A look at Coventry Building Society...and the Godiva connection

COVENTRY Building Society, the UK's fifth largest, recently moved its head office and 100-strong call centre to a new office building on the city's Binley Business Park.

More than 100 agents deal with inbound mortgage, investment and transaction calls, plus outbound mortgage follow-up calls; there is no cold calling.

Headed by call centre manager Colin Franklin, they are divided into nine teams, plus one manager and one assistant manager per team. Hours of opening are 9am-7pm on weekdays, 9am-5pm on Saturdays and 10am-4pm on Sundays.

Paul Gibbins, resource planning manager, said the society had excellent staff retention. All vacancies are advertised internally, including the 50 branches. It also uses agencies and the local press.

However, Mr Gibbins said: "People often move from the branches into the call centre because it is an excellent working environment."

Since the society bought a workforce management package, made by Q-Max, it says that the number of calls answered has grown by 10 per cent.

Mr Gibbins said: "We can now account for every 15 minutes of each agent's working day. This gives us a more accurate picture of the amount of other activities, the average handling time for each call and the availability of each agent."

Because it identifies periods when the centre is over- or understaffed, they could now adjust the full-time and part-time agent mix by using the software to recommend the best fit.

Established in 1884, Coventry Building Society has assets of £8.1 billion, 50 branches and almost 1m members.

Historical note Both Coventry Building Society and the city council include an image of Lady Godiva (about 1040-1080) in their logos.

Her legendary ride, naked, through the market place is said to have arisen from a dispute between the countess and her (much older) husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia.

She wanted tax cuts to aid the villagers -- the population was then just over 6,000. Leofric eventually agreed, but attached a condition.

He argued that the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed the body as one of the highest expressions of the perfection of human nature. If Lady Godiva truly believed in her cause for art, she should lead by example and he would then abolish all local taxes, except those on horses.

Later, the phrase Peeping Tom came into use -- named after a boy who took a peek.
Godiva Processions have been held, on and off, in Coventry since 1678. Now it has grown into a Godiva Festival, due to take place in the War Memorial Park on June 6th-8th.

• Coventry Building Society and the local Round Table are organising the 21st annual Coventry Fun Run on June 22nd in the War Memorial Park.