Dial 800′s Concierge Team: Doing the Right Thing

Dial 800 puts an extraordinary emphasis on customer relationships.  In a recent conversation with the company’s Director of Concierge, Sandy Roessler, and her team, we asked some questions to get a sense of what makes Dial 800’s customer service group different.

Q:  Most organizations have client services groups.  How is Dial 800′s Concierge team different?

A:  We assign one concierge specialist to be the exclusive point of contact for each account.  This structure allows our Concierge specialist to take ownership of their accounts for the entire lifecycle.  They really get to understand the client’s business deeply and to nurture an enduring relationship built upon mutual trust and collaboration. Our goal is to be the human extension of our software as a service, apart from business development, allowing us to focus on optimizing each client’s marketing.

Q:  Give us some examples of ways that Concierge’s proactive efforts have resulted in wins for clients.

A:  When clients first come to us to use our call routing software, IntelliRoute, we diagnose their specific needs and then strategize the best way to set up their call routing structure to get the most benefit.  However, business is dynamic, so we are constantly striving to ensure we are taking any changes in the client’s business priorities into consideration and amending the call routing programs accordingly.  We also monitor our call tracking software, CallView 360°, and proactively make recommendations for service additions or changes, even if, in some instances, it means less short-term revenue for the company, but is in the best interests of the client.

Let me cite some more specific examples of how Concierge’ proactive actions have helped clients.  We have a debt relief client and 25 percent of their calls were under 30 seconds.  We changed their Intelligent Voice Response (IVR) scripting and revised it to more of an educational message versus a hard sale on the transfer.  The result is that we decreased their short calls by 50 percent!

Another client had a long message with a menu of too many options.  Consequently, their total incompletes was very high.  We changed the menu so that it was based on geography.  The number of options a caller had to go through was significantly reduced and, as a result, the client’s incomplete rate dropped significantly. These are just two examples of how Concierge is continually looking for inefficiencies in routing design and call center setup so that caller wait time can be shortened and the consumer’s experience is improved. 

Q: What sorts of characteristics make a good Concierge?

A: A great Concierge has excellent listening skills, a refined sense of urgency, and possesses a warm professional demeanor, as well as a strong affinity for and enjoyment of analysis, and a buttoned-down ability to follow through.

Q: How do you think this effort dovetails with the Dial 800 culture?

A: The bedrock of Dial 800’s success has been lasting, mutually beneficial relationships versus transactions.  Like many service-based companies, we’ve evolved from an execution-based culture to one rigorously committed to proactive, strategic thinking.  This metamorphosis is a direct response to listening to our clients, divining their needs, and aligning our efforts with our client’s needs.  Our job in Concierge is to anticipate our client’s needs and delight them with exemplary customer service that exceeds their expectations.