A prominent auto finance company, as a subsidiary of a well-established financial services corporation, ranks among the top auto lenders in the nation. It offers innovative, technology-driven solutions that simplify loan applications and account management, providing competitive rates and robust customer support. With strategic partnerships across numerous dealerships, it delivers exclusive financing deals, enhancing its market position. The company’s commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction has earned it numerous accolades and a strong industry reputation.
For over 15 years, iQor has been the trusted partner of this leading U.S.-based automotive finance organization, working together to streamline customer service operations for efficiency and satisfaction. This case study explores the key factors that have solidified iQor’s position as our client’s preferred BPO for CX process management, a role that directly integrates iQor’s CX experts into their internal teams.
Strategic Outsourcing With iQor for Auto Finance Process Optimization
iQor delivers comprehensive back office support and training for the auto lender’s vast customer service network, encompassing both internal and external teams. The auto lender recognized iQor’s dedication to continuous improvement and proactive thought leadership that maximizes the auto finance lender’s business initiatives.
This trust led to an additional strategic outsourcing role for iQor. Based on our extensive track record of success, the auto finance provider requested we serve in a consultative capacity, designing process management strategies to elevate customer feedback tracking and facilitate improvements to loan servicing CX.
Read on to discover how iQor’s deep understanding of our client’s auto finance business, unwavering commitment to performance excellence, and agility in adapting to evolving needs have fueled a successful partnership with an ever-expanding scope.
Success Snapshot
Unstoppable Performance
Unmatched tenure with our client.
Purposeful CX automation insights.
Data-driven strategy & execution.
Auto finance process expertise.
Irresistible Outcomes
34.5% NPS improvement.
7.5% perfection rate increase.
72% error reduction.
Seamless loan workflows.
Read on for the story that led to these exceptional results.
Background
Rapid growth after 2021 led the auto lender to outsource 95% of their entire CX operations to BPO partners like iQor. While efficient, this shift meant less direct access to customer feedback previously gathered by their internal process managers, resulting in service quality requiring realignment with customer sentiment.
Recognizing the importance of delivering irresistible auto loan customer service to borrowers, our client selected iQor to become an integrated member of their internal process management team and execute their high standards for customer-centric care and operational process optimization.
The Unique Advantage of an Outsourced Process Management Partnership for Auto Lenders
Building on our strong 15+ year partnership and deep understanding of the auto finance industry, iQor collaborated closely with the auto lender to develop their requested process management role. The role is designed to seamlessly integrate iQor’s process manager within the auto lender’s team.
By incorporating our program experts into our client’s internal team, we contribute iQor’s decades of accumulated CX process knowledge toward achieving the auto lender’s CX goals. This capability differentiates iQor from traditional managed service providers. Impressed by iQor’s commitment to CX excellence, which mirrors their own high standards, the client has requested our expertise in optimizing their entire customer service operation.
Business Opportunity
Initial success with this consultative role set the stage for a promising future. Given the dozens of business lines outsourced by the auto lender, a well-oiled process manager program had the potential to significantly optimize their processes from a CX standpoint.
This expansion is designed to provide invaluable insights into the diverse needs of each program, ultimately safeguarding our automotive finance client’s customer service quality. By proactively addressing potential inefficiencies and optimizing processes across all outsourced operations, iQor positioned itself as a vital partner in comprehensively improving their CX.
Solution
iQor recognized the unique opportunity presented by the client’s situation. Utilizing our extensive experience managing a significant portion of the auto lender’s outsourced operations, we proposed a strategic solution for process optimization.
iQor’s CX Strategy for Accelerating Auto Loan Net Promoter Scores and Supercharging Lien Holder Rate Improvements
Our plan involved integrating a dedicated iQor process manager within the client’s internal team as a subject matter expert. This pilot program, initially focused on the client’s primary offshore location, aimed to identify program opportunities and pinpoint loan processing and servicing gaps.
iQor consulted with our automotive finance client to identify performance goals, such as driving significant improvements to lien holder rates and setting net promoter scores (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) on a skyward trajectory.
The program yielded compelling results. Here’s a breakdown of iQor’s contributions.
Streamlining Auto Loan Servicing Workflows With iQor’s Automation Expertise
A review of critical processes uncovered over 30 loan servicing workflows where automation can drive continuous improvement and efficiency. iQor’s process manager advised the auto lender on best practices for automation informed by our digital transformation expertise, paving the way for increased agent productivity and happier customers.
Improving Borrower Satisfaction Through Collaboration and Process Optimization
Operating seamlessly alongside the auto lender’s existing process management team, iQor’s process manager played a key role in the pilot’s outcomes. This success ultimately resulted in over a dozen additions to iQor’s process management solutions to support the auto lender’s high-volume needs.
These collaborative efforts between iQor and our client resulted in documented processes, visualized loan servicing workflows, and proposed optimization strategies. All changes were meticulously crafted to adhere to the client’s regulatory requirements, improving CX while maintaining compliance. Specific examples include:
Streamlining the vehicle titling process for agents and customers.
Implementing call analysis that ensures more accurate call routing.
Equipping automotive agents with timely knowledge base updates.
Results
iQor’s initial process management pilot was a resounding success. Our automotive finance customer was pleased with the loan servicing improvements, resulting in the expansion of the program to other business lines.
These achievements increase the auto lender’s confidence in iQor’s ability to achieve their process optimization goals through consistent and sustainable performance excellence. This reflects our commitment to continuous improvement facilitated by open communication, a core value in our iQorian identity and critical for exceptional automotive finance CX.
Key Outcomes of the Strategic Outsourcing Partnership
34.5% NPS improvement.
Customer satisfaction soared, reflected in a dramatic rise in net promoter scores that indicates strong future sales growth.
7.5% perfection rate increase.
The client achieved a significant increase in their receival rate for documents necessary for swift borrower approval.
72% error reduction.
The client benefited from a substantial year to date (YTD) decrease in loan servicing errors since launching the program.
Future Roadmap for Auto Lending CX Process Management
iQor’s footprint with the auto lender has expanded to include seven process managers across various lines of business, with plans for further growth. This expansion reflects the strategic value this program delivers, strengthening our BPO services across the client’s entire CX operation.
iQor’s process manager program facilitated the design of a comprehensive knowledge base, empowering agents with faster and more accurate information access. A unified call flow and specialized routing profile accelerated new hire proficiency across both internal and BPO teams, boosting overall efficiency while exceeding key performance indicators.
These improvements solidify the strength of our longstanding strategic outsourcing partnership with the automotive finance provider. Our customer’s continued trust reflects our proven track record of successfully optimizing customer service operations through high quality standards and effective CX strategies.
This blog post is the second in 2-part CX series: Streamline Travel and Hospitality Customer Journeys With First-Class Back Office Outsourcing.
In this chapter, we’ll delve deeper into why outsourcing is a strategic decision for travel companies. You’ll discover how transparent and highly secure back office services and policies can help you forge stronger customer relationships.
Don’t miss Part 1! Discover why industry leaders like McKinsey and Forrester recommend BPO partnerships to maximize your digital CX. Learn how decades of back office experience and an innovation-driven culture can be leveraged to unlock the power of analytics, AI, and automation in your travel business. Click here to learn more.
In our previous blog post, we explored the insights of leading analysts on the critical role back office outsourcing plays in the success of travel and hospitality brands such as air carriers, hotels, resorts, and online travel agencies (OTAs). We discussed the importance of customer segmentation and hyper-personalization, alongside the power of analytics and AI in optimizing multi-channel self-service experiences.
Now, let’s shift gears and delve into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of back office CX in today’s digital age: CX data security. This second part of our series explores how partnering with a trusted back office BPO partner can empower your travel and hospitality business to build customer trust through comprehensive cybersecurity policies and clearly defined legal policies. This trust also inspires positive social media engagement with travel customers on their favorite channels, all implemented by back office specialists.
In a sector characterized by irregular operations (IROPs), an unshakeable foundation for data privacy is mission critical. By the end of this blog post, we’ll demonstrate how a BPO partner’s expertise goes beyond back office tasks by fostering a secure and trusted digital support environment for your customers throughout their travel journey.
Key Insights
Cybersecurity is a CX differentiator. We highlight how robust cybersecurity practices can become a competitive advantage in the travel industry, building trust and loyalty with customers increasingly concerned about data privacy.
A trusted BPO with the right cybersecurity expertise partners with travel brands to enforce specialized security protocols like multi-factor authentication and a zero trust approach to cybersecurity. The BPO’s compliance expertise can elevate your brand’s cybersecurity posture while supporting core business functionality.
Seamless integration of security into the customer journey is mission critical. With a BPO partner, your travel brand’s cybersecurity measures are implemented transparently, increasing the overall security, safety, and satisfaction of the customer’s journey.
Why a Highly Secure Back Office Matters to Travel Customers and Differentiates CX
In today’s digital, fast-moving world, travel and hospitality brands handle a wealth of sensitive customer information, from passport details to credit card numbers. Customers entrust the travel and hospitality brands they support with this data to plan their dream vacations or essential business trips. Unsurprisingly, they expect this information to be safeguarded with the utmost care.
Here’s where a highly secure back office comes into play. By prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures and investing in legal protections, travel and hospitality business leaders forge deeper trust with their customers. This is why leading industry analysts like Gartner advise proactively investing in outcome-driven cybersecurity that keeps pace with threats:
Cybersecurity outcome-driven metrics (ODMs) are operational metrics with special properties that enable cybersecurity’s stakeholders to draw a straight line between cybersecurity investment and the delivered protection levels that investment generates.
—Gartner®, “Top 9 Trends in Cybersecurity for 2024”
iQor’s CX optimization capabilities include a hyper-secure private CX cloud that ensures compliance and mitigates threats, protecting your brand’s privileged information and providing data security and peace of mind to your travel customers.
Imagine this: a customer finalizes their booking, excited about their upcoming adventure. Knowing their data is protected by a strong cybersecurity program leveraged by a trusted BPO adds an extra layer of confidence to their travel experience. Conversely, a data breach can leave customers feeling vulnerable and erode trust.
By demonstrating a commitment to cybersecurity, your travel or hospitality brand is sending a clear message: your customers’ privacy matters. This commitment fosters a sense of security and allows customers to focus on planning and enjoying their travel experience.
Partner With BPOs That Harness World-Class Zero Trust Architecture and Proactive Risk Mitigation
In today’s data-driven world, travel and hospitality brands understand the importance of customer trust. This includes ensuring the security of sensitive information, especially when working with offshore partners.
Here’s how iQor builds trust and ensures traveler data is secure:
Unwavering Commitment to Data Security. We recognize cybersecurity as a top concern. That’s why we implement robust data privacy and security measures, including multi-factor authentication, detailed account logging reports, and a zero trust approach. Our secure, multi-layered approach safeguards your customers’ information, wherever our service centers may be located.
Meaningful Investments Into Employee Experience. Happy employees are more vigilant with sensitive customer financial data. We foster a culture of employee satisfaction through open communication, clear security policies, and ongoing training. This translates into a more secure environment for your data and a more positive experience for your customers.
Effective Multi-Factor Authentication for Agents. Proactive planning is essential to align secure data privacy standards with irregular operations. Our back office expertise deploys multi-factor authentication that protects customer profile information and associated financial data in a dynamic marketplace.
Transparent Policies That Build Customer Trust. Travelers deserve peace of mind. Our commitment to transparency extends to informing customers about how their data is used and protected. Open communication—a core iQorian value—about our security protocols builds trust and fosters long-lasting client relationships.
Back Office Insights: Chargeback Support Ensures Seamless, Secure Travel Customer Experiences
Security goes beyond IT support. It also involves meaningful and transparent investments in legal policies that ensure both merchants and end customers are treated fairly.
Think about the last time a processing error led a company to issue a payment refund on your behalf. For example, when booking airline, hotels, and other accommodations through an online travel agency or aggregator (OTA), effective and efficient chargeback support can elevate customer satisfaction by ensuring refunds are posted in a timely manner. This is where a travel brand’s behind-the-scenes BPO partner can play a vital role.
A BPO partnership for back office chargeback support might include:
Account Maintenance & Data Accuracy. CX specialists meticulously maintain account information and ensure optical imaging is clear for all transactions. This minimizes errors and disputes before they even arise.
Dispute Resolution Expertise. A trusted BPO well-versed in chargeback data science and legal intricacies can efficiently resolve disputes, ensuring both the traveler and the merchant receive fair treatment.
Comprehensive Legal Support. A dedicated legal support team oversees every step of the process to guarantee that all chargebacks are handled according to regulations. This minimizes legal complications and gives travelers peace of mind.
A trusted outsourcing partner can also provide thorough social media monitoring and escalation management. Travelers often voice concerns on social media. BPO teams proactively monitor these platforms and identify potential escalations, including those considering legal action.
By intervening swiftly and professionally, they can prevent negative social media buzz and legal risk and protect the brand’s reputation. BPO expertise can empower travel and hospitality brands to deliver seamless CX, even when IROPS arise, ensuring customers return from their dream vacations with positive memories of their travel and accommodations experience.
Seamlessly Integrating Security Into the Fabric of the Customer Journey
Maintaining robust cybersecurity can sometimes feel like a balancing act. Travel brands need strong policies in place to ensure your customer experience remains smooth and efficient through optimized disruption management. This is where a BPO partner with expertise in back office cybersecurity CX can be invaluable.
Here’s how BPOs seamlessly integrate security into the customer journey:
Clear, Open Communication. BPOs can help develop accessible communication channels for customers to review security policies. This transparency builds trust and allows travelers to understand how their information is protected.
Frictionless Security Measures. With a trusted BPO partner, security protocols can be implemented behind the scenes without creating unnecessary steps or delays for customers. Streamlined processes also ensure security is seamlessly integrated, resulting in a user-friendly experience.
Proactive Security Education. BPOs can work with travel brands to develop educational content such as knowledge bases and FAQs for customers. This empowers travelers to recognize and avoid potential phishing attempts or scams, further strengthening the overall security posture.
Strategic outsourcing can empower your travel or hospitality business to deliver robust security programs that function as a silent guardian within the customer journey. Customers receive the protection they deserve, while their travel planning and booking experience remains positive and efficient. This fosters a sense of security and satisfaction, creating a win-win situation for both your brand and your customers.
Uncover the role of employee training and empowerment in back office security.
Travel and hospitality organizations are aware that customer experience hinges on a team of competent, driven back office employees. The extent to which staff are trained and equipped plays an instrumental role in shaping these experiences.
By incorporating generative AI technologies, a BPO can offer significant contact center training and career development opportunities that exceed performance expectations. iQor strives to surpass client performance targets through Symphony [AI]TM, our holistic AI strategy that optimizes the entire employee lifecycle.
iQor’s culture of innovation drives our CX experts to always seek new tools, techniques, and applications for AI optimization across CX operations. Whether the service we provide is customer-facing care or back office support, Symphony [AI] has the potential to transform agent performance and client outcomes through:
Preparation of agents to offer superior customer experiences.
Transformation of approaches used by employees to meet customer needs.
Education that enables agents to swiftly locate necessary information.
Alleviation of stress and reduction in time spent handling each customer query.
Drive continuous improvements to travel customer CX with dedicated monitoring, reporting, and a culture of open communication.
Reports on customer experience within the travel industry provide insights into key areas such as dominant countries from which travelers originate, comparisons between repeat visitors and first-time guests, and records of customer service engagements.
iQor’s back office services surpass traditional outsourcing expectations by proactively gathering, analyzing, and reporting insights to our clients about program performance using powerful analytics tools like our proprietary VALDI interaction analytics platform. Staying informed empowers our travel and hospitality clients. We ensure they receive accurate, timely updates and maintain open communication channels for a stress-free experience.
The information your strategic outsourcing partner reports can encompass a range of metrics customized to the needs of each business, including:
Economic measures such as adherence to policy and cost reduction.
Service quality indicators like client satisfaction and supplier service standards.
Business-related metrics that scrutinize return on investment and output efficiency.
Ecological sustainability markers that monitor business travel’s carbon emissions with an emphasis on greener practices.
The Bottom Line: The Future of Travel is Hyper-Connected, Hyper-Personalized, and Hyper-Secure
Let’s recap our experience exploring streamlined customer journeys through first-class back office outsourcing throughout this 2-part series.
In Part 1, we explored strategies for keeping pace with the rapid evolutions of the travel and hospitality landscape. Today’s travelers crave a hyper-connected journey, tailored to their unique needs, and delivered seamlessly across all touchpoints.
Customer engagement statistics from McKinsey, Forrest, Gartner, and beyond prove that the key to unlocking this future lies in embracing data. By leveraging powerful analytics and hyper-personalization strategies, travel brands can create unforgettable experiences that resonate deeply with their customers and build trust through transparency and integrity.
A forward-thinking business solutions provider who shares these values and possesses the experience and resources to harness industry-leading strategies is the key to elevating customer service and experience to new heights.
By following the reports of top travel and hospitality industry analysts and choosing a third-party CX expert to refine your CX approach, you can help define the industry’s future by creating irresistible experiences at every touchpoint for your valued customers. After all, in this sector, the journey is as important as the destination.
FAQ: Empowering Your Travel or Hospitality Brand with Back Office BPO Solutions
1. How can BPO back office support specifically benefit the travel industry?
Answer: BPOs offer a range of back office solutions that can maximize your travel brand’s operations:
Streamlined Customer Service. BPOs can handle tasks like booking management, itinerary changes, and voucher processing, freeing up your in-house team to focus on complex inquiries and building customer relationships.
Optimized Dispute Resolution. BPOs with expertise in chargeback management and dispute resolution can efficiently handle these issues, reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction.
24/7 Availability With Global Support. BPOs with geographically diverse teams can provide multilingual customer support around the clock, ensuring seamless assistance for travelers in any time zone.
Data Analytics & Reporting. BPOs can analyze back office data to identify trends and inefficiencies. These insights can be used to optimize processes, reduce costs, and improve the overall customer experience.
Robust Data Privacy and Security. BPOs prioritize data security with robust protocols and employee training. This ensures your sensitive customer information is safeguarded.
2. How do BPOs ensure the security of customer data in the back office environment?
Restricted access controls to sensitive data, such as multi-factor authentication.
Regular data encryption that follows world-class encryption standards.
Secure data storage facilities with advanced security protocols.
Comprehensive employee training on data security best practices.
Regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Experience the iQor Difference
To navigate today’s travel and hospitality landscape, you need more than just a BPO provider. You need a trusted BPO who understands the unique challenges you face and can deliver solutions that drive real results.
iQor is a globally trusted managed service provider of digitally enabled business and CX solutions recommended by the world’s leading travel and hospitality brands as a trusted advisor that seamlessly integrates with the needs of their organization.
We go beyond traditional outsourcing to offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to optimize your entire customer journey. Here’s how we can help you soar:
Deep Industry Expertise. Our team boasts extensive experience in travel and hospitality, including navigating our customers’ proprietary CRM platforms and leveraging OCR.
Data-Driven Insights. We implement cutting-edge data science and AI to unlock actionable insights from your customer data. This empowers us to optimize channel utilization, identify risk areas, and personalize the customer experience for increased satisfaction.
Global Capabilities & Security. With a presence across 10 countries and a private, high-performance CX cloud, we offer scalability, security, and seamless global support.
Next-Generation Solutions. We are early adopters of innovative technologies like VALDI’s advanced analytics and iQor’s Symphony [AI] ecosystem, continuously investing in creating the future of travel industry customer service.
Trusted Partner Approach. We foster a consultative partnership, deploying dedicated account teams with industry expertise to guide you every step of the way. You’ll gain a reliable advisor who understands your business and is invested in your success.
iQor offers the perfect blend of innovative digital support solutions and expert leadership dedicated to creating exceptional customer experiences. Ready to transform your travel and hospitality brand? Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can turn more travelers into enthusiastic brand advocates.
Susan Halvorsen, vice president of business development at iQor, is a dedicated CX leader who champions the power of innovation to elevate customer experiences in travel and hospitality. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
This blog post is the first in iQor’s 2-part travel and hospitality CX series.
In this chapter, you’ll discover key analyst insights from McKinsey and Forrester that explain how a trusted BPO partner maximizes travel customer satisfaction through outsourced back office support. Join us now to see why a data-driven approach powered by analytics, AI, and automation equips iQor’s CX specialists to support the world’s best loved travel and hospitality brands.
Want to learn how outsourcing safeguards travel brands and customers, secures lasting trust, and inspires positive social media engagement? Check out “Part 2: Forge Powerful Customer Trust Through Transparent and Secure CX Policies”by clicking here.
Proactive Digital + Human CX Strategies Differentiate Success With Today’s Travelers
What makes a traveler choose your brand again? In the travel and hospitality arena, where comfort and accommodation quality are key, customer experience (CX) is the cornerstone that can make or break customer satisfaction and promote repeat business.
This article zeroes in on the characteristics of exceptional customer experience in the travel sector from the perspective of top business analysts. We explore strategies for online travel agency (OTA), airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and other industry stakeholders to implement best CX practices with support from a customer-centric outsourcing partner like iQor.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism are nearing full recovery from pre-pandemic levels. They predict that recovery and growth are likely to continue, with travel and tourism GDP outpacing the overall economy at an average of 5.8% per year between 2022 and 2032.
This promising outlook explains why tourism businesses are more energized than ever about developing an effective CX approach. Nevertheless, the sector still faces significant challenges from widespread labor shortages, particularly from customer-facing roles. A sustainable future for tourism hinges on proactive strategies to align customer experience (CX) and satisfaction growth with the same upward trajectory as the industry’s overall current forecast.
While customer-facing interactions may seem like the logical first step, we’re here to prove why back office teams, technology, and processes are equally integral to delivering unforgettable, smile-worthy travel customer experiences.
Key Insights
Analyst insights indicate that effective back office operations achieved in partnership with a trusted BPO play a critical role in optimizing customer satisfaction through streamlined processes and smoother customer journeys.
Hyper-personalization is critical. Historical data analysis, loyalty and reward programs, tailored recommendations, and outreach and promotions are determining factors for optimal offer development through precise customer segmentation.
Continuous investment in analytics, AI, automation, employee training, and secure regulatory practices is vital for optimizing customer experience in the travel and hospitality sector.
Why the Back Office Is the First Step Toward Creating Delighted Travel Customers
Let’s explore some examples from different segments of the travel and hospitality sector. One principal analyst from Forrester notes that turbulence in the airline industry is largely connected to end-user customer experience (CX) management.
A strong digital CX strategy is key to unlocking lasting customer engagement for travel and transportation organizations. By bridging gaps between travelers, employee teams, and brands through CX expertise, airlines and travel companies can enjoy the advantages of streamlined operations and engaged customers.
Another Forrester Research survey reveals that 90% of customers will advocate for hotel brands when their experience makes them feel valued. Hospitality brands—from established full-service hotels and resorts to the booming short- and long-term stay marketplace—encourage positive word of mouth and brand advocacy when they provide enjoyable, relaxing stays for their guests.
The good news? The major analyst groups are only confirming what customers are already telling business leaders loud and clear about how to deliver seamless CX:
One solution could be to build a workforce with the mix of digital and interpersonal skills needed to keep up with travelers’ fast-changing requirements … In McKinsey’s experience, the total service cost of this type of work can make up 10 percent of total operating costs. Most often, these roles are not guest facing. A professional and digital-based solution might become an integrated part of a third-party service for [travel and hospitality businesses] looking to outsource this type of work.
—McKinsey, “The Future of Tourism: Bridging the Labor Gap, Enhancing Customer Experience”
Case Study Snapshot: iQor Expertly Implements Back Office RPA to Streamline US-Based Air Carrier’s Travel CX
For one major U.S.-based air carrier’s customers, the process for redeeming a voucher toward their next adventure was met with long wait times. The air carrier commissioned iQor to implement a robotic process automation (RPA) solution that simplifies the voucher redemption process.
iQor’s solution surpassed the air carrier’s expectations by streamlining internal back office processes and significantly improving by saving over 2.5 months’ worth of wait times in one year for customers on hold.
Automates Repetitive Tasks. The RPA takes care of those back office tasks that, while essential, can bog down the multi-step validation process involving CRM systems, booking platforms, and payment verification. RPA automates these steps, freeing up human agents to focus on complex issues and provide immediate responses.
Reduces Customer Wait Times. By eliminating manual data entry and streamlining processes, wait times dropped by a staggering 29%! This translates to less frustration for travelers and a smoother overall customer journey.
Enables Swift Voucher Access. The RPA ensures relevant customer data and voucher details are captured and stored in a secure digital repository. This allows for immediate access and redemption, empowering customers to book your dream trip with ease.
iQor is transforming the customer experience in the travel industry with our digital support solutions for air carriers. By eliminating disruptions and ensuring rapid responses, RPA empowers travel brands to deliver a seamless journey, from voucher redemption to unforgettable post-trip memories.
Self-service automation and AI support empowers customers with optimized back office CX.
Every moment of travel is integral to the overall journey experience, and travelers place a high value on efficiency. Self-service travel customer support and back office support work together to create a smoother and more satisfying customer experience. Self-service options, like FAQs, knowledge bases, robotic process automation (RPA) and AI chatbots, empower travelers to find answers and resolve simple issues independently.
This seamless collaboration between self-service and back office support empowers travelers with control and fosters a sense of efficiency, ultimately leading to a more positive customer experience.
Enable strategic AI chat capabilities and mitigate irregular operations with back office BPO expertise.
As AI continues to evolve, it rewrites the rule book driving 24/7 real-time customer service for travelers. AI-powered chatbots are designed to optimize disruption management, save time, and increase productivity in customer service in a sector that constantly experiences irregular operations (IROPs).
AI chatbots can act as a bridge between travelers and the back office support team in the travel industry. While AI chatbots can handle basic inquiries and resolve simple issues directly, their true value for back office support lies elsewhere, including:
Initial Screening and Triage. AI chatbots can efficiently screen incoming inquiries, identify when live agent resolution is required, categorize issues resulting from IROPs, and even gather initial information from travelers.
24/7 Availability. Chatbots provide travelers with self-service options and basic support around the clock, even outside of regular business hours. This provides customer resolutions without waiting for live agent availability.
Data Collection and Insights. AI chatbots can collect valuable data from traveler interactions. This data can be analyzed by back office teams to identify recurring issues, improve self-service options, and personalize future interactions.
By partnering with a managed services provider, travel or hospitality businesses gain access to expert insights on implementing AI for back office functions. These experts can help design and scale AI policies, procedures, and tools to optimize the travel customer experience.
Transform Social Chatter Into Travel Customer Triumphs, Beginning With App and Social Media Engagement
Today’s travel landscape is a dynamic ecosystem fueled by social media, savvy customers, and the power of voice search. While this might seem overwhelming, social media monitoring reveals a treasure trove of opportunity. Here’s why:
Social Media Visibility. Social media enables brands to tap into the power of peer-to-peer interaction, where happy customers become your biggest advocates. By actively engaging on these platforms, you build trust and credibility, attracting new travelers eager to experience what you offer.
The Voice of the Traveler. Voice search is booming, and travel is a prime target. Travelers on the go can instantly research and book experiences using simple voice commands. This means your online presence needs to be optimized for voice search, ensuring your brand pops up when those travel questions arise.
Real-time Feedback Loop. Social media is a two-way street. Travelers are constantly sharing their experiences, both positive and negative. By actively monitoring these conversations, you gain valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement. This feedback loop allows you to continuously refine your offerings and ensure exceptional customer experiences.
In today’s fast-paced world, customers anticipate immediate responses. Platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger cater to this demand by providing swift support, thus elevating the overall experience of customer service.
Leveraging these messaging platforms fulfills the desire for rapid replies that customers have come to expect. SMS and apps for messaging provide a communication avenue where interactions with customers receive higher visibility and prompt action. Companies harness these widely used platforms’ convenience and user-friendly nature when they integrate them into their customer support strategy.
From streamlining customer experience to leveraging technology for better interactions, you’ll find focused insights on boosting satisfaction and loyalty—essential for those ready to take their travel or hospitality CX to new heights with a trusted outsourcing advisor like iQor.
Hyper-Personalization That Secures Customer Engagement, Closes Sales, and Fosters Repeat Travel Business
Remember the days of generic travel brochures promising a one-size-fits-all experience? Those are long gone. Today’s travelers crave experiences that cater to their unique desires. This is where customer segmentation and hyper-personalization enters the scene, and it’s a game-changer for travel brands.
Imagine that you’ve booked a flight for a weekend getaway. Instantly, you start receiving personalized recommendations based on your past travel preferences. Perhaps you loved exploring hidden gems in Rome, so your inbox pops up with a curated list of off-the-beaten-path adventures in your new destination. Feeling peckish after landing? Location services suggest delicious local restaurants near your airport arrival point.
How does hyper-personalization work in the travel industry? It’s an integrated ecosystem of components involving:
Data and processes from analytics, AI, and automation.
This level of hyper-personalization is powered by historical data and targeted customer segments. By analyzing past booking trends, travel companies can predict what kind of experiences you’ll crave and tailor offer development accordingly. This elevates the travel journey and unlocks powerful upselling and loyalty-building opportunities.
Today’s travelers expect inspiration, influence, and incentives that transcend brand loyalty.
In a post-pandemic world, leisure travelers have a newfound appreciation for exploration. Despite this, brand loyalty might not be their top priority. Statistics prove that many travelers focus on leveraging points systems and reward programs to maximize value.
With 83% booking on their phones and nearly half using voice search on-the-go, immediacy and value reign supreme. Furthermore, with 6.5 million travel influencer posts manifesting in the search algorithms of Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, social media retains its powerful influence on the consciousness of social media-embedded, travel experience-seeking customers.
Here’s the value of hyper-personalization and customer segmentation for the travel sector: by understanding who your customers truly are—their past preferences, travel styles, and in-the-moment needs—you can create targeted experiences that resonate deeply. This goes beyond traditional loyalty programs by building genuine connections and exceeding expectations at every touchpoint.
The travel industry is all about creating unforgettable experiences. By harnessing hyper-personalization, proactive outreach, and real-time communication channels, you can transform your brand into the go-to choice for today’s discerning traveler.
The Smart Analytics Approach to Mastering Chat And Web Support to Maximize Customer Engagement
When travel and hospitality brands proactively reach out to travelers who might be considering booking elsewhere, they can optimize customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter score (NPS) targets. For instance, receiving an exclusive offer or a personalized message from a friendly social media ambassador might make all the difference for your choice to do business with that company and spread your word-of-mouth recommendation among your peers.
Understanding customer preferences in real-time is crucial. Analytics tools–and the expertise to wield them–are integral for reaching customers when the customer base numbers in the millions. This data becomes the foundation for predictive net promoter score (predictive NPS) strategies powered by AI. Imagine being able to identify potential brand promoters before they even book! By proactively addressing their needs and exceeding expectations, you can cultivate loyalty and continuously improve your brand’s CX delivery model.
Unlock your travel or hospitality brand’s analytics advantage with iQor’s VALDI.
iQor ensures our travel and hospitality brands effectively bridge the gap between irresistible customer experiences and third-party back office support with our proprietary VALDI interaction analytics platform. This innovative tool goes beyond basic data collection, proactively analyzing customer interactions across all channels. We identify trends, uncover pain points, and understand customer sentiment, allowing us to tailor CX strategies for each brand.
What makes VALDI stand out?
Define Customer Segments. We can analyze interactions on any platform, providing the historical data that creates a more complete picture of travel and hospitality CX.
Harness Actionable Insights. Our platform does more than report issues; it identifies the root cause, enabling targeted interventions and continuous improvement.
Transcend Script Compliance. By sensing customer sentiment and distress, we take a proactive approach to addressing concerns and fostering empathy.
Analytics acts as the bridge between understanding customer sentiment and taking actionable steps. It fuels hyper-personalized recommendations, streamlines immediate support via live chat, and ultimately, allows you to refine your offerings to create a customer journey that surpasses expectations, every single time.
Leverage back office CX technology and expertise to achieve hyper-personalized travel customer interactions.
In a marketplace defined by irregular operations (IROPs), forming partnerships with a BPO can serve as a linchpin for disruption management. iQor is a BPO that has garnered substantial expertise by working closely with preeminent OTAs, hotels, airlines, and cruise lines for 25+ years. Our robust back office processes enable unparalleled operational excellence, allowing travel and hospitality businesses to confidently navigate CX challenges and opportunities.
In the current digital communication era, customers interact with travel and hospitality brands across many platforms. They might browse for flights on their desktops, reserve accommodations through mobile applications, and proceed to check in using airport kiosks.
Travel companies are tasked with providing an uninterrupted experience that spans all these channels. This investment in the customer journey also provides the following:
Well-documented histories of conversations.
Detailed profiles revealing customer data and trends.
CX technology that enables digital support channels is transforming back office operations and customer interactions. By leveraging automation tools, AI chatbots, and data analytics, back office teams can consolidate processes to ensure operational excellence.
This translates to faster issue resolution, more efficient handling of complex cases, and the ability to personalize the customer experience. Self-service options powered by CX technology allow travelers to manage their bookings and find solutions independently, reducing wait times and frustration. Ultimately, CX technology in the back office creates a smoother journey for travelers, fostering higher satisfaction and engagement.
Reimagine Travel and Hospitality CX With a Trusted BPO
The travel and hospitality landscape is undergoing a dynamic shift. Leading analysts highlight the crucial role of back office outsourcing in streamlining operations and driving optimization. By partnering with a BPO provider, you can unlock a world of benefits, from expert customer segmentation and hyper-personalization to powerful analytics and AI that fuel exceptional self-service experiences.
Unveil the Cybersecurity Advantage for Irresistible CX: Part 2 Awaits
This blog post offers a glimpse into the transformative power of BPO for travel and hospitality brands. The journey keeps getting better. In Part 2 of our 2-part blog series, we delve deeper into the critical role of a highly secure back office provided by a trusted BPO partner. You’ll discover how robust security becomes a mission-critical differentiator in today’s security-conscious travel landscape, fostering trust and loyalty with your guests.
FAQ: Empowering Your Travel or Hospitality Brand With Back Office BPO Solutions
1. How can BPO back office support specifically benefit the travel industry?
Answer: BPOs offer a range of back office solutions that can maximize your travel brand’s operations:
Streamlined Customer Service. BPOs can handle tasks like booking management, itinerary changes, and voucher processing, freeing up your in-house team to focus on complex inquiries and building customer relationships.
Optimized Dispute Resolution. BPOs with expertise in chargeback management and dispute resolution can efficiently handle these issues, reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction.
24/7 Availability With Global Support. BPOs with geographically diverse teams can provide multilingual customer support around the clock, ensuring seamless assistance for travelers in any time zone.
Data Analytics & Reporting. BPOs can analyze back office data to identify trends and inefficiencies. These insights can be used to optimize processes, reduce costs, and improve the overall customer experience.
Robust Data Privacy and Security. BPOs prioritize data security with robust protocols and employee training. This ensures your sensitive customer information is safeguarded.
2. How can BPOs leverage data analytics and AI to improve back office operations for travel brands?
Answer: BPOs can analyze back office data from various sources, including call recordings, emails, and customer interactions. This data can be used to:
Identify peak call times and staffing needs.
Pinpoint areas for process improvement.
Uncover trends in customer inquiries and complaints.
Develop targeted training programs for back office staff.
Measure the effectiveness of back office processes.
By leveraging data analytics, BPOs can help travel brands optimize their back office operations, leading to increased efficiency and improved customer satisfaction.
Experience the iQor Difference
To navigate today’s travel and hospitality landscape, you need more than just a BPO provider. You need a trusted BPO who understands the unique challenges you face and can deliver solutions that drive real results.
iQor is a globally trusted managed service provider of digitally enabled business and CX solutions recommended by the world’s leading travel and hospitality brands as a trusted advisor that seamlessly integrates with the needs of their organization.
We go beyond traditional outsourcing to offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to optimize your entire customer journey. Here’s how we can help you soar:
Deep Industry Expertise. Our team boasts extensive experience in travel and hospitality, including navigating our customers’ proprietary CRM platforms and leveraging OCR.
Data-Driven Insights. We implement cutting-edge data science and AI to unlock actionable insights from your customer data. This empowers us to optimize channel utilization, identify risk areas, and personalize the customer experience for increased satisfaction.
Global Capabilities & Security. With a presence across 10 countries and a private, high-performance CX cloud, we offer scalability, security, and seamless global support.
Trusted Partner Approach. We foster a consultative partnership, deploying dedicated account teams with industry expertise to guide you every step of the way. You’ll gain a reliable advisor who understands your business and is invested in your success.
iQor offers the perfect blend of innovative digital support solutions and expert leadership dedicated to creating exceptional customer experiences. Ready to transform your travel and hospitality brand? Contact us today, and let’s discuss how we can turn more travelers into enthusiastic brand advocates.
Susan Halvorsen, vice president of business development at iQor, is a dedicated CX leader who champions the power of innovation to elevate customer experiences in travel and hospitality. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
This case study spotlights iQor’s partnership with a financial services client that led to the addition of complex back office support services to improve efficiency and quality in their auto finance division.
With deep product knowledge; a strong understanding of the brand; comprehensive training; and ongoing QA, compliance, and efficiency monitoring, iQor delivers fast and accurate back office support to help achieve the client’s strategic objectives.
Our team of dedicated CX professionals delivers task QA scores at 99.3%, consistently above the client’s target with efficiency and accuracy. This results in faster turnaround times to advance the lender’s competitive advantage in the auto loan industry.
Background
Our client is a nationwide lender of new and used automobile purchase financing. The lender wanted to maintain its high standing and grow its market share in the competitive arena of dealership-to-consumer financing.
The lender sought to improve the accuracy and velocity of dealer funding back office support services to achieve four outcomes:
Grow its already-strong dealer network.
Fund more consumer automotive loans through dealerships.
Save time and money by doing the same work in less time.
Improve efficiency and quality by completing the loan documents with fewer errors.
The lender relied on an in-house team and several back office outsourcing providers to handle income pre-verification (IPV) and loan document review, two critical loan funding services.
Results were good, but they recognized an opportunity to get even better results by adding another business process outsourcing (BPO) provider.
They were very satisfied with the 15+ year relationship and the positive results iQor has delivered in other areas of their business as a trusted CX solutions outsourcing partner. So, they partnered with us for outsourced back office services to help them achieve the four outcomes described above.
Our client set high standards for the velocity and accuracy of their programs; iQor’s challenge was to meet those standards of excellence.
Business Opportunities
Buyers, dealers, and lenders each have their own priorities when it comes to automobile lending.
From the Buyer’s Perspective
Exceptional customer service throughout the buyer’s journey comes in the form of friendly and knowledgeable staff, transparent pricing and financing options, hassle-free negotiations, and comprehensive after-sales support. A great purchasing experience can enhance customer satisfaction and build long-term brand loyalty with the car dealer, manufacturer, and lender. This relationship is made stronger through a smooth, efficient, and secure financing experience.
From the Dealer’s Perspective
Dealers want to deliver an excellent purchasing experience to every customer who walks through their doors. Lenders that offer low payments and the best combination of velocity and accuracy help make that happen.
Lender velocity (speed and efficiency) and accuracy (quality and compliance) in processing income pre-verification (IPV) and reviewing loan documents directly impact a dealership’s ability to sell loans to buyers.
IPV is the first step in the loan application process. It’s used to verify the applicant’s income before a formal loan application is submitted. Dealerships need quick turnaround of IPV requests from the lender’s back office support team to hold the customer’s attention and keep the sales process moving forward.
Once the dealer has completed the paperwork and delivered the vehicle, the lender must review loan documents for accuracy. Oversights like date of birth mismatch or lack of proof that the buyer was offered insurance could put the dealership at risk.
In some cases, a flaw in the loan documents may require the dealership to ask the customer to come back to resolve the issue, potentially prompting them to pursue financing options elsewhere.
From the Lender’s Perspective
Competition among auto lenders is fierce. Every buyer has a bank or credit union that wants their auto loan business, as does the dealership that sold them the car.
Every dealership has multiple sources for loans:
Lenders aligned with the vehicle brands they sell.
Major national lenders (like our client).
Lenders seeking low-risk buyers.
Lenders seeking high-risk buyers.
Local banks with third-party lending programs aiming for local residents.
Local credit unions.
Lenders count on back office support services from in-house and/or BPO teams to execute the IPV and loan document review processes and maximize their win rates. Teams must execute these processes at a level of accuracy and velocity that satisfies the buyer, dealer, and lender.
In collaboration with our client, iQor set out to execute at the same or better rates of velocity and accuracy as the existing support providers within 90 days of launch.
Back Office Solutions
Having partnered with this client on numerous CX programs for over 15 years, we marked an expansion of our back office support with this funding program.
iQor leaders supporting the auto lender’s programs average eight or more years of experience with the lender, possessing extensive knowledge of the lender’s auto loan products. In fact, a common saying among the lender’s employees is, “If you don’t know the answer to a question, ask iQor.”
iQor team members enjoy an excellent employee experience that translates into longer tenure, more growth, and deeper knowledge in support of the brands we serve through ongoing initiatives such as:
Flexible work environments.
Digitally enabled training, coaching, and mentoring.
Proactive insights powered by machine learning to improve individual employee experiences.
Career development and progression through programs like iQor University.
With long-term program tenure, iQor’s team began from a position of deep product and brand knowledge to implement a three-prong solution to consistently meet the auto lender’s goals for velocity and accuracy.
Recruit and train.
Measure.
Coach and motivate.
Recruit and Train
iQor’s value-driven culture and flexible work environments in secure work-in-office and work-at-home settings powered recruiting efforts to ensure consistent delivery of staffing compliance. We recruited agents for the funding program’s back office support startup teams from a pool that included new agents as well as iQorians who had already proved their ability to produce at a high level for our client. From the start, our onboarding experience welcomed and engaged new employees through our culture, values, and policies.
The iQor team worked in collaboration with the client from Day One to understand training requirements, become subject matter experts, and partner on facilitation methods and content to drive the best performance outcomes.
Our award-winning training team worked with the lender to design a curriculum to address critical program needs, integrating collaborative learning experiences that accelerated time to proficiency.
iQor trainers undergo a four-level certification program to hone the skills needed to succeed in a fast-paced active learning environment. Equipped with these skills and the technology to deliver quality training, both in-person and virtually, iQor’s certified trainers deliver compelling and intuitive active learning facilitation at scale, guiding participants through a collaborative learning journey. Skills assessments help guide trainers to further support agents in areas of need.
This comprehensive training experience ensures agents have the knowledge and skills to complete all the processes involved with income pre-verification and loan document reviews with efficiency and accuracy.
New recruits receive onsite product training before beginning a nesting period. During nesting, agents spend part of the day handling calls and the rest of the day in training based on the calls they’ve handled. New agents must spend at least 90 days working onsite before they qualify to work at home (WAH).
Measure
Our client uses an internal system to assess performance in the loan document review process. This applies to their in-house team as well as outside BPO vendors. Performance appraisals comprise two categories:
80% of the performance assessment measures quality and compliance (accuracy).
20% measures efficiency (velocity).
Accuracy
The lender checks the accuracy of the back office support team’s review of 15 specific items in loan documents. For each item, they assign a grade based on the accuracy of an agent’s review of that item. They calculate a quality assurance (QA) score—the ratio of positive grades to the total number of documents reviewed—for each of the 15 items. All 15 individual QA scores are used to calculate a composite score.
Velocity
Two velocity measurements are recorded: total points per hour (TPPH) and conversion percentage.
1. Total Points Per Hour
Agents receive points for every item they review. The number of points they receive, divided by the number of work hours for the month, equals their TPPH score.
The average of all TPPH scores for all agents is the total TPPH score.
2. Conversion Percentage
Conversion percentage is the percentage of loans assigned to iQor that get funded by our client.
Our back office operations agents focus on generating IPV (income pre-verification) approvals quickly to allow agents to go through the remaining tasks and expedite deal funding.
Reporting
The client shares performance metrics with all loan funding back office services providers each week. A monthly business review includes the QA, TPPH, and conversion percentage for that month and the two previous months. The reporting denotes each provider’s performance in relation to the minimum score required by the client and to the stream (the average of all provider scores).
The reported data tells each provider how well they’re doing as a unit and how well each of their agents is doing.
Coach and Motivate
iQor supervisors review the individual QA, TPPH, and conversion percentage scores. They coach agents in specific areas to help further improve their performance.
iQor supervisors meet with the client’s QA team each week to review progress and keep lines of communication open.
iQor launched a weekly motivational program to reward agents who score 100 on all 15 items. This program is in addition to the original agent bonus plan.
Results
One year after the program launched, iQor, with support from the client, is helping the lender close more loans and create more loyal customers.
Accuracy Exceeds Client Goals
Rework Percentage: While a certain amount of rework is expected predominantly due to a lack of documents for POI (Proof of Income) tasks or for peer review, the amount of work iQor must rework is consistently lower than the target and significantly lower than the monthly stream score (the average score of all providers).
IPV: iQor consistently exceeds the service level agreement (SLA) requirement to reply to income pre-verification requests in less than an hour.
TPPH: iQor consistently exceeds minimum target and stream scores for the number of items reviewed per hour.
Conversion Percentage:iQor consistently outpaces the stream average and client goal by up to 40% for the percentage of loans assigned to iQor that get funded by our client.
Since partnering with iQor as one of their back office support providers for auto loan funding, our client enjoys:
Higher QA scores that consistently reach or exceed their target.
Improved velocity that helps convert a higher percentage of qualified applicants to borrowers.
Sometimes a client wants to bring a fresh pair of eyes and a new sense of purpose to a program. Expanding the role of a BPO they’ve come to know and trust in other CX programs may be their best course of action. That’s often the case when a client-BPO relationship is a true partnership, as our relationship with this client has been for 15+ years.
The expansion of this partnership continues as the client adds more iQor agents to the team providing back office support to their funding program.
At iQor, we place a strong emphasis on maintaining a customer-centric culture that motivates our entire team—from frontline workers to management—to strive towards meeting and exceeding the key performance indicators (KPIs) that our clients value most. We believe that our success stems from a combination of innovative thinking and open communication, two of our iQorian Values. As a strategic outsourcing partner, our goal is to fully understand the unique business needs of each of our clients and proactively suggest ways to leverage personnel and technology to achieve their objectives.
We recognize that our success depends on building strong partnerships between our clients and our teams of frontline agents and supervisors, who work together as a cohesive unit to provide exceptional customer experiences. We value the contributions of all our team members and ensure that our work environments are flexible enough to accommodate both in-office and work-at-home employees, providing scalability and comprehensive endpoint security that safeguards our clients’ data and operations.
Background
Our client, one of the world’s largest retailers and online shopping experience providers, engages a rich network of BPOs to provide customer support services. iQor’s first assignment with this client was to provide customer care through omnichannel voice and chat.
Our client manages all their BPO relationships based on multiple performance criteria. Their standards for customer experience are consistently high to sustain their global brand reputation.
iQor’s emphasis on maintaining a strong customer service culture provided the inspiration to embrace our client’s CX standards. From our perspective, this was an opportunity to understand their unique business needs and proactively assume a leadership role as an innovative strategic partner within their BPO network of those providing omnichannel customer support services. Notably, several of the client’s other BPOs are Gartner Magic Quadrant leaders for Customer Service.
Business Challenges
As a leading global retail and e-commerce company, an extensive customer service staff—operating from work-in-office and work-at-home environments—is required to support our client’s millions of customers. Even with a robust network of BPOs, meeting the client’s staffing requirements throughout the year—and ramping during the holiday shopping season—was a challenge.
Starting in Q3 2022, the retailer made clear to its BPO constituents the high priority it placed on meeting 95% compliance with their staffing requirement, measured in 30-minute intervals each week. Meeting these staffing levels would enable their BPO network to consistently service their customers in a timely manner, providing the foundation for excellent customer satisfaction scores that were essential components of the retailer’s ethos.
At the time that iQor became one of the client’s BPOs, only one of them had previously met the client’s staffing requirement. This set the stage for us to aim high in our relationship with this client to leverage personnel and technology to achieve their objectives.
Solution
The Summit
In September of 2022, iQor operations leaders convened a summit to evaluate our overall performance to date, predict our results if we continued to operate with no change, and determine specific actions that would move the performance needle the most for our client.
Our objectives were to become our client’s strategic outsourcing partner by helping them reach their goals, and as a result, become their #1 BPO based on performance. This summit would be the event of consequence for iQor to achieve these objectives.
The client participated in the summit and was enthusiastic about one of their BPOs proactively taking action to improve the probability of meeting their 95% staffing requirement. In concert with feedback from the client, iQor drafted and implemented a plan to meet staffing compliance. Additionally, discussions with our Workforce Management leadership team laid the groundwork for a new staffing plan. iQor kept the client informed every step of the way.
Using iQor’s customer- and employee-focused framework as a guidepost, iQorians reviewed the client’s CX goals and determined actions for each of the client’s key metrics to meet those goals by specific dates.
Post-Summit
Twice each week during peak season, the retailer conducted round-robin calls with their entire network of BPOs to monitor performance. Achieving target staffing goals was always a priority topic.
iQor took a leadership position in the round-robin calls by:
Explaining how we regularly meet with agents to understand what’s working and what can be improved.
Presenting how we use intelligent performance management tools to engage employees, leading to effective coaching and employee satisfaction.
Proactively responding to client questions openly and transparently, without waiting to be called upon.
Sharing new ideas and coaching strategies that could potentially benefit all the other BPOs, demonstrating our commitment to the client’s overall success.
Most important of all, we followed through on all the commitments we made in those calls.
Recognizing that our shared success stems from strong partnerships, iQor and our client developed and nurtured 1:1 collaborative relationships at the director, associate director, and senior manager levels. These relationships are based on open communication, earned trust, and sustained performance of key metrics.
For example, when the iQor team noticed that our client was receiving more chat requests for customer service than they could handle, we informed them that we had 100 customer service agents already providing voice support who had been trained in chat as well. We recommended transferring them to chat to handle this unmet demand. It turned out to be the perfect solution.
The retailer knows they have a strategic outsourcing partner they can count on with proactive CX solutions consistently offered in the best interest of their business.
Results
iQor’s proactive approach, flexibility, creative problem-solving skills, and outstanding performance put our client’s inspiring customer experience goals within reach and set new standards for the retailer. Additionally, iQor demonstrated that our custom CX solutions capabilities go far beyond omnichannel customer voice support and chat to meet the unique needs of our client.
In each week’s round-robin calls, iQor’s workforce management solution received positive feedback from the retailer.
The client recognized our accomplishments, commitment to their success, and entrepreneurial passion. Consequently, the client awarded iQor additional lines of business, requiring the deployment of additional customer service staff.
100% Staffing Compliance During Ramps
iQor achieved nearly 100% staffing compliance for in-office and work-at-home environments during the peak holiday season, outpacing the other BPOs in their network.
Increased Headcount
145% increase in nonpeak headcount from 2021 to 2023.
37% increase in peak headcount from 2021 to 2023.
KPI Leader
iQor became the leader in the client’s BPO network in achieving significant KPIs, including:
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) voice and chat.
Repeat contact rate (RCR) voice and chat.
New Lines of Business
Our client has entrusted iQor with two new lines of business:
Back office support for handling refund payment requests, which had a multi-thousand account backlog that iQor completely resolved.
Application assistance for delivery driver position candidates.
In this case study you will discover the benefits of iQor’s strategic solution expertise, in collaboration with the client, with a specific emphasis on building a strong sales culture within the contact center in an offshore operation.
In each engagement, iQor’s new program implementation (NPI) team looks for opportunities to optimize automation and people. The CX integration professionals—who are experts in cloud-based omnichannel solutions, automation, process, proficiency, and security—focused on best practices and digital tools that would assist in the identification, training, and ongoing development of a world-class sales culture.
The team looked to prioritize sources that would identify individuals with the right skills and attitude to succeed in sales and provide them with ongoing training and development. These new team members would set the foundation for future sales leaders, looking to model behaviors and attitudes that reinforced the importance of sales and a great customer experience.
The project plan identified techniques and tools to foster an environment where team members support and motivate each other to reach their sales goals. iQor’s digital Recognize platform offers incentives and recognition assets to reward high-performing individuals and teams, creating a sense of friendly competition.
Furthermore, the team introduced automation and AI technology to listen for opportunities to improve interactions with customers and close sales effectively.
A scripted playbook set measurable targets for individuals and teams that communicated the definition of success based on the client’s expectations regarding sales performance while maintaining a customer-centric culture.
Background
This case study documents how a retailer saved nearly $5 million in order entry costs in one year while surpassing sales goals and maintaining their high customer experience standards through a strategic partnership with iQor. After a competitive process, the retailer selected iQor over a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Customer Service.
A U.S.-based fashion retailer has sold high-quality products at affordable prices from multiple brands for generations. The products they sell through their online marketplace and retail catalog testify to their extensive industry experience and understanding of their customers. They continually strive to meet their customer’s needs and exceed their expectations.
This retailer offers products from more than a dozen brands through their catalogs and e-commerce website. Customers can buy online—even from a catalog—but most prefer to place orders by phone and speak with a live agent. Agents strive to make callers feel like they are more than just customers in each voice conversation. They listen to callers’ preferences and make related product recommendations that customers appreciate.
More than 10% of this retailer’s revenue comes from inbound voice upselling and cross-selling, which takes time on each call. Agents establish rapport with each customer interaction, enter the order, and then offer several other purchase options. Even for experienced agents, average handle time (AHT) exceeded more traditional timeframes. Most of that time is spent selling. While the job title is order entry, agents must be able to upsell or cross-sell.
Because this retailer prioritizes exceptional customer support, they earn high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty. They have a lot of repeat customers. With customers increasingly shopping online at any hour of the day or night, agents need to be available whenever their customers want to interact with them.
The e-commerce retailer relied on in-house teams to create an excellent customer experience, but they faced multiple challenges:
A lean labor market of qualified agents.
Access to the latest digital technology.
Staffing the phones 24/7.
The need to recruit and onboard quickly for critical spring and holiday shopping seasons.
A dropped call rate of 10%-15% due to long AHT.
The need for more agents proficient in order entry and upselling.
The retailer recognized their need for a reliable outsourcing partner that would meet their high standards for processing orders, cross-selling, upselling, and consistently providing customers with the excellent customer service they’d come to expect.
They researched business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and conducted a formal request for information (RFI) process with three BPOs. After reviewing the submissions and performing due diligence, they selected iQor as their first and only BPO partner. The initial contract called for iQor to handle 10% of their order entry volume.
Business Challenges
Our client engaged iQor to support their commitment to superior customer service and raise their inbound sales head count to handle increased call volume while staffing, training, and managing teams with four specific requirements.
Challenge 1: Staff, Train, and Coach Order Entry Agents to Sell
This retailer’s order entry agents spend as much or more time selling as they do taking orders. Share of wallet is important for our client. Considerably more than 10% of all revenue comes from sales made after the initial order is entered. Agents must be able to think on their feet and navigate the website and product catalogs quickly to suggest related products the customer might buy.
On each call, agents establish rapport, enter the customer’s order, and offer the customer another product to complement their purchase. If the customer isn’t interested in the suggested product, the agent—with help from AI tools—suggests an alternate product, with a high probability of interest, from a different catalog or a volume-based discount (i.e., customers who purchase more than a certain amount receive a percentage discount off their total purchase).
Additionally, agents invite eligible customers to apply for the retailer’s branded credit card.
Challenge 2: Maintain High Customer Satisfaction Levels
Our client’s business depends on loyal customers who shop with them regularly and recommend them to friends and family. Customers call for a personal touch, and it’s up to the agent to provide it. Calls can be complex and exceed traditional handle times. Throughout the call, agents always keep the customer’s satisfaction top of mind.
Challenge 3: Excel in Key Performance Areas
The client specified three performance areas, and iQor added one internal goal:
Cross-sell complementary products.
Upsell volume-based pricing.
Sign up eligible customers to their branded credit card.
Reduce AHT while maintaining exceptional quality.
Challenge 4: Ramp Up Quickly for Peak Seasons
The average order-entry agent head count remained stable for most of the year and ramped up with 25% more agents for the spring and holiday busy seasons.
With changes in their local labor market, the retailer encountered challenges finding the short-term contact center staffing overflow they needed. In response to this need, iQor was tasked with making seamless head count additions and subtractions as seasons changed.
In addition to prioritizing these four production-related requirements, the company’s new CEO sought to increase profitability. He viewed partnering with a BPO as part of that solution. One of the reasons the client chose to partner with iQor was our track record of exceeding strategic sourcing goals while meeting or exceeding sales production goals and providing exceptional customer service.
Solutions
Designing and executing meticulous staffing criteria, customized training, technologically aided coaching, and a strong partnership with the client was critical to solving these challenges.
Highly Selective Staffing
To meet our client’s contact center staffing needs, iQor recruits experienced agents with a positive sales track record. During the recruitment process, hiring managers evaluate agents for their ability to tailor their sales approach to the customer, develop the need in the customer, and, when appropriate, think outside the box to earn the sale.
Recognized for our skill executing fast and large seasonal inbound sales staffing ramp-ups, iQor consistently handles our client’s seasonal head count needs with great efficiency. Globally, iQor ramps for seasonal staffing by more than 400% annually.
The positive employee experience seasonal staffers enjoy increases our pool of potential new permanent sales-savvy employees.
Customized Training With Innovative Training Techniques
The first week is focused on product-specific training. Agents learn about products from more than a dozen brands, how to navigate the website to access products fast, and how to take orders quickly and accurately.
With the basics under their belts, agents are then trained to increase share of wallet by cross-selling complementary products, upselling volume-based discounts, and selling the retailer’s branded credit card.
Agents then begin nesting: on-the-job training with half the day spent on the phones with customers and the other half in debriefing sessions with training focused on specific areas where they can optimize their performance.
Training is detailed and rigorous. Once fully trained, agents are ready to work full time to meet and exceed our client’s goals.
VALDI, iQor’s proprietary speech and interaction analysis platform, uses cloud computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to mine every available recorded interaction between agents and customers in search of opportunities to improve the customer experience through agent coaching. Multiple types of opportunities are revealed.
VALDI can mine calls for specific trends or hot topics that call for additional coaching. For example, if customers consistently mention one of the retailer’s products, VALDI can quickly uncover all conversations in which the product is mentioned and analyze customer sentiment toward the product. Supervisors can then coach agents on how best to respond to customer comments about the product in a way that satisfies customers and supports the brand.
Similarly, if the retailer doesn’t want specific subjects discussed during calls, VALDI can instantly search for every conversation that includes those subjects and bring them to the supervisor’s attention. Subsequent coaching helps significantly reduce or eliminate discussions of those subjects in the future.
VALDI can monitor agent compliance with KPIs and recommend to supervisors those agents who could most improve with additional coaching. KPIs to be monitored can be tailored to customer needs. Three examples of the many KPIs that can be monitored include:
Average handle time (AHT).
Potential call avoidance (PCA).
Script adherence.
Additional proprietary interaction analytics supporting tools we use for the client include Qatch and sQan. All calls and screen activities are recorded and uploaded to a searchable database with Qatch. VALDI mines the database to uncover deep insights and coachable moments. sQan displays all agents’ quality performance reviews for voice, e-mail, and chat communications with customers and documents coaching sessions.
Strong Partnership
Through mutual respect, open communication, and a shared commitment to delivering excellent customer experiences, we’ve built a strong partnership with our client. In a joint quest for continuous improvement, the client’s CFO and the iQor VP overseeing the program are true partners, meeting every two weeks to discuss the latest progress and future steps.
Results
Since they began working with iQor in 2020, our client has enjoyed significant returns.
Millions Saved in Year One In iQor’s first year serving the client, we reduced their order entry costs by nearly $5 million.
Cross-Sells Approaching 9% Over Goal iQor agents cross-sell additional products at a rate nearly 9% over our client’s inbound sales goal.
Upsells Greater Than 12% Over Goal iQor agents upsell volume-based discounts at a rate more than 12% over our client’s inbound sales goal.
Credit Card Signups Nearly 2% Over Goal iQor agents sign up customers for the retailer’s branded credit card at a rate nearly 2% over our client’s goal.
Reduced Average Handle Time (AHT) by More Than 16% After iQor implemented our proprietary speech analytics technology to aid in agent training and coaching, agents reduced AHT from 10 minutes to 9.
9x Increase in Order Entry Volume Handling In just over two years, the percentage of the client’s order entry volume iQor handles has grown from 10% to 90%.
Role Expanded From Order Entry to Include Customer Service Our order entry work exceeded the client’s expectations regarding quality and financial savings. Consequently, they engaged us to take on some of their customer service work. Today, the program’s customer service team ramps up by more than 400% for the holidays and handles over 25% of the e-commerce retailer’s customer service calls.
Roadmap Includes Adding Digital Services Next steps for this thriving partnership include expanding iQor’s role to introduce more integrated digital services, such as chat and email, with an emphasis on minimizing the 1:1 transfer of talent where possible.
According to a member of our client’s senior leadership team, iQor is “mission critical” for their success. And that gives us both—and their customers—reason to smile.
A back office voucher process required specially-trained agents to work off large Excel files on multiple applications and screens, leading to sub-optimal processing speed, frustrated customers, and missed opportunities to use skilled agents on more revenue-driven tasks.
The Solution
iQor developed a robotic process automation (RPA) function to automate the voucher workflow and create an easy-to-train guided instruction for agents of any skill to complete the voucher process. The human and bot partnership improves output accuracy by removing all Excel interactions, applications, and screen activities and prompts the user for validation and input as needed. The RPA bot guides the agent through the voucher process, saving the company two valuable minutes of handle time per voucher request.
RPA Supercharges Your Workforce
Complete processes and requests faster.
Eliminate human error Increase productivity and streamline functions.
Shift employees’ time to revenue-focused activities.
Results
These two minutes had a huge impact. The airline saves thousands of hours a year, frees up agents for more revenue-driven tasks, and consistently meets its hourly target every day.
![Symphony-[AI]-CTA](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2486145/interactive-151331998599.png)
