Telecom firm faces reduced customer service manpower.
COVID-19 has severely hit business process outsourcing (BPOs) firms and enterprises that rely on agents to provide critical frontline support for customers. Globe Telecom is no exception. This gave an impetus to accelerate the shift to go digital and explore self-service channels.
Relying heavily on outsourced personnel to handle its customer service channels including its 24/7 hotlines and care services on social media, Globe now faces severely limited manpower support.
BPO closure
Rebecca V. Eclipse, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Globe pointed out the following challenges:
- Temporary closure of some partner BPOs.
- Ongoing social distancing measures which limit the number of personnel in offices.
- Suspension of BPO operations when employees get infected.
- The very fear of BPO agents to report for work only to contract the virus.
“While we understand as we go through these very difficult times, the factors had an impact on our after sales service operations,” said Eclipse.
Customer transactions
One Globe partner BPO, for instance, had COVID-19 cases during the first two weeks of July alone. This gave management no other recourse but to close down one of its sites. Another Globe partner BPO took this action after a substantial number of its agents went under quarantine.
The situation caused the manpower support for customer service operations to drop nearly by half. The remaining service complement for back office, social media, and after sales support now stands at only 49%, 66%, and 57%, respectively, of pre-Covid manpower supplement.
The reduction prompted the company to assign the remaining limited number of agents to critical customer transactions. Globe Telecom also encouraged customers to use self-service applications for basic inquiries and requests.
“The general well-being of our customer service representatives concerns us. They continue to report to work despite the health risks. Thus, we are doing our best not only to address their needs but also to ease their workload so they can focus on things that need their personal attention,” added Eclipse.
Go Digital
Globe Telecom explored working from home for the customer service agents. However, it is not a readily available option due to the increasing number of online scams, fraud and social engineering. These may put customers’ privacy and security at risk.
To respond to the needs of customers while operating with limited personnel, Globe goes further towards digital solutions. It has introduced several apps which can easily be. downloaded on mobile devices, via Google Play for Android and iOS for Apple.
Apps
Globe Postpaid and Prepaid customers, for instance, can use the GlobeOne app to fulfill the most frequent inquiries. This allows customers to track real-time data usage, subscribe to the latest promos and content offers. They can also pay and manage bills. In addition, they can buy regular load and reload retailer wallet, check and avail roaming promos, and get help with account and service-related concerns.
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For Globe At Home prepaid WiFi users, Globe At Home app can help them check their prepaid balance. It can also track data usage, and top-up or Share-A-Promo to another prepaid WiFi account.
Globe At Home postpaid customers can use the same app to view and pay bills online, track data usage, and upgrade plans. Moreover, they can get tech support and help with other account-related concerns.
There is also a TM app for TM customers to check their load history, balance, and expiry. The app also monitors load transactions, track promo usage, register to favorite TM promos, unsubscribe to promos, redeem TM rewards, and chat with a customer service representative.
Sustaining good customer experience while maintaining people’s safety is crucial during these times and to go digital experiences is key.
To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.
For more information, please contact:
Yoly C. Crisanto
SVP, Corporate Communications, Globe Telecom Inc.
Email Address: [email protected]
Globe Press Room: https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/newsroom.html
Twitter: @talk2GLOBE │ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/globeph
