100%sales conversion (weighted rate) in Jamaica and Colombia, resulting in increased revenue
+100%revenue per call index achievement
40%sales cost reduction due to labor arbitrageThe client simplifies how consumers shop for home services. Their marketplace connects consumers with the best possible providers and plans available in their respective areas. Through hundreds of telecom/broadband partnerships and in-depth research, the client has built a trusted online business that enables consumers to make informed decisions.
With multiple telecom and utility providers available in practically every town and city across the United States, competition in the home services sector is fierce. Any sales advisor dedicated to this client’s business has only one chance to close a sale – there are no callbacks for undecided or hesitant consumers. Advisors must relay compelling information quickly and precisely.
Prior to outsourcing to HGS, the client operated a captive contact center quite successfully; their US-based, in-house team had sales down to a science. Client executives viewed outsourcing as an entrepreneurial “experiment” – an initiative that could satiate their curiosity about how to scale their business, operate in alternate geographies, and boost revenues.
The client contracted HGS as a true extension of their in-house operation – a partner to execute on their proven processes. Their “experiment” with HGS has resulted in a fruitful, long-term partnership, the experience and justification to outsource even more of their business, and a cost-effective sales team that now often outperforms their own employees.
HGS provides the sales team, and the client provides the tools and processes. Success stems from the following.
There are two main types of calls coming to HGS’s sales advisors: transfers from the client’s provider-partners and consumers originating from the client’s website. Most consumers have already been on the phone for 15 minutes before they speak with an advisor, so making sales conversions is especially difficult. HGS team leaders coach, inspire, and support the sales advisors constantly to overcome objections and rejections. All HGS advisors receive three weeks of initial training, but on-the-job coaching is where the real learning and development happens. As the bulk of the team leader role involves mentoring and listening to advisor calls, the performance coach title is more appropriate and better reflects the team’s needs and mindset.
On this account, top-performing advisors have the opportunity to double their monthly take-home pay through sales commissions. Although packages and targets change frequently, advisors always know what to promote. When it was clear that top-performing advisors needed additional incentives, HGS proposed offering a performance-based rate premium. With client support, advisors achieving over a “1” on the revenue per call index (RPCI) for three consecutive months are now eligible. Roughly 25–40% of advisors are earning this rate-premium incentive, HGS has higher advisor motivation and retention, and the client is making more sales and partnership deals.
The team uses the client’s Twilio telephony platform and home-grown software. The software guides advisors with scripts, lookup tools, and tips. It helps advisors in:
The software integrates multiple systems such that even new advisors are successful.
While some clients prefer to hand over their contact centers to HGS so they can focus on their core businesses, this client is very hands-on. This client is actively involved in practically every department associated with the account. The client has senior operations leaders established permanently at HGS sites to ensure a constant, seamless connection.
Launching in June 2019 in Kingston, Jamaica, the program expanded in May 2020 to Barranquilla, Colombia, and then expanded again to the U.S. in May 2021 with a permanent work-at-home team. HGS frequently outperforms the client’s other teams and, as of October 2022, the account has grown to over 400 FTE across the three geographies. Other results are as follows.
100%sales conversion (weighted rate) in Jamaica and Colombia, resulting in increased revenue
Nearly 100% of all Spanish volume handled by HGS
+100%revenue per call index (RPCI) achievement
25–40%of Colombia advisors eligible for RPCI rate premium in any given month
40%sales cost reduction due to labor arbitrage
Visual IVR drives reduction of agent calls with self-service roadside assis...