Virgin Media Cuts Call Handle Time by 60 Seconds

Telecom Customer Case Study

Customer service plays a pivotal role in the telecommunications industry. Every interaction has the potential to shape a customer’s perception of the brand, for better or worse. With 47 million customers in the UK and a constantly expanding market presence, that’s a lot of opportunities to either reinforce or tarnish brand reputation and loyalty.

This is where Virgin Media found itself in late 2021. The multi-billion-dollar telecommunications company had reached a crossroads: In order to improve the customer experience, Virgin Media needed to embrace automation in its contact centers. This was no longer a choice; it had become a strategic imperative.

Challenge

Communication Inefficiencies

The biggest challenge Virgin Media faced was the volume of manual processes in workforce management (WFM) across its multiple contact centers. The company was spending too much effort making manual workforce adjustments and tracking agent adherence. It was time-intensive and inefficient, meaning WFM teams couldn’t devote sufficient time to higher-value tasks.

Moreover, the absence of a unified messaging system led to inconsistent communication and disengaged agents. Notifications to agents were handled manually, as was the scheduling of off-phone work. Non-unified messaging to the organization’s 7,000 agents ultimately led to inconsistencies that hindered customer service and eroded agent engagement. These issues undermined operational efficiency, so Virgin Media addressed them head-on with Intradiem’s unique real-time contact center automation solution.

Solution Benefits

Transforming Operations

Automation has emerged as an indispensable tool for businesses in almost every sector, revolutionizing operations with its exceptional efficiency and transformative impact. Automation was clearly the answer and Virgin Media partnered with Intradiem to redress its operational inefficiencies and also to enhance agent engagement and, ultimately, improve customer experiences.

Intradiem’s automation solution was used to dynamically deliver training directly to agent desktops, send notifications to agents to help keep call-handling time within pre-set thresholds, facilitate agents’ ability to take breaks on time and to use off-phone time to stay current on internal communications.

The system employs a rules engine that uses real-time—not historical—data to take immediate actions to optimize contact center operations. 

Recognizing the increasingly complex nature of customer inquiries, Virgin Media leveraged the Intradiem solution’s capability to insert customized rules to deliver additional wellness breaks directly to agents’ desktops to help them cope more effectively with customer demands. The system automatically accounts for the break time in the workforce management schedule, ensuring adherence without additional manual input or negative impact on customer experiences. 

Agents are more strongly engaged with timely notifications and breaks, leading to better customer service and reduced staff turnover.

Approach

Expanding on Success
The adoption of Intradiem’s contact center automation technology across multiple Virgin Media contact centers contributed to a 60-second reduction in average call duration, as well as a three percent reduction in the use of additional personal breaks, thanks to immediate access to support provided during calls which helped agents remain within pre-set thresholds for handling time and call resolution. Thanks to automation, this streamlined approach led to optimized work schedules and increased overall operational efficiency.

Thanks to the solution’s powerful rules engine, accessible through a user-friendly interface, Virgin Media created rules for initiatives while avoiding the need to access costly and critical IT resources. The positive impact showcases the power of automation in driving workforce efficiency and elevating customer experiences. 

Delivering a Better Experience
Great customer service delivery depends on an optimal blend of human skill and technology, and Intradiem’s contact center automation plays a crucial role by automating a range of process tasks and freeing agents to focus on higher value activities—resulting in higher productivity and lower costs.

Agents are more strongly engaged with timely notifications and breaks, leading to better customer service and reduced staff turnover. Real-time, data-driven actions allow contact centers to adapt swiftly to constantly changing circumstances, giving agents more time for meaningful interactions and enhancing overall customer experiences.

Gaining broad internal support is essential for success, as implementing automation may require adjustments from employees to ensure a smooth transition. Such a significant operational shift demands input and collaboration from various teams, including planning, technology and communication.

Through its partnership with Intradiem, Virgin Media has achieved measurable efficiency and productivity gains, fostering stronger agent engagement and reduced attrition. This has increased customer satisfaction and loyalty—which is the ultimate goal of successful customer service delivery.