Netscout Scores Call Center Success With RightNow
Goals
- Improve customer satisfaction while maintaining internal support headcount
- Effectively manage tiered support centers
- Speed issue resolution
- Prioritize service for strategic accounts
Achievements
- Raised first-call resolution from 18 percent to 39 percent
- Gained seamless tier-to-tier workflow for escalated incidents
- Raised incidents closed within one day from 23 percent to 46 percent
- Reduced incident backlog from over 800 to approximately 340
- Reduced "dissatisfied" survey results from 17 percent to 4 percent
- Improved customer satisfaction ratings from 3.8 to 4.5
Delivering excellent service to a globally dispersed customer base is challenging, but for Netscout, a provider of network performance management solutions, it's more than worth it. As a technology company, Netscout knows one of its biggest opportunities to increase revenue is by expanding relationships with its installed base, so delivering a great experience is vital to growing the business. Like most companies, however, Netscout also needs to control support costs, and made the decision to handle first-tier customer support out of its International Support Center located in Pune, India, while maintaining second and third tier support in the United States. While cost-effective, this decision presented challenges. Netscout needed a customer service solution that would provide proper escalation from first to second tier support organizations, and that would seamlessly transfer between the two with all vital customer information in tact.
Netscout chose RightNow's multi-channel CRM system to meet these challenges effectively, while improving customer satisfaction levels and providing multi-channel support across domestic and international organizations. RightNow's consistent view of customer incidents ensures effective escalation from the international call center to Netscout's second tier support organization whenever necessary. This is a powerful benefit given that a substantial portion of Netscout's revenue is derived from its installed base—and it costs less to keep an existing customer than to gain a new one.
As a web-based system, RightNow made it easy for Netscout to implement a common incident management system across all of Netscout's locations. As a multi-channel CRM system, RightNow allows Netscout to monitor phone, email and web inquiries in a common manner. And as a hosted system, RightNow delivers these benefits without strain on Netscout's IT department.
With RightNow's multi-channel CRM system, every customer request is tracked and routed through a common platform, whether the company takes a phone call at its offsite support center or receives an email at its Westford, MA headquarters. RightNow provides two essential incident management system capabilities to Netscout's technical support operations. First, it brings accountability to every step in the problem resolution process. In fact, Netscout customized RightNow's customer service solution to time-stamp every "hand-off" in the life of an incident, rather than just initial time in and time out. This provides visibility into tier-to-tier escalations, as well as the performance of individual agents. It thus ensures that the international call center works in a seamless manner with second- and third-tier support staff within Netscout's U.S. operations.
Second, RightNow's multi-channel CRM system enabled Netscout to implement sophisticated business rules. This allows incidents to be routed to the appropriate agent based on a variety of factors—including priority handling for strategic accounts. Netscout also implemented business rules to manage specific service-level objectives for various types of customers and incidents.
With RightNow's multi-channel CRM system in place, Netscout managers are quickly alerted if the response to any individual incident exceeds the thresholds set for that particular type of incident or customer. Plus, by tracking historical trends, they can pinpoint any chronic bottlenecks and take appropriate action.
Netscout has also implemented RightNow's survey tool to measure customer satisfaction with the speed and quality of the support they received. Reports can be analyzed by customer and by region, allowing Netscout managers to zero in on problems.
The positive impact of RightNow has been tremendous. Within six months of deployment, the percentage of incidents closed within one day doubled. At the same time, incident backlog dropped by 65 percent. Customers also became measurably happier with the service they were receiving, with strategic accounts scoring Netscout at 4.5 out of a possible 5—up from a previous average score of 3.8. These statistics reflect improved performance across both call center and online channels.
In addition to providing his company with great technology, customer service director Arthur Parmentier gives kudos to RightNow for its own excellent customer service. He cites the effectiveness with which RightNow's professional service group executed the customizations he required, as well as the practical advice he has received under RightNow's popular Tune-Up program.
Parmentier recalls one experience when he decided to put a hosted test site for his RightNow-based system in place to help with the ongoing development of Netscout's technical support strategy. "I sent RightNow the PO at ten in the morning, and at noon the test site was in place," he says. "To get that same infrastructure provisioned internally would have easily taken three weeks."
RightNow also helps Netscout fulfill the requirements of its ISO 9001 2000 certification, providing the necessary documentation and quality control.
Most important, Parmentier says, is the contribution RightNow is making to Netscout's top-line performance. "You can't sell much to a customer who isn't happy," he explains. "So by helping us keep our customers happy, RightNow protects the substantial corporate revenue that comes from our installed base."
Netscout Systems Support Site | Netscout Systems Homepage
About Netscout Systems
Netscout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTCT) is a leading provider of integrated network performance management solutions for enterprises worldwide. These solutions ensure that critical business applications run efficiently and reliably, meeting or exceeding user expectations. Headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts, Netscout has approximately 360 employees in offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
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