Optimizing Operational Efficiency of Customer Service and Improving the Customer Experience

To achieve this, the following operational objectives will be decisive:

• Optimizing the operational efficiency of customer service without ever compromising the quality of the customer experience.
• Reducing the contact rate. This is the main KPI followed by Nickel: the proportion of active customers who contact customer service.
• Reducing the Average Handling Time (AHT). A classic in customer service, reducing the AHT increases advisor productivity.

The results obtained are more than satisfactory. Plus, they were achieved as soon as the solution was implemented, as a quick-win!

• 18% of calls directed to digital.
• 1 minute less waiting time for digitalized customers.
• 50% less abandonment per month for digitalized customers.
• 30 seconds less AHT for digitalized customers.

• Employee Experience: Advisors can focus on more complex and enriching problems. It’s a “win-win” for both employees and customers.
• The tool helps with scalability and absorption of customer service growth.
• Immediate adoption by customers and employees. A real “quick-win”!

A customer study was conducted on more than 300 clients, and here are their main feedbacks:

• The tool is well-positioned. Nickel reaches its customers where they are, mainly on the telephone channel.
• Clarity of messages. Transmitting messages to digitize the call is often a tricky subject. Thanks to precise reporting of conversion rates, test and learn allows for constant optimization.
• The ergonomics was praised. Compared to a traditional IVR, the experience is more pleasant, faster, and relevant.

The solution was implemented in 6 weeks. It resulted from co-creation of resolution pathways by Nickel's “business” teams and DialOnce experts. Initially, pathways inspired by the best market practices were proposed by DialOnce. Then, Nickel teams optimized these pathways based on their understanding of their customers' contact reasons and the solutions suited to each request. Finally, steering committees are scheduled every quarter to study the results and optimization opportunities.

Proper use of a tool by business teams is crucial to leverage it. Nickel teams particularly appreciate:

• Their autonomy to optimize pathways. The need was to maintain their agility without needing special skills and to have the possibility to iterate on the pathways.
• Detailed and relevant reporting to manage, make decisions, and make adjustments. There is a possibility to retrieve this data via API and create their own reporting.

The next steps in our collaboration will focus on:

• Optimizing the self-care rate through work on placements and messages.
• Deploying the solution from digital supports.
• Deploying the solution for tobacconists.
• Deploying the solution internationally, starting with Spain.

Our webinar participants confirmed the relevance of our collaboration with Nickel through our survey. Their objectives for 2022:

• 94.44%: Improve customer experience.
• 55.56%: Increase the use of digital solutions.
• 44.44%: Reduce solicitation volumes.
• 27.78%: Increase the pick-up rate.