Virtual Hold Technology
Implementation Results
The Challenge:
Recession Driven High Call Volumes
•
TeleCenter expanded to maximum staffing
levels
–
Recruiting/Hiring
–
Training
–
Facilities
•
Telecommunications tools at full capacity
The Solution:
Virtual Hold Technology
•
New way for claimants to interact with
TeleCenters
•
Claimants can choose a return call from the
TeleCenter rather than waiting on hold
•
Immediate SBR-funded solution
•
Used in many commercial call centers
nationwide
•
ESD is the first Washington State agency to
utilize Virtual Hold
The Project
•
Three month implementation delivered over
the holidays
•
Cooperative effort between ITSD and UI
divisions
•
Implemented by combined team already
experiencing high claims load and managing
existing systems and projects
Daily Configuration
•
8:00 Standby
–
Fills the Queues
–
Builds Estimated Wait Time (EWT)
•
8:15 Normal Operation
•
4:00 Q Speak – gives EWT only
Rendezvous' vs Concierge
•
Concierge
–
Keeps caller’s place in line and calls back
when they reach head of the line
–
High volume queues
Virtual Hold Management System
EyeQ
• EyeQ allows you to view statistics and see calls in queue real-time, generate historical reports over a wide range of data, and make real-time parameter settings to the Virtual Hold system.
• QueueInfo reporting package provides rich detail on all calls that interact with the Virtual Hold system, and can be used to complement existing ACD reports. In addition to monitoring Virtual Hold system utilization, these reports also serve as tools for optimizing the system and
Average Numbers Per Month
•
64% of calls offered a callback option
•
Of those, 73% choose the callback option
•
1,359,886 on hold minutes saved
• ~ 22,665 hours
Concierge
• The premier product of the Virtual Hold solution,
Concierge is a virtual queuing technology that educates and empowers callers. When customers are faced with hold time, Concierge tells them their estimated wait time (via Queue Speak Settings), and allows them the choice to receive a callback in the same amount of time as if they had waited on hold.
This area of EyeQ allows you to make changes to the Concierge settings.
Impacts on Business
• With the Virtual Hold treatment, T1 circuit capacity for Inbound calls increases, eliminates long hold times, and reducing toll costs.
• Abandoned calls dropped by 50%!
• Busy signals and high volume messages diminished. • Improved contact center efficiency and morale.
• Decreased call volumes by mid day and by mid week enabling back end office work to be scheduled and
Queue Statistics
Real-Time View
Queue Name Op Mode EWT Holding Queue Virtual Queue Priority Queue Calls in IVR Total Calls in VH Appts
SEA
Apprentice Normal 0:26:08 3 40 1 1 45 0 SEA Basic Normal 0:12:29 4 8 1 0 13 1 SEA Complex
& Questions Normal 0:23:16 14 143 0 1 158 9 SEA EmployersDate Book 0:00:00 0 0 0 0 0 0 SEA Spanish Apprentice Normal 0:00:00 0 0 0 0 0 0 SEA Spanish Basic Normal 0:19:42 2 4 1 0 7 0 SEA Spanish Employer Standby 0:00:00 0 0 0 0 0 0 Spokane Apprentice Normal 0:02:20 5 0 1 0 6 3 Spokane Basic Normal 0:00:00 0 0 0 0 0 0 Spokane
Complex &
Questions Normal 0:32:15 5 114 3 11 132 8 Spokane
Customer Satisfaction
• Empowers customers with options that improve the customer experience.
• Reduction in cell phone minutes used by claimants in the past. • Allows callers to resume their normal activities while waiting to
speak to an agent.
• When claimant reaches an agent they are not frustrated about being on hold for an extended period and agents are less stressed by irate callers.
• Claimants able to get through earlier, streamlining the call volumes throughout the day and week.
• Customer quote, “I really like the ‘call back’ option. I am so happy I don’t have to keep the phone posted to my ear while waiting for someone to help me. This is really a good idea. And you actually call back.”
Impacts on Staff
• Increased morale
• More time to complete off phone assignments.
• Shifted weekly claims queue with issues previously answered by Adjudication to our Intake Staff, assisting with a reduction in
backlog.
• Training staff on Virtual Hold was easily done during one of their team meetings.
• Talk time reduced, resulting in increased calls per hour and performance ratings.
The Result
•
Everyone loves it
– ESD TeleCenter Operations, Unemployment Insurance Central Office, Information Technology Services
Division
– Governor and Legislature
– Business
– Labor
