When you think about customer service, you may imagine the sound of phones ringing, technical support instructions (have you tried turning your computer on and off again?), feedback being shared, or even an attempt to de-escalate an upset caller. At Holmes Corporation, customer service (or customer care as we prefer to call it) involves a personalized and proactive approach.
Our Customer Care team consists of five amazing individuals who will go the extra mile for our learners to ensure they have the support and resources they need to be successful in their learning journey. We provide support for more than 65,000 learners each year through our numerous professional development programs. These programs cover human resources, payroll, project management and supply chain, just to name a few. How does this small team do so much? We have great people, systems, and technology, all working in tandem, and we’re always looking for ways to do better.
If you have a small customer service team and want some pointers, here are four ways we’re able to consistently exceed expectations.
- We start with easy-to-access answers and support via our support centers. Our online support centers, located within our products and on our web pages, encourage learners to find answers to common issues on their own, such as how to request a password reset or how to resolve loading errors. This means learners can troubleshoot issues outside of normal business hours without having to wait for a reply from our Customer Care team. The support centers also provide the steps needed to report an issue, submit feedback, or ask about something not found in the support center via a submission form on the same site. Then, our team responds to the issues reported in the support centers through email. If the issue requires technical assistance, our team connects with our IT department first to provide streamlined troubleshooting support to the learner.
- Our Customer Care team provides attentive responses that prioritize understanding and empathy. Our goal is to respond to inquiries within one business day. We average 46 phone calls and a combination of 62 emails and submission forms a day, ranging from detailed IT troubleshooting to learning system features and purchasing assistance. Our Case Management System allows for streamlined and transparent support so any member of our Customer Care team can assist a learner regardless of who answered the initial call, submission form, or email. When a learner calls our team, an automated system asks for their name, then they are connected to the next available Customer Care Representative. This system evaluates the quality of the support provided to learners and documents the interaction. This data allows us to track the types of questions and concerns we receive while also providing feedback on our level of customer support, helping us set goals for improvement.
- Our team provides resources and information to make the decision-making process easier for a customer. This includes providing FAQ documents, brochures, demo options, and testimonials to name a few. We provide recommendations on how to best utilize our programs and we highlight different features of the programs. For example, we often highlight the option to download the e-pub reading modules in the resource center so learners can access the readings without internet access. This is a great option for learners who travel and want to be able to access their reading materials without carrying physical books or using cellular data.
- Our Customer Care team is prepared to help whenever and however needed. Our team members can assist with placing product orders, creating quotes or pro-forma invoices, troubleshooting issues, correcting names and addresses, issuing product extensions, and general inquiries. Each team member also has their specialty, such as instructor-led course fulfillment, return management, procedural documentation management and corporate order entry. Our team is always improving and learning from each other so we can provide exceptional customer service.
Although our Customer Care team is small, we don’t let that stop us from delivering one-of-a-kind support. An average day may involve more than 100 requests, but we respond to each of them with care and efficiency. As an extension of our Association Partners’ organizations, we aim to provide learners with exceptional service that will make their certification preparation journey successful. It’s just another way Holmes Corporation goes the extra mile to foster and grow Associations’ professional development and certification programs.
