By Dewayne Cherrington, NRG Consultant
The Situation
A well-known private Healthcare client developed and piloted an in-house coaching program with several of their Customer Service leaders and front-line contact center agents. The client needed to revamp its existing coaching program to improve AHT (Average handle time) and NPS (Net promoter score).
They learned of our success implementing a similar program at a comparable-sized company and asked that we help them polish and refine their program. The goal was not only to collaborate with their team and create fresh and modern training content but to also incorporate some of the curated content previously utilized in past programs. The second half of the game plan was to engage our professional mentors to coach their teams over a 3-month cycle, which equated to roughly 1,000+ leaders over a four-year period.
The Challenge
The contact center’s operational inefficiencies were driving up overall costs. The company was eager to receive assistance with optimizing its frontline excellence in coaching and performance and improving its capabilities to deliver the best possible customer experience.
Because fluctuating and inconsistent agent performance was an issue, the provider wanted tools to create stronger, more stable production, enhancing not only the quality of customer service but also the employees’ work.
The Solution
Leveraging our history of proven success with optimizing frontline excellence amongst many organizations of many sizes, we began with a deep discovery phase which included multiple interviews and working sessions with all levels of the organization to confirm that the training material was sufficient to cover their business needs.
The Northridge group then tailored and distributed our Frontline Excellence training program to specific teams, including tailored skill-building training for new hires to streamline their learning process. Additionally, a continuous improvement program was established to push and encourage the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and enhancements in business processes.
The Approach
Program Customization
We conducted a discovery session where NRG gained insights into their current coaching approach, identified their challenges, and understood which metrics were used when setting goals for their teams. We used this baseline to identify the gaps in best practices and the next steps to implement a program that would drive meaningful change. This roadmap included the necessary or change management approach to ensure success.
We worked with the client to calculate a return on investment for implementing the recommended program changes. We were sure to include all segments of the customer service organization in this calculation.
Program Implementation
To achieve a successful integration, we took a holistic approach and utilized various facets of training and coaching:
Leadership Training
We developed and delivered a full-day training titled, “Coaching for Performance Excellence for Leaders, Managers, & Supervisors,” The symposium was tailored to equip leaders with tools to manage performance and a systematic approach to performance management and coaching.
Continuous support:
NRG mentors conducted 6 – 60-minute mentoring sessions for each identified person and several 60-minute roundtables over a 3-month period.
Front Line Training:
The frontline team completed training that includes either a 2-hour in-person class, 90-minute online training using newly updated LMS (Learning Management System), or 30-minute overview in a team meeting. Which option depended on the individual’s capacity and service levels.
Intensive Mentorship
To ensure a lasting impact, we implemented a 12-week intensive mentorship program. This included bi-weekly, one-on-one sessions—each lasting approximately 60 minutes—between our consultants and individual leaders.
This structure allowed leaders to develop new habits, build confidence, and effectively apply their learnings at the group level. Additionally, we incorporated group development workshops and provided specific leadership training to enhance coaching effectiveness and performance measurement.
The Outcome
At the end of the program, the client showed marked improvement in their metric in employee morale and satisfaction, leading to increased profitability.
They experienced a 10% increase in overall NPS score which means their customers were more satisfied. They also achieved a 26% reduction in hold time, which led to higher customer satisfaction and an increase in profitability. Finally, Adherence also increased by 9% following the implementation of the program.
From an employee satisfaction standpoint, attrition decreased. With the increase in employee retention, this began a trickling effect whereas the team required fewer new hire classes than was initially forecasted, ultimately saving the company money on onboarding and training new employees.
Through a strategic combination of in-person training seminars and regular leadership coaching, the client achieved comprehensive improvements and established sustainable performance in customer service that will continue to develop over time.
If you want to learn more about our approach and how it could help you, contact us today. We offer 15-minute initial discovery calls to help you get the answers you need. It is a small investment that could lead to lasting results.
What Our Clients Say
“I’ve never seen people pick up our industry as well as you guys did,” said a non-profit organization leader.
We know hiring a consulting firm is a big decision….and choosing the right one for you and your organization can be overwhelming. Hiring a consultant brings in a fresh set of eyes to look at missed opportunities and build an approach that is based on over two decades of experience. But what if the consultant doesn’t work in your field or industry? How can you be assured they can really understand the hurdles and challenges your team faces? At NRG, we base everything we do on two things: 1. Pulling industry data to benchmark and establish KPIs and goals against; 2. proven approaches and applications to business operations derived from over 25 years of experience and dozens of subject matter experts.
That’s why testimonials like this one mean so much.
