Ideas that fit: how staff suggestions aided big call centre revamp

Signs indicate teams in Kwik-Fit Financial Services' new-look call centre

BEFORE Kwik-Fit Financial Services revamped its call centre in Uddingston, eight miles east of Glasgow, the company asked all of the agents for their ideas. And they came up with 6,550 suggestions. The revamp, which includes an IP telephone system, is now nearly complete, at a cost running into millions of pounds. Keren Edwards, HR director, said that during a two-month period agents were taken off the floor for a day to be briefed and asked for their ideas on "making KFFS a fantastic place to work". Ideas which have been implemented include requests to have mugs instead of cups, a creche (due to open this year), a coffee franchise (a Costa Coffee is in the restaurant), a concierge service and a new pension scheme, due to start soon.

One suggestion, for a rooftop helicopter landing pad, was not taken up.

As well as a concierge, there is a "minister of fun" (see panel).

Also included in the project is a "chill out" room equipped with board games, vending machines, satellite TV, sofas, table football, games machines and two pool tables.

Ms Edwards said that over a two-year period the company's staff turnover had dropped by 18 per cent.

Staff numbers have been growing rapidly over the past few years, at a rate of about 200 per year and now stands at 954, and 73 team leaders.

Ms Edwards expected KFFS to add another 250 agents this year, aiding the company in its aim of increasing business by 20pc.

She said that last year 44pc of new recruits came from staff referrals, earning them £1,000 each. And she added: "where we cannot recruit through staff referral, we use the internet, local press and, occasionally, local radio advertising."

And the selection process? Ms Edwards said: "The initial sift is done by telephone interview for all customer facing positions - plus CV sift for senior positions - followed by a visit to our contact centre, application form review and, finally, a competency-based interview with HR and a manager from the recruiting department."

For most roles, she said, the main skills required were: "Good telephone manner with reasonably un-accentuated delivery; basic keyboard skills; previous customer service experience; good teamworker; drive and determination; self motivated; and enthusiastic".

Ms Edwards said: "We provide full and comprehensive training at our custom built training academy on site.

"We have seven fully qualified trainers who facilitate initial (and ongoing) training. For a telesales consultant, the initial training takes 10 weeks: one week induction; two weeks product knowledge; three weeks practical training, building quotes under the guidance of the trainer; two weeks sales training; followed by two weeks transition in order to meet the required standards.

"Once the consultant successfully comes through this they are put into a development team (called a Cubs team) for a further three months-plus, after which they can move onto an experienced sales team."

And ongoing training: "We have a learning lab on site with over 100 courses available to all employees to use.

"They are allowed one hour per month of company time to take courses of their own choosing, but are also given the opportunity to take courses to become multi-skilled or to develop their skills, for example, product training, closing a sale, interviewing skills.

"Anyone interested in progressing within the organisation can also work his or her way through courses designed to develop their potential as a team leader/manager.

"The management development team runs regular courses for existing team leaders and managers on subjects ranging from absence management and employment law to recruitment and selection, to name but a few.

"We have a number of employees taking part in SVQs through us, and others are externally working towards accredited qualifications which have been sponsored by our organisation."

Agents are in separate departments, depending on product. Examples are: customer care, motor; new business, motor; renewals, motor.

Wherever possible, agents are multi-skilled. Seven out of 10 agents are full time and about 60pc are female. Basic salary for agents is £13,500 but, said Ms Edwards, most agents reached their targets and added another 40pc to their pay. She said last year's top earner received £30,000 and a car. A number of different incentives run at various times of the year. They range from "Quality Idols" - in which 18 people have won all-expenses trips to New York - to team-based holiday incentives. Ms Edwards said: "Bonuses vary from department to department, but are generally based on a combination of good quality, performance, attendance and achieving agreed targets."

At their service: the KFFS concierge is Hugh Sommerville

Quality awards, she said, were designed to recognise people who had shown outstanding quality results during the month.

"Each department is represented and every winner receives £100 in High Street Vouchers and a parking space at the front of the call centre.

"All the names go into a hat and £600 in holiday vouchers are awarded to the lucky winner."

And she explained the top achiever awards: "Every month, department managers award their top performers in full view of the entire call centre. The lights are dimmed and music is played while the award winners make their way along the balcony to receive their trophies."

Those who have completed five years of service are taken by limousine to an expenses-paid lunch and award ceremony.
Other events include fun days, a Christmas dance and a company birthday party ("this year is our 10th birthday and we will be having an extra-special celebration").

KFFS' business results mostly from customer satisfaction calls to motorists who have their exhausts and/or tyres fitted at Kwik-Fit's premises throughout the UK -- there is no cold calling.

The KFFS call centre, purpose built, opened in May 1995 on a new business park. The revamp has included new paintwork; new chairs, desks and PCs; and cordless headsets.

And KFFS has bought £2m-worth of equipment and support from Avaya, upgrading its Avaya Definity to Avaya Communication Manager. It includes a new predictive dialler and contact management system.

The benefits include immediate updating of customer details and automation of calls to policy holders whose insurance is due for renewal.

Kwik-Fit makes only very limited use of IVR because, it says, customers prefer speaking to a live agent.

Under a five-year deal, Avaya is providing remote monitoring and an on-site engineer.

Avaya said the upgrade was carried out in four days at weekends to avoid disruption.

Martin Oliver, KFFS MD, said he expected a return on investment within 18 months.

Kwik-Fit Financial Services, which brands the products of a panel of underwriters, comprises two arms.

Kwik-Fit Insurance includes motor, home, travel and pet policies and Kwik-Fit Finance offers life assurance.

Kwik-Fit was founded in Edinburgh in 1971 by Sir Tom Farmer and is now owned by a venture capital company called CVC Capital Partners.

Kwik-Fit Financial Services fact file

Hours: weekdays, 8am-10pm; Sat, 8am-6pm; Sun, 10am-4pm
Telecoms carrier: Thus (mainly) and British Telecom
Numbers in use: 0800 toll-free
Number of lines: 840
ACD: Avaya
Headsets: Plantronics and GN Netcom
Software: client, Microsoft NT and XP; CRM, 3r; database, SQL and Oracle
Computers: Dell PCs, IBM servers
CTI: Genesis
Wallboards: Symon
Daily inbound calls: 9,000 average
Daily outbound calls: 12,000 average
Average call length: varies from approx 1min for customer surveys to 20-plus mins for motor insurance

Who's who at Kwik-Fit Financial Services

Keren Edwards is HR director at KFFS

THE directors of Kwik-Fit Financial Services spend a half-day month in the call centre. All bar one were promoted internally -- their previous jobs are shown in brackets: Martin Oliver, managing director (finance director); Alan Brown, operations director (sales manager); June Lynch, finance director (financial controller); Bert Main, business development director (pricing manager); Elaine Whitefoot, IS director (IT manager). Keren Edwards, HR director, was recruited in 2001 from an insurance company. There are 16 senior managers: Andrew McMillan, Anton Manley, Audrey McDade, Darren McLean, Gary Campbell, Ian Fraser, Janice Kerr, Karen Hogg, Keith Langdon, Kevin Murphy, Lesley Mathieson, Margaret-Ann Nohar, Michael Lynch, Philip Fraser, Stephen Robertson and Tracey Smith. All except one, Darren McLean, were promoted from within KFFS.

Shopping and laughing

STAFF at the KFFS call centre can each pay £5 per month for the services of a concierge.

He is Hugh Sommerville and he handles errands such a shopping for groceries, taking and collecting dry cleaning and trips to the Post Office and bank.

Mr Sommerville carries out about 100 jobs a week - including a requirement for bedding for a pet python, which was a genuine request.

And the call centre has its own "minister of fun". He is Rob Hunter, 38, who was recruited from within KFFS, and his job is to organise events for staff.

They include themed days, social evenings, theatre trips, five-a-side football, a Christmas party for all staff, and a "chill out" club.

Mr Hunter gained a degree in hospitality management while working for holiday companies and was an events manager before moving to KFFS. However, he is now moving back into the hospitality business and KFFS was seeking a replacement as this issue went to press.