Case Study: Consumer electronics
Delivering breakthrough sales and expanding front- and back-office B2B, B2C support for a consumer appliances company
HGS generates $3 million in revenue per month for long-term Canadian client
At a glance
Partnership started in 1989
Customer service, customer sales, technical support, business orders
Voice, chat, social media, email
Front and back office
34 FTEs
The solution
Sales, B2B success
How we do it
HGS partners with this appliances company to create an active sales environment for parts orders and maintenance supply recurring orders. As a result of our innovative approach, HGS has been able to create a profit-center for our client, with the program covering all costs and providing additional revenue to the client.
HGS agents are trained to turn service calls into opportunities by using customer data to determine if the customer might benefit from a maintenance plan, supply reorder plan, or to suggest accessories or additional products which will meet the needs. By offering these additional services, agents not only increase revenue for the account, but help customers avoid the inconvenience of ordering supplies, extend the lives of the products, and increase the professional service image of our client.
Business result
HGS’s B2B and B2C solutions and support are essential to strong sales performance for the client. In the case of B2B and the client’s dealer and retailer network, in particular, HGS functions as an excellence-focused extension of the client’s own internal business-to-business team. In fact, because of HGS’s strong results in B2B— supporting $3 million in revenue per month, on average—the client has chosen to outsource their entire B2B customer care division to HGS. It speaks to the client’s trust in HGS that the client allows HGS a direct, client services role integral to maintaining and building relationships with three major U.S. retailers.
Solutions expansion
How we do it
As a result of HGS’s strong performance and consultative approach over the years, the client has trusted us to increasingly broaden our services offerings. In 2010, the client turned to us for email support and in 2014 they added our chat solution, with social media added in 2016. Additionally, HGS has been granted back-office project support, including back-order and invoice follow-ups, personal and property damage claims, and returns and replacement support.
Business result
Our digital solutions drive real outcomes like cost savings (in less labor to meet contacts) and customer experience enhancements. Our chat solution allows agents the ability to accept up to four simultaneous chats, to allow team members to efficiently handle multiple customer contacts in the same time it would take to complete one inbound phone contact. With this solution our handle time metric is 75% of contacts answered in 40 seconds. Our email service standard is 85% answered within 24 hours. HGS’s brand ambassador success for this client reaches all business functional areas. As a result of the back-office solutions that the client has extended to HGS, the client has been able to downsize their home office.
Knowledgebase
How we do it
HGS developed a knowledgebase in the client’s CRM that stores customer history and product information. With process flow and documentation, we’ve created both a training foundation, to ensure staff expertise, and a manual for customer service troubleshooting.
Business result
This client knowledge base has proven to be a key to our successful technical support—as technical support guidance that saves product replacement through parts replacement and working with customers to troubleshoot and resolve lower-tier issues.
Talent retention success
How we do it
HGS’s stringent hiring and screening includes grammar and writing skills assessments for agents assigned to chat and email. Our successful onboarding, and training ensures that our more skilled agents are assigned to the more complex B2B program. We ensure the right fit for the agents, as our B2B-focused agents must possess the professionalism and networking skills to represent our client in nurturing their retailer relationships. With this robust support and development, we assign agents to the right customer and skill set required.
Business result
Attrition averages less than 25% percent for this team—a stellar result by all customer service standards. The tenure for this team is notable, as well. In fact, 35% of team members have spent more than 10 years serving as brand ambassadors for this client.
Results
$3 Millionper month
B2B sales support
4chats per agent
for client cost savings, enhanced customer experience
400+client documents
in proprietary knowledgebase
25% or less attrition
The way forward
HGS continues to expand services reach to many areas of this client’s business—from operations to customer service. Recently the client has suggested another product line will soon be extended to HGS. And the digital innovation continues, as the client is also interested in the technical support potential of HGS’s video support technology, which is designed to optimize customer care support, to better identify product issues and support troubleshooting. With this mobile app technology, HGS is able to get a better view and understanding of a product issue and communicate more effectively with customers—for example, annotating photos to indicate where a product issue is occurring. With this type of HGS innovation and the client’s increasing trust, there is unlimited potential for this partnership.
