how to better meet the needs of this important customer group. As part
of this study, the company reviewed existing research on customer recovery,
interviewed key accounts about their perception of Safelite® service and met
with best-in-class service companies to learn about their best practices.

As a result, the company made drastic changes to its customer recovery
function. They introduced a new compensation model that rewards top customer
service performers, made staffing adjustments, expanded customer service hours,
and formed the executive services department. This elite team is dedicated to
the resolution of customer service issues. Staffed with 40 dedicated customer
advocates, the team handles approximately 17,200 calls per month. Customer
service veterans, they have an average of 4 years of service and are promoted
from the ranks of other customer service departments after showing an aptitude
for consistently delighting customers with more challenging service issues.
They undergo specialized training that involves learning about various vehicle
damage scenarios, company culture of insurance partners, and advanced conflict-
resolution strategies. As part of the new approach, these customer advocates
have been given greater decision-making authority in order to fully own and
resolve a customer issue; a “one and done” philosophy. Upon the completion of a
service issue, customers are automatically sent a survey to evaluate their
experience with this team, and these scores are evaluated on a monthly basis as
the team works to ensure these once dissatisfied customers become delighted
promoters of the Safelite® brand.

While Safelite® is dedicated to delighting customers because it is the right
thing to do; the company was also interested in understanding ROI for this
initiative. Using a formula to determine the value of delighting a customer
with a complaint, Safelite discovered that each 1% increase in NPS is worth
nearly half a million dollars to the organization. Because of its commitment to
provide unsurpassed levels of service to this group of customers, the executive
services department drove NPS scores from 37% in Q1 2009 to a high of 65% in Q4
2009. This 28% is a large increase in customer satisfaction and resulted in a
value of over $11 million to the company.

The executive services department demonstrates the lengths to which Safelite®
will go to ensure customer satisfaction. The company strives to exceed
customers’ expectations, build long-lasting relationships and delight those
they serve every time.

2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated organization/department:

Judy Queen, head of the Executive Services Department, has a long history of
customer advocacy with Safelite®. In 1999, she joined the team as a customer
service representative in the customer contact center. Within seven years, she
was promoted to supervisor, assistant manager and manager of customer service.
In March of 2009, she was promoted to head of the Executive Services
Department. In this role, she oversees a staff of 40 and a continued rise in
net promoter scores and customer satisfaction. She and her team work tirelessly
toward a goal of 100% customer delight.