At Invacare Corp., increased use of technology doesn’t get in the way of customer service with a human touch. In fact, the two walk hand-in-hand.
At the medical equipment manufacturer and distributor, headed by Chairman and CEO Mal Mixon, technology helps bolster customer service from the time the customer places a call. In 2007, Invacare implemented a work force management tool that allows resources to be scheduled in direct relationship with customer call volumes. The work force management tool has helped Invacare reduce its average call answer time by 37 percent since its implementation.
Invacare also utilizes a call-recording application to review incoming calls and ensure that associates are engaging customers in a professional and service-oriented manner. The application allows for 100 percent voice and screen recording. The company’s quality analysts and supervisors use the application to review and evaluate calls, which helps Invacare provide one-on-one, specifically tailored coaching to its customer service representatives. Utilizing the call-recording application for training purposes has helped Invacare provide a higher level of consistency in customer interactions.
The company’s supervisory team also implements a quality standards document and phone observation scorecard to provide additional feedback on customer service calls. Supervisors maintain a standardized binder with score histories for each representative on their team, allowing each supervisor to see trends for each customer service representative.
The technology-based methods of customer service training and evaluation are coupled with twice-monthly meetings between the contact center manager and the customer service supervisors, giving the customer service managers a chance to exchange results, trends and other information in a face-to-face setting.
These are some of the ways technology is helping Invacare deliver a more efficient and personal experience to its customers.
How to reach: Invacare Corp., (440) 329-6000 or www.invacare.com
