SkyMail® Case Study

SkyMail in the Cable Communications Industry

Situation:

Mobile field force workers performing residential cable service installation spend excessive time on hold when calling dispatchers at the call center to report problems (e.g., customer not home), activate service, and close job tickets throughout the day.

Solution:

• Installer: Instead of calling and waiting to speak to the dispatcher, the installer speed-dials a contact, hears the SkyMail prompt, speaks the message, and hangs up.

When making the SkyMail call, the installer can choose from a variety of contacts, each of which is associated with a different email subject line (e.g., cable card activation). The subject line is used to convey the topic so that the dispatcher can see it before opening the email and listening to the message.

• Dispatcher: Instead of answering phone calls, the dispatcher scans the email inbox for subject lines that are of top priority and listens to them first. Replies are sent to the installer by typing a message on the computer. The reply is delivered via text messaging.

• Installer: The installer receives the text message reply from the dispatcher. If it is necessary to continue the dialogue, the installer simply presses one button to reply with another SkyMail message.

• Dispatcher: A dispatcher can send a text message to an installer to initiate a dialogue or send a text message to a group of installers to notify them of an urgent matter (e.g., a road is closed due to a traffic accident).

Result:

The most significant result is the increased productivity due to no longer have to wait on hold to contact the dispatcher. The time to address an issue is reduced from 12 minutes to 2 minutes, on average. This translates directly into cost savings. See the financial analysis on page 2.

Additional Benefits:

• Quicker response leads to improved customer service
• Messages can be handled in order of importance
• Messages can be handled based on expertise on a specific topic
• Messages can be forwarded to escalate a trouble issue
• Messages can be stored to retain a permanent record of events
• Reduced frustration and stress leads to improved employee satisfaction