Coping with snail mail

Coping with snail mail

Published on: May 06, 2011
Author: Epticablog

In the move to a digital world it is easy to overlook that a huge percentage of customer communication is still through traditional mail and fax – so called white mail. This is particularly true in industries such as banking and insurance where legal requirements mean documents need to be signed and returned. And in many cases customers feel more secure having signed and posted a document rather than sending an email.

This means that once these documents reach the contact centre they have to be automatically scanned, stored and made available to agents answering phone and email queries.  This integration can be a major headache for organisations, who need to put in place an overall strategy that incorporates these channels into customer service, ensuring it doesn’t become an expensive, standalone silo for information.

What is needed is a multi-channel strategy that has advanced workflow at its core. This means that whatever channel the customer uses to communicate with you the query is automatically added to the system, forwarded to the right agent or department and answered using the best channel for that enquiry.

A great example of where this works well is Eptica client Ageas Insurance Solutions, who currently insure more than 1 million UK customers. AIS’s award-winning eStream project has transformed customer service for the company, reducing calls by 23 per cent and achieving Return on Investment (ROI) within 6 months.

A key part of eStream focuses on white mail. Letters and faxes are now digitally integrated with all web-based enquiries and managed through Eptica’s multichannel workflow with automatic distribution of correspondence and tasks to the appropriate administration area.

As Ray Westwick, Head of Call Centre, Ageas Insurance Solutions UK points out, “By digitally managing correspondence we’ve been able to minimise processing time and costs, and ensured that every communication is automatically recorded and tracked. Eptica’s technology has helped us to improve efficiency, enhance the experience for our customers and differentiate on price and service in today’s hyper competitive climate.”

Digitising white mail is just a part of what Ageas has achieved with eStream – you can download the full Ageas case study here to read the full story.

Tags: Ageas, Call Centre, Customer, customerservice, Financial Sector Technology, Insurance, multichannel, white mail, workflow
Categories: Contact Center, CRM, Customer Service, Email Management, Finance, Multichannel Customer Service

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