Friends Provident dials up success through training: Call‐centre program brings big business benefits

Abstract

Purpose

Describes an award‐winning training programme that helps newly recruited call handlers at Friends Provident's call centre, to understand and use computer and telephone systems, develop the skills to answer customers' e‐mails and handle calls confidently.

Design/methodology/approach

Draws on information provided by the call centre's team manager who, along with two call handlers, designed the programme.

Findings

Shows that, as a result of the training, staff turnover fell from almost 22 to 16.5 per cent, while sickness absences went down from 7.42 to 4.43 per cent. The company has been able to attract a more diverse workforce and recruit inexperienced people because of its new training. The proportion of customer calls answered within 20 seconds has risen from 72 to 78 per cent. All the call handlers are now trained to deal with e‐mails.

Practical implications

Describes the real benefits customers have noticed from dealing with properly trained and enthusiastic call‐centre employees.

Originality/value

Highlights the value of training that is designed by people within the organization and experiencing at first hand the topics that need to be covered.

Citation

(2006), "Friends Provident dials up success through training: Call‐centre program brings big business benefits", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 14 No. 6, pp. 15-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670730610690312