by Penni McLean-Connor

For many of us in the utility business, this is the time of year when we finalize our budgets and plans for the upcoming year. As always, customer service leaders look for initiatives that can improve service and reduce costs. One customer service investment that meets this criterion is an investment in automated queue management return call systems.

An automated queue management return call system allows customers to request a return call rather than the conventional practice of waiting in queue. This technology intercepts an inbound caller at a pre-determined queue time threshold, informs the caller of expected wait time, and offers to hold the caller’s place in line or to schedule a callback at a specified time. The benefit from a customer service perspective is that it offers customers choice and, if a callback is selected, the freedom to complete other activities. From a call center perspective, it improves contact center service levels while avoiding the costs of additional staff and decreases telephony toll charges by reducing the amount of time callers wait on hold.

Operational benefits

Queue management systems offer the greatest value to companies that experience variable peaks in call volume. Companies are able to avoid the cost of hiring additional staff that would otherwise be necessary to increase service levels, or the percentage of calls answered within a specified period. Talk time spent by service representatives allaying customers’ complaints of long waits can be avoided and companies avoid the toll costs associated with customers holding. This savings is achieved because a large number of customers, given the option, are likely to select the callback feature. In fact, research by Forrester indicates that 50 percent of customers will select the option of a callback.

Customer Impact

Customers do not like waiting on hold for their calls to be answered. Utilities face a particular challenge with managing call wait times because of the need to respond to unexpected events, like storms, which can create spikes in call volume. The longer the wait times, the more frustrated customers become and the more complaints a utility receives.

Queue management systems offer the call center the ability to provide responsive service, handle peaks in call volume and do so in a customer-friendly manner. The JD Power 2007 residential utility customer satisfaction survey revealed that automated queue management systems were much preferred by customers over conventional hold.

How the system works

Queue management systems are designed to work alongside an automatic call distribution system (ACD). During peak call volume, the technology intercepts the call and provides the customer with an estimated wait time. If a customer selects the option of a return call, the system will collect the customer’s name and phone number, disconnect the customer, and insert a virtual placeholder into the ACD queue to reserve the customer’s position.

As the agent queue is worked, the system will make outbound return calls at the rate at which agents become available. Customers will hear a reconnection script that informs the customer of the call origin and intent.

NSTAR case study

NSTAR installed a virtual queuing system in 2005. The project plan from design to implementation was seven weeks at a cost of $210,000. This project not only came in on budget, but also on time.

At NSTAR, we offer our customers the call back option if the expected wait time is greater than two minutes with the following prompt:

“All of our representatives are assisting other callers. Rather than wait on hold, we can call you back when it’s your turn. You will not lose your place in line if you choose to use this service. To receive a callback, press ‘1.’ For more options, press ‘2.’ To remain on hold, press ‘3.’ To schedule a callback for a later time, press ‘4.’ ”

In our experience, more than 45 percent of customers offered the option select it. On average, customers receive a call back and are connected with a representative in seven minutes.

At NSTAR we have received positive customer feedback from the queue management system. The system is helping our service level performance-in fact, on some days, we have experienced an improvement of 10 percentage points in service levels without adding staff.

Telephony queuing systems are an excellent investment to improve service while reducing costs. These systems are relatively quick to implement, an added benefit that makes them more appealing. Customer service leaders looking for initiatives that have a quick payback and improve customer service should definitely consider an investment in telephony queuing systems.

Author

Penni McLean-Conner is the vice president of customer care at NSTAR, Massachusetts’ largest investor-owned electric and gas utility. McLean-Conner, a registered professional engineer, serves on several industry boards of directors, including the CS Conference, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Her first book, “Customer Service: Utility Style,” has been published by PennWell Books.