Case Study: Bell-Ringer (Call Center Expert)
The Problem
A leading telecommunications company’s business in Central and South America was growing rapidly, resulting in a significant increase in customer service issues originating from that geography. The company’s VP of Operations had met with several business process outsourcing vendors, most of whom recommended building call center capacity in either Brazil or Argentina. However, another company approached her proposing that they develop a “virtual” call center utilizing distributed, at-home agents. The company had never worked with remote agents before, and although they found the idea (and associated economics) compelling, they did not know whether such an approach would work in South America. They were interested in proceeding, but did not know how to properly assess the risk associated with this approach.
Critical Issues
International Knowledge Growth Strategy Niche Expertise
The Solution
Maven identified several qualified call center experts in South America, including a handful of individuals who had worked with companies that had tried the remote agent approach. Within 24 hours of submitting the inquiry, the customer was on the phone with individuals in both Brazil and Argentina who possessed directly relevant experience. Through these Telephone Consultations, the customer was able to gain a better understanding about the benefits of facility vs. home agent approaches, and learn how the BPO industries in both countries had evolved over the past several years. Eventually, through the guidance of the call center experts Maven provided, the customer elected to pursue a hybrid approach, building a traditional contact center capacity in Brazil, with flexible remote agent capacity during peak hours in Argentina.
“Maven delivered exactly the insights we needed to develop the right solution for our company. The call center experts were a huge help – we got far more out of this engagement then we ever expected.”
— VP of Operations
