Stake
Our client, a multinational telecommunications operator, aims at becoming the operator leader in customer experience. To meet this goal, the operator has launched a large transformation program of its physical channels. One of the operator’s objectives is to maximize the differentiation derived from its retail stores. The in-store waiting time, especially, has been identified as the main cause of customers’ complaints. The operator thus called upon Sofrecom to reduce the waiting times in the stores of its leading country.
Methodology
In the first place, our consultants gathered data through mystery visits and a questionnaire issued to the area and store managers. This approach, both qualitative and quantitative, enabled our experts to paint an accurate picture of in-store waiting times and how they are managed at a national, regional and even store level.
Sofrecom’s experts then invited the managers of the less-performing stores to a collaborative workshop. They shared both the insights collected and waiting time optimization best practices. During the workshop, each store manager defined a customized actions plan for its store.
After this pilot phase, an iterative implementation phase took place, where action plans where adjusted using a “test & learn” approach. Our consultants facilitated and tracked the implementation of the actions. In addition, to further support store managers, they organized conference calls to strengthen their knowledge of the different techniques to manage in-store waiting time.
After validation of this pilot phase, the project was extended to the remaining stores using the same methodology.
Result
The continuous support, the meticulous program management, as well as the professional workshop facilitation have all been key success factors for this project. Close to 400 stores were embarked in this transformation through 40 regional workshops. The store managers have praised this approach combining co-construction and support for the implementation.
A year after the beginning of the project; results are clearly visible: the number of customers waiting more than 15 minutes has dropped from 32% to 22% in the stores that have implemented an action plan.
