1. The Challenges
Situation Overview: Avios faced a multifaceted challenge in their mission to revolutionise customer service. Their aspiration was not just to improve, but to become a Centre of Excellence for Loyalty Services. This ambitious goal required a holistic transformation of their operating model to empower both customers and staff.
Specific Challenges:
- Service Efficiency: A critical objective was to enhance their capacity to service a greater number of customers, more swiftly and effectively.
- Empowering Through Self-Service: A significant part of their vision involved enabling customers to solve issues independently through self-service options, necessitating a sophisticated and user-friendly interface.
- Modernising Contact Methods: Recognising the evolving needs and preferences of their customers, Avios understood the importance of modernising their contact channels to include more digital and immediate forms of communication.
Underlying Complexity:
- Technological Integration: Integrating new technologies with existing systems presented a complex challenge, requiring not just technical expertise but also a deep understanding of Avios’s operational needs.
- Balancing Innovation and Continuity: While innovation was key, maintaining the continuity of services during the transition was equally crucial to avoid disrupting customer experiences.
2. Approach
Initial Discovery and Strategy Formation: Amach commenced with an intensive one-month discovery phase, meticulously evaluating Avios’s existing operations, customer interactions, and technological infrastructure. This comprehensive analysis was crucial in defining the project’s scope, which included both maintaining the business as it was and adding an omni-channel dimension.
Strategic Choices Made:
- Omni-Channel Focus: The decision to incorporate an omni-channel strategy was driven by the recognition that today’s customers demand and appreciate the flexibility of interacting through multiple platforms.
- Tailored Solutions: Amach developed a customised roadmap, identifying and aligning the necessary resources and technologies to fit Avios’s unique requirements.
Why Amach?
- Expertise and Understanding: Amach’s expertise in navigating complex business environments and their deep understanding of customer-centric operations made them an ideal partner.
- Holistic Approach: Their ability to oversee the project from conception to implementation, ensuring that every aspect was aligned with the broader business goals, set them apart.
- Track Record of Success: Amach’s proven record in implementing large-scale technological transformations gave Avios the confidence in their ability to deliver.
Collaborative Development:
- Engagement and Adaptation: Throughout the process, Amach worked closely with Avios’s teams, ensuring that solutions were not only technically sound but also aligned with the company culture and operational ethos.
3. Results & Benefits
Implementation and Integration: The project’s cornerstone was setting up Amazon Connect for Avios’s Loyalty customers, integrating with systems like Nice, Verint, and CLM, and initiating telephony work for Voice Connect.
Transformative Outcomes:
- Webchat Implementation: A significant shift with 20% agent support and 80% via webchat, offering a more flexible and efficient customer interaction.
- Expanded Capabilities: Amazon Connect’s integration not only supported FAQs and Help but also extended further assistance.
- Operational Improvements: Enhanced contact centre capacity and quicker turnaround times.
Achievements:
- Reduced Wait Time: A notable decrease in customer wait times.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction: Enhanced Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores, reflecting the positive impact on customer experience.
- Cost-Efficiency: Licence and call savings were realised post-implementation.
- Seamless Integration: Easy integration with other Operational Companies (OpCos).
Customer quote:
“From initial discovery to implementation, Amach helped us gain valuable insights into our current business processes, customer behaviours, technological infrastructure, and potential areas for improvement. This influenced our Amazon Connect project including defining the project goals, developing the roadmap, and outlining the necessary resources and technologies required for the successful implementation. Amach led this project from requirements to implementation.
By incorporating an omni-channel strategy, we acknowledged the importance of meeting our customer expectations and preferences in today’s interconnected world. This approach allowed our customers to interact with our Loyalty business through multiple channels, giving them the flexibility. Supported by Amach, we are continuously focused on reducing our wait time and improving our CSAT.”
DONNA CZYZEWSKI
Head of Customer Contact Centres