NEWSFLASH — Dateline London, January 2012: Netflix and Roku storm the United Kingdom, threatening to overturn the cable and satellite industry’s dominance of the video sector, even as home turf entrants Freeview and Freesat vie for customers by offering channels completely free of charge.

When OTT video players entered the U.K. early this year, they weren’t the only group going over the top. Media went off the charts, too, spreading the image of FTSE 100 cable companies on the run from small but determined bands of OTT marauders.

Even retailers are jumping into the game. The UK’s Tesco has its own online blinkbox video service and may soon take these initial forays farther into cable and satellite’s marketplace.

The reality, of course, is that cable and satellite face greater immediate challenges than OTT and nascent retail competitors. The boldface headline that cable and satellite leaders wake up to every morning comes atop internal reports on customer attrition. To cable / satellite management tasked with resolving this problem, the phrase “over the top” may evoke yet another meaning: charging forward against the real major competitors — the giants of telco. It’s a battle where no side enjoys an advantage. All are equally armed, in this case with look-alike multi-play services and price slashing, and are equally vulnerable.

What if cable and satellite could find a way to separate themselves from the pack, bring customer churn to a halt and develop a sense of lifetime loyalty among customers? For cable and satellite companies, that way is open now and virtually unexplored by competitors: the superior user experience.

At present, while all competitors vie to provide state-of-the-art innovative communications and video offers, the quality of service and support, and hence the user experience, is behind the times. Overall, customers feel that companies treat them like a number and don’t care about their needs and interests — the very factors that drove them to select a provider in the first place.

Cable and satellite companies can turn this around, but only if they embrace new, more innovative approaches that make service a loyalty generator and “churn firewall.”

The quickest way to make the user experience paramount: adoption of intelligent front and back office solutions. Commonly known as Smart BSS, such solutions automate and manage the entire customer relationship process.

How cable and satellite companies can leverage Smart BSS to create a sterling user experience: 

●     Increased Value to the Customer Through Personalization – By leveraging business intelligence and predictive analytics, cable and satellite companies can turn customer data into directed offers based on detailed knowledge of the customer’s buying patterns and preferences.

●     Faster Speed to Market — By slashing product development time, Smart BSS helps cable and satellite companies create and sustain differentiation through rapid-fire service innovation.

●     Policy Management – When a customer approaches a data usage threshold, the service provider can send a polite alert — instead of the rude awakening of a big bill after the fact. Thanks to policy management applications, cable and satellite companies can be proactive and keep customer satisfaction high.

Can Smart BSS make a difference? Consider one real life scenario where intelligent front and back office solutions might have made a difference.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the entertainment industry was abuzz about TV Everywhere. Then out of the blue came news reports revealing that fewer than half the customers who buy smart TVs connect them to the Internet.

A cable or satellite company using Smart BSS would have spotted and fixed that problem immediately: identifying the new owner of a smart TV, reaching out to open the connection, providing real-time support, accurately billing for each transaction, and then reaching out again with personalized offers of known interest to the customer. 

When service is that smart, the end result is a superlative user experience that wins and keeps customers. Showing customers that your company is willing to go “over the top” on service is the heart and soul of establishing and sustaining loyalty — and the job of Smart BSS.

Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions calls this unique capability SmartLife^SM, defining the power to compete and drive revenues using intelligent systems that provide superior user experience — because your customers want it all.

Carl Davies is the head of global solution marketing for cable, broadband, and satellite at Convergys Corporation.

For decades the cornerstone of utilities’ relationship with customers – in fact, the basis for 75 percent of all utility/customer interactions, according to The Gartner Group – has been the bill. In principle, using the bill as the main vehicle of the user experience is right on the mark. With the right approach, billing can be a mighty communications tool that engages the customer, builds the relationship through interaction, and produces an outstanding experience that fosters satisfaction and a strong sense of loyalty.

However, some utilities have a long way to go before they meet this standard. Consider that a handful of utilities continue to dehumanize the customer relationship by addressing bills to “Dear Occupier” or “Dear Resident.” Adding insult to injury, other utilities cram the invoice envelope with generic mass market advertising flyers.

What do these bills really say to the recipient: “Dear Nobody – Here is junk mail on products/services that may or not be of interest to you – we haven’t bothered to check.”

Utilities that utilize such outmoded, inappropriate billing practices may soon get a wakeup call from the marketplace: Customers want to take advantage of today’s smart communications devices to voice their demands in real-time. If you think the phenomenon of highly mobile and tech savvy customers is confined to Millennials, think again. Increasingly, the term “wired” applies to every market niche and age group, from junior on his iPhone to granny curling up at night with her Kindle Fire.

For perspective, consider that the Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA) reports that in the United States alone there are now more cell phones than people, and 40% of these devices are smart phones. Worldwide, according to the GSM Association, the current nine billion connected devices will nearly triple to 24 billion by the year 2020.

Imagine even a fraction of these devices put to work by consumers to: keep tabs on their daily energy usage; order solar panels and other ancillary green products sold by a utility; remotely program household heating and cooling systems; or send urgent notices to the utility’s repair office – “a tree just fell on my power line, come right away!” That day is rapidly approaching. For that matter, in other industries similar mobile capabilities are already in common use:

• With a simple tap or a short dial-in, a customer can check his cell phone service to keep data use in-plan and prevent extra charges;
• With a click, he can report a billing error to his credit card company, check a balance, or make a full or partial payment;
• In seconds, he can compare product or service details, read reviews, and track a shipment from pick up to delivery.
• Coming soon, consumers will use their phones as mobile wallets to purchase any product or service, on the run.

 Consumers will have the same level of service expectations when they interact with their power utility: Real-time data, anytime interaction, payment flexibility, tailored offers and personal service.

Utilities that fall short could find themselves on the receiving end of another technological advance: the stinging social media campaign that goes viral and causes significant damage to corporate reputation.

The solution to meet the demands of today’s customer is simple: Think like one. The industries that have met and exceeded customer expectations are doing so with intelligent back office systems, which leverage vital customer data, to provide a personalized user experience based on detailed knowledge of the needs and interests of the customer. By using Smart CIS systems imbued with predictive analytics, business intelligence and CRM capabilities, utilities, too, can see and “know” each customer as an individual – and move proactively to serve his or needs.

The clock is ticking. When interest in Smart Grid began several years back, it was natural for those involved to think of this energy revolution in terms of the hardware and infrastructure – the massive investment required to overhaul the legacy grid and create new efficiencies in next generation power delivery. Today’s utility industry leaders are beyond that stage, or should be.

Those with the greatest insight understand that the real power fueling popular acceptance of Smart Grid will be the intelligent platforms driving the customer experience. Long before a frantic customer texts the utility about a fallen tree across his power line, a repair truck will already be en route. Picture the customer’s delighted face when he opens his next invoice and finds a credit to top off his EV battery, via the utility’s partner, Plug Smart.

Andy Corkhill is a Director of Market Strategy, Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions. He leads the utilities practice across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

If you are like most people, you have evolved in your cell phone usage from calls, to texts and data. The trouble is, while consumer demand on wireless network capacity is boundless, the supply is, and always will be, limited.

This will have to be taken into account as new services such as mobile billing are rolled out. Although not every mobile payment method relies on riding the rails of wireless carriers, many do and those wireless transactions need to be extremely reliable. The way wireless carriers can ensure that some traffic is prioritized is through the use of a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) capability.

PCC is software wireless carriers can implement to create a series of rules and policies that dictate if, and how, a data transaction takes place on their network. The first thing it controls is the connection itself; “Is this internet address supported on this network?” Once past that hurdle, PCC can address the quality of service (QoS) which can dictate the speed and the prioritization of the transaction on the network.

In other words, wireless carriers with PCC capabilities can put your transaction into the fast lane and increase the reliability of the service much the same way a car might use an HOV lane to speed past cars stuck in traffic in the regular lanes.

So for your mobile payments solution, how do you ensure that your transactions are prioritized? There is no easy answer, and the only way to do it is on a one-to-one basis working with each wireless carrier. But those conversations should be incorporated into the plan for any mobile payments solution, and the time to do it is well before your customers are complaining that their transactions are failing due to congestion. Understanding what a PCC platform can do is one key to a solid deployment.

In my last blog entry, I debunked the myth about the difficulties in recruiting and hiring home agents.  Now, I will move on to address another common myth — that one-size fits all when training either a virtual workforce or a traditional brick and mortar workforce. 

Simply put, training a virtual workforce is not the same as training a brick and mortar workforce.

Traditional call centers have developed well-designed environments, tools and processes to move a person quickly down the path from job applicant to new-hire to a trained and functioning agent.  Then through close monitoring and continuing education these employees broaden their skill and increase their productivity and value to the organization.  Having well trained front-line employees is directly related to customer satisfaction and controlling costs.  Agents that are well trained and empowered are not only able to provide a superior customer experience but also have a higher level of job satisfaction resulting in lower agent attrition. 

Training Home Agents is Different

In 2004, Convergys purchased the leading eLearning company DigitalThink, and began incorporating advanced learning techniques into all its educational activities.  This investment, however, truly positioned Convergys to lead its expansion into the virtual call center arena. 

We realized that the difference in training home agents begins right at the start.  One could say that successful home agent training actually begins by identifying and hiring staff that have an affinity to succeed in the virtual education process.  

Here is why.  First, educating employees on the composition of their home network is required, including their ISP modem and a router, which is a topic not necessarily covered in the brick and mortar center.  Agents need to know what each is used for, and how to manage them and the ISP connectivity in their homes.  Second, they must be able to trouble shoot issues on their own, and know how to avoid common issues that can interrupt connectivity, like smart phone wireless interference and password protection of their internet connectivity.  In the end, it is very difficult for companies to take responsibility for an agent’s equipment or connection.  In a customer care environment when dealing with hundreds or even thousands of home agents, we view this as an agent’s transportation to the workplace, much like any other employee’s car transportation. 

A New Approach to Virtual Classroom Training is Required

Through our experience and expertise in developing and managing a  skilled and effective home agent workforce, Convergys created a new approach to virtual classroom training that incorporates a multiple modality ‘blended’ learning approach for our home agents.  This approach incorporates live, facilitated virtual classroom training with e-learning and simulation methods.   The appropriate blend is achieved through an analysis and design process that targets the right performance objectives and matching skills.  This home agent training approach is a departure from traditional classroom training processes and curriculum methodologies employed by others in the home agent space.  

Our approach balances home agent learning needs with business needs in terms of development, delivery, and maintenance requirements, in a manner that single modality approaches do not provide.  For example, some companies employ either a 100% virtual classroom to mirror brick and mortar classroom training, or just a 100% e-learning approach in order to avoid training delivery costs and neither on its own delivers the results of a multiple modality approach.

We integrate a combination of technologies to provide real-time (live) collaboration and delivery of instruction among persons not physically in the same location.  Our virtual classroom has been designed to function just as a physical classroom but in a virtual environment. We do this by allowing instructors to interact with students via telephone or chat media.  Agent learning is also enhanced by our instructors being able to answer questions, work with individual learners, and facilitate demonstrations through our advanced desktop sharing applications.

Our instructors are able to arrange students into breakout groups, providing them with hands-on lab time within the virtual training environments.  We assess individual performance based on the use of call modeling exercises and role playing simulations which provide authentic practice, accurate assessment of learner competency, and detailed feedback to the learner about their strengths and opportunities.

It is important to develop training processes that eliminate the gaps that commonly arise from working remotely.  When training a remote workforce, we recommend the following:

• The use of performance-based curriculum and assessment strategy to better meet the adult learner needs and to drive agent performance.  Performance-based learning has proven more successful than knowledge-based techniques.
• Flexible blended learning approach utilizing virtual classroom and E-Learning delivered real-time, self-paced, and online. 
• Flexible design approach should be leveraged to deploy a single content to all geographies, in call centers, and at home.
• Learning Management Technology to monitor and evaluate new-hire progress throughout training.
• Certified virtual professional trainers who receive ongoing continuing education.
• The use of industry proven training performance measurement, which includes proficiency and graduation rates.

At Convergys, we are continuously evolving our various training processes, and our employees at every level are encouraged to contribute to building the education libraries by actively providing their input on material and to make suggestions for improvement.   Many of our line management build their own movies, describing changes to process, programs and environments.  These become part of our ever changing library, becoming bookmarked and indexed for others to “find” as they probe for information to educate themselves or to incorporate into their training curriculum. 

There is obviously more to developing a home agent workforce than sending brick and mortar agents home to work or recruiting people who want to work from home but may not have the skills or discipline to do so.  Home agents require a uniquely virtual training experience.   That is why outsourcing a home agent program could be the best way for some companies to take advantage of this growing sector of the workforce and leave the training and management of these agents to those with the experience and expertise to do so efficiently, effectively, and at a reasonable cost. 

Rick Owens is the Senior Director of Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions. In this role, Rick is responsible for establishing and implementing the product strategy for Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions as well as business development and operations.

Over the past several weeks we have been blogging about the unique features of Convergys CRM powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM and how it can enhance the ability of communications service providers and utilities companies to contend in a highly competitive and constantly evolving marketplace. But, one of the most important features, the one that makes all the rest possible, is our level of partnership with Microsoft.

Convergys and Microsoft have a unique relationship in which both companies dedicate investment dollars for development. Convergys goes beyond simply wrapping implementation and support services around the Microsoft solution. Instead, Convergys takes advantage of Microsoft’s “mashable ecosystem” by leveraging Dynamics, SERA, xRM, and Microsoft’s Customer Care Accelerator to tailor Convergys CRM to meet the specific needs of the verticals we serve.

In a Microsoft blog earlier this year, Jon C. Arnold, Managing Director, Worldwide Power and Utilities for Microsoft, even used Convergys CRM as an example of how the Microsoft ecosystem can be used to provide a CRM solution customized to handle the unique customer relationships of utilities providers. According to Arnold:

“In May, Convergys made a big splash with its announcement of the availability of Convergys CRM powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for utilities service providers… It is certainly worth a few minutes to become familiar with these new developments in CRM. We are clearly excited about the energy and experience Convergys brings to our utility clients based on their long experience with utility industry customer service challenges. It’s my hope you will see how the Convergys solution demonstrates our strategy of creating a “mashable ecosystem” for the new CRM era in which we find ourselves.”

On December 9, at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST), join us for the fourth in a series of four 20-minute webinar discussions about Convergys CRM Powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In this discussion, we will take a closer look at how the “mashable ecosystem” and base Dynamics architecture makes it easy to deploy, extent and integrate Convergys CRM powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM with existing systems.

Webinar: CRM Webinar Series: Better Together
Date: December 9
Time: 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST)

by Morag Lucey

With smart phones, tablet PCs and 4G taking the world by storm, 2011 has been a year of incredible milestones portending an even greater future for the mobile industry.

Ordinarily such prospects would have C-level leaders and market pundits dancing in the streets.

So why amid the general 4G euphoria does one knowledgeable source, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, issue a recent infographic depicting the mobile data explosion as, literally, a bomb with a lit fuse?

In a word: spectrum. (*See the box at the bottom of this page for more information on the mobile data boom and resulting spectrum crunch)

In the United States alone, the FCC asserts that operators will be managing a 35-fold increase in broadband traffic by 2015. The culprits: those same smart devices at the heart of the mobile boom. Smart phones generate 24 times more data than feature handsets, and tablet PCs generate 122 times more data than smart phones.

The FCC is sending a warning. Today’s 4G mobile data boom must be seen against the backdrop of a growing “spectrum crunch.” It’s a scenario where broadband-hungry consumers chase a finite amount of capacity, and mobile operators, forced into heavy network investments to keep up with demand, will find it harder to monetize mobile data.

The FCC has a policy agenda, too: promoting legislation that will implement auctions of unused broadcast spectrum for use by others, including wireless companies. That idea has general support from the wireless industry and other sectors including cable. I’d only caution that passing laws can take time. Mobile operators have issues right now that bear on their ability to monetize 4G. Can they afford to wait?

In a recent Heavy Reading white paper sponsored by Convergys, senior analyst Ari Banerjee calls for an alternate, even visionary approach to 4G monetization that puts BSS in the cockpit – and that can be put to work right now. It is a dramatically evolved approach with intelligent BSS at the center of operations. There it integrates with and leverages data pulled enterprise-wide, and even from external sources, to manage the four critical ingredients of 4G monetization: time to market; cost management; scalability; and the customer experience.

4 Key Ingredients of BSS for 4G

A glimpse at how this new and evolved 4G BSS works:

• Time to Market. To satisfy shareholders expecting ROI on 4G, operators must generate new revenue streams quickly from existing customers, and make service packages attractive to pry customers from competitors. With real-time, 4G BSS solutions, operators will be able to dynamically manage and act on customer data from a variety of sources, quickly rolling out tailored products that precisely meet the needs and interests of each customer. The true 4G BSS solution will provide operators with competitive edge via centralized product management that speeds rate changes for new offers, and a robust approach to transaction/offer management that works in real time to launch new services, decommission old ones – or both.
• Improving the Customer Experience. Customers now expect personalized services, ubiquitous access, broad choices and seamless connectivity. Performance-sensitive services must be delivered with low latency and a high user experience if they are to generate new revenue. The smarter, evolved BSS solution will address these needs with embedded policy management that improves the customer experience in either a prepaid or postpaid scenario.
• Scalability. 4G BSS will ramp up to easily handle the transaction loads of today’s mobile data explosion, processing events with minimal latency. It can also support the requirements of wholesale billing through the entire lifecycle, from service creation to pricing and sales.
• Controlling Costs. Operators will be compelled to invest in new broadband infrastructure to meet customer demand for bandwidth. Smart BSS will use many tools – automation, business intelligence and analytics, to name a few – to drive down costs and maintain margins.

In the 4G era, the evolved BSS will be the central nervous system that manages and monetizes bandwidth. In so doing, this new, vaster vision will become something very different from older legacy solutions. 4G BSS will be the command post for integrating customer usage and subscription data with insights on the network, costs, supply chain, stock control, customer mood and customer preference, each contributing its part to the operator’s profit model.

Whether politics opens the door to more spectrum remains to be seen. No doubt, freeing up more spectrum for the future of wireless, be it 4G, 5G or beyond, is a good idea. As one cautionary note, however, auction enthusiasts might bear in mind the analogy of interstate highway systems, which seem to fill with traffic no matter how often they are expanded. 

Long before the FCC’s mobile data traffic congestion materializes, if indeed it ever does, operators should themselves take steps to ensure optimal management of the network, and put smart BSS solutions – expressly designed for 4G – behind the wheel.

Morag Lucey is global senior vice president of Marketing and Product Management for Convergys’ Smart Revenue Solutions for the telecoms, cable, satellite, broadband and utilities markets. Convergys solutions can help service providers meet the billing and customer care needs of the retail, enterprise, and wholesale sectors.

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*Mobile Data Boom – Followed by Spectrum Crunch?

• Deloitte reports that the U.S. could invest up to $53 billion in 4G networks by 2016, reflecting a broader trend. Worldwide, 150 carriers in 60 countries are committed to 4G deployment and trials.
• Smart phones and tablets are rapidly overtaking traditional feature phones. In the U.S., where cell phones now outnumber a population of 315 million, nearly 40 percent of mobile phones are smart devices, a new report from Nielsen finds.
• Dwarfing U.S. numbers, the GSM Association predicts that the world’s current 9 billion connected devices – including both mobile and M2M – will nearly triple to 24 billion by the end of this decade, creating an addressable revenue opportunity for mobile operators of $1.2 trillion.
• But undermining this phenomenal growth story: a looming bandwidth crunch that could make it harder to monetize 4G.

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The word “customized” is often translated to mean “expensive,” especially when it comes to your CRM system upgrades. When combined with the costs already associated with implementing and supporting a CRM system, customization requirements are often sacrificed to save time and money. 

As a result, companies must overcome the challenges of having a one-size-fits-all CRM solution, including:

• Longer lead times for new product launches, especially across bundled services
• Heavy reliance on manual processing for ordering & fulfillment
• Inability to easily scale to meet growing business needs
• Lack of in-house expertise to put in place next generation solutions
• Eroding margins and profitability

A recent article in Forbes summed it up best, “In the early days, having any kind of CRM system was better than having no CRM system at all, so a one-size-fits-all approach was acceptable…Today, this has to change. Real world businesses are demanding a much more flexible, much more nuanced interaction with the information in (and around) a CRM system, an interaction focused on the needs of the individual accessing the information and the needs of the customer engagement taking place.”

Convergys CRM powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps bridge the gap between cost and customization thanks to revolutionary data models that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the communications and utilities industries. Rather than a full customization, Convergys instead leverages the data entities in Microsoft Dynamics along with our own custom data entities to create vertical-specific features and functions, including business processes defined and coded specifically for communications and utility providers. As a result, companies enjoy a faster deployment of the system and the ability to configure the system to meet their specific business needs.  

On November 29, at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST), join us for the third in a series of four 20-minute webinar discussions about Convergys CRM Powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In this discussion, we will take a closer look at the unique data model Convergys CRM uses to address specific industry needs in customer relationship management.

Webinar: CRM Webinar Series: A New Data Model
Date: November 29
Time: 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST)

In my first blog “Why Aren’t More Companies Using Home Agents,” I discussed common concerns or myths that often cloud a company’s consideration of incorporating home agents into their care strategy. My next blog, “Debunking the Home Agent Data Security Myth” set out to bust the most common myth many companies have when considering home agents: data security. Now it is time to focus on another common myth, and that is that the recruitment and hiring of a virtual workforce over the Internet is not as efficient and effective at finding qualified and reliable agents as is the process for a traditional brick and mortar workforce.

In 2006, when Convergys started to consider adding agent-assisted services provided from the home, a number of complexities became apparent. Some of the complexities related to federal and state employment laws, regulations, and taxes, as well as additional complicating factors associated with a geographically dispersed applicant pool. It was also apparent that home agents needed to be not only PC and Internet proficient, but also capable of keeping their Internet connection and their PC functioning properly. Even now, nearly six years later, it is not surprising that many companies ask today what we asked ourselves in 2006: how do you find and hire the right, qualified applicant from such a geographically dispersed applicant pool — without ever engaging with the applicant face to face?

Well, the answer is you can and we have, and it is not a myth, with the use of technology! In fact, the home agent recruitment and hiring process is as concise, efficient, and effective as the process used in a typical brick and mortar facility. Let me explain further.

Recruitment

As with our brick and mortar agents, we must attract the best qualified candidates for our home agent programs.

Typically, sourcing applicants for brick and mortar operations includes contacting the local media and distributing local hiring news releases, as well as contacting local employment organizations, universities, PTA’s, etc. We recruit locally to the site since a typical brick and mortar center’s effective hiring radius is generally determined by the driving distance the local population will endure.

For sourcing Home Agent applicants, it is different. We can leverage the Internet and social media channels as they provide an opportunity to target across a large geographical footprint the skills and demographics we are looking for in a home agent. We engage with online communities and consortiums, and with other specialty group employment programs that leverage the Internet as a communication medium. The sourcing reach is quite large, and is in a continual state of evolution and refreshment, as people move in and around the Internet.

While a different approach, the end result is the same: we attract many interested applicants that must then go through our hiring process.

Hiring

At Convergys, we view the home agent’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) and computer as the agent’s “transportation” to the work environment. We utilize VoIP technology for delivering our customer care services, thus validating an agent’s environment is critical in our recruitment and hiring process. Many other Home Agent providers still use traditional landlines for voice connectivity, but that is hard to police and agents often are found using unprotected VoIP or even cell phones. In addition almost 20% of homes no longer have a landline and that number is increasing.

Therefore, rather than begin with considering an applicant’s personal qualifications, we first verify ISP and PC qualifications. We do this through an automated ISP and computer testing application on our recruitment Web site at www.ConvergysWorkAtHome.com. We describe carefully the minimum standards that we require for employment and then automatically test an applicant’s Internet connectivity speed and computer hardware to make sure these meet our standards. If an applicant’s equipment doesn’t pass, we tell him or her why so necessary upgrades can be made to reapply.

It is important to consider that the home agent is the first line of support to keep his or her Internet connection and PC functioning properly, thus we educate throughout the hiring process so applicants  are equipped to maintain their operational status. We also verify an applicant’s general understanding of the Internet and what a browser is as well as their ability to perform such PC functions as how to “cut and paste” and other editing functions of a PC. We also check to determine how well an applicant can control the “noise” on his or her home network, including the many toys, DVD players, movies-on-demand services and even smart phones that automatically connect now to the home network.

Once we have determined that an applicant is technically qualified, we then validate personal qualifications. Obviously we can’t meet an applicant face to face like we would a brick and mortar applicant. Instead, the screening of an applicant’s personal skill-set is also enabled by Internet technology. Some of this is accomplished through the application process itself. By design, we incorporate e-mail communications with links and URL’s that an applicant has to be able to manipulate so not to fall out of our hiring process. By incorporating technology into the hiring process, we are able to get a picture of an applicant’s technical capabilities and his or her level of perseverance and discipline, along with the traditional résumé information. In addition, an applicant’s ability to follow instructions via this technology-driven process reveals to us that applicant’s ability to learn and follow remote guidance.

The final step for applicants that make it through this part of the hiring process is a personal, but remote, direct interview with a trained recruiting expert via a phone conversation. This professional will validate all the criteria described above, judge the applicant’s voice quality and communication skill, and determine if we have a good fit.

Statistically, we hire less than 2% of the applicants that get to the virtual front door– the threshold being technology verification. That is because working from home requires meeting basic qualifications, but also unique characteristics to work successfully in a home environment.

Industry analysts have predicted annual growth of Home Agents by 10-15% over the past few years, but we’ve seen a little above that at roughly 20% within our own operations. We believe, in part, that our growth can be attributed to the fact that we have mastered the recruitment and hiring process that is particular to building a home-based agent program.

After reading this you may think to yourself, ok, it is not a myth that you can actually attract, qualify, and hire home agents without meeting them face to face, but it does require an investment in technology and process change. That is true, and that is why many companies choose to work with an outsourcer to provide them with a home agent solution.

In my next blog, I will tackle the myth that you can’t effectively train a virtual workforce.

Rick Owens is the Senior Director of Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions. In this role, Rick is responsible for establishing and implementing the product strategy for Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions as well as business development and operations.

In a highly competitive business environment where today’s market leader can quickly become yesterday’s news, a company’s ability to efficiently launch new products, services and lines of business has become a critical factor to success.

In order for companies to capitalize on market opportunities, they must first look inward to the CRM system supporting their new product offerings. As more and more companies look to expand and grow their business, many will find that their CRM solutions are unable to overcome the following challenges to market entry.

• No single view of the customer
• Inability to manage complex SLAs
• Inability to scale to meet commercial customer needs
• Flexibility to support next-generation services
• Order accuracy and fallout
• Eroding margins and profitability
• Inability to respond to competitive threats

Over the past decade, stories of difficult CRM implementations that have cost companies more time and money than expected have become common. That’s why Convergys and Microsoft have partnered to provide a CRM solution that features out of the box optimizations and vertical-specific features and functions designed to accommodate the specialized needs of telco, cable/satellite and utility companies. Built on a true product model, Convergys CRM Powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows companies to leverage their investment by extending the functionality of the solution to support new products and services.

On November 15, at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST), join us for the second in a series of four 20-minute webinar discussions about Convergys CRM Powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In this discussion, we will describe in further detail the challenges facing service providers as they attempt to expand and grow into new markets and how the right CRM solution can enable your business to meet the rapidly changing demands for new products, add new lines of business and quickly respond to competitive challenges.

Webinar: CRM Webinar Series: Designed to fit your business
Date: November 15
Time: 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST)

Your customer service agents hear these pleas for help all the time. An exasperated father is calling to upgrade his son’s or daughter’s phone to stay current with their friends, who have gotten their parents to do the same. This time it is for a smartphone and the father knows that there is a year left in the current phone’s contract. What can he do, other than pay full retail price for a new smartphone?

Not much? Think again.

U.S. consumers have become used to rapid innovation in the mobile space, driven by mobile providers need to stay competitive. Mobile consumers also have come to expect discounts, free phones, and minimal contract commitments to win and keep their loyalty. They don’t like to hear: “I’m sorry, sir or miss, but there isn’t much that we can do for you.” That’s a bad service experience from their perspective. Not good for them – and certainly not good for you.

According to Convergys’ 2011 U.S. Customer Scorecard Research, 37% of U.S. customers who had a bad experience with their mobile provider said they stopped doing business with the company; another 22% wanted to stop doing business but were stuck in a contract. While this 22% may still be with you, they are not happy about it.

What can you do? Believe it or not, quite a bit.

To keep your customers and increase wallet share from them at the same time, mobile operators can apply a little intelligence into their customer service equation.

Every mobile subscriber today has a variety of features associated with their account, such as length of contract, number of voice minutes per month, number of texts per month, data plan, and usage, as well as information about their payment history, average monthly spend, and how long they’ve had their current phone. All of these factors, plus many more, should be taken into account when determining what can be done to help a customer upgrade a handset.

With the help of intelligent technology, operators can centralize this valuable customer information from across all systems and create a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the customer that will enable their agents to determine an appropriate course of action to meet the customer’s needs while meeting the company’s business objectives.

Up until now, it’s been nearly impossible for a customer service agent to easily and quickly gather the information necessary to figure out what combination of parameters would need to be changed in order to say to the caller “Sure, we can upgrade your handset, let’s talk about your options.” But, with intelligent technology guiding the agent, a personalized solution can be created that meets the customer’s needs. This may require some negotiation with the customer about such details as adding a year to their contract, or increasing the size of their data plan, or even switching to the provider’s cable or Internet offering. But giving customers options places them in the decision seat and they feel much better about the agreed-upon outcome.

Imagine that father hearing the following conversation with your customer service agent:

“My daughter would like to upgrade her handset to a smartphone. What do we need to do?”

“Certainly, sir, we can help you with that. Your daughter can have the new version for only $129.95 if she also upgrades her data plan from 200 MB per month to 2 GB per month and we add six months onto the contract for your family plan.”

Quickly getting to a resolution that the customer is happy with is also part of reducing the “effort factor” in customer service. Our 2011 Scorecard Research shows that customers tend to be dissatisfied with  high-effort customer service interactions and place a great deal of importance on getting resolution on the first contact with minimal effort.

Being able to say “yes” to helping customers upgrade their handsets with minimal effort through the use of intelligent technology solutions makes them happier, keeps them loyal, and helps your revenue growth.

Jeff Epstein is responsible for marketing programs in the Communications vertical at Convergys, an industry leader in providing agent-assisted, self-service, and proactive care solutions that support its client customers worldwide.