At a glance
Industry
Automotive
Location
Ireland
Products and services
Micro Focus Data Protector
Challenge
Streamline the customer service experience by implementing a modernized omnichannel contact center based on Salesforce Service Cloud and Amazon Connect.
Success Highlights
- 15% of calls are now resolved through IVR self-service
- 8% reduction in average waiting time in the call queue
- 50% improvement in back-office productivity
The challenge
Our approach
The modernization project involved moving from the legacy platform to Salesforce Service Cloud Voice handled by Amazon Connect and full integration into the Salesforce agent desktop. Cognizant was selected to lead and deliver the project, based on our track record of successful Salesforce implementations and proven expertise in integrating multi-vendor environments.
Our first step was to hold workshops with contact center supervisors, operations leads and agents to understand the issues caused by the existing platform. Based on those findings, we developed streamlined call flows and a new platform architecture that would see Amazon Connect integrated with Salesforce Service Cloud to create a single, omnichannel cloud-based contact center environment with a low total cost of ownership (TCO).
Smooth project delivery from start to finish
Designed, delivered and rolled out between October and January, the end-to-end project included:
- End-user workshops to understand customer, agent and supervisor frustrations with the legacy contact center system
- Recommendations for a new, cloud-based omnichannel customer experience (CX) platform for Volkswagen Group Ireland, based on Salesforce Service Cloud and Amazon Connect
- Business case development to demonstrate the achievable TCO savings and return on investment (ROI) from the new platform
- Design, development and implementation of the new platform, drawing on Cognizant technology expertise and strong relationships with Salesforce and Amazon Web Services
- Design and implementation of improved call flows, including the inclusion, for the first time, of customer self-service capabilities in the interactive voice response (IVR) module of the platform
- In-depth training sessions with supervisors and agents to demonstrate the capabilities of Salesforce Service Cloud, including the potential for AI-powered “best next action” guidance
- Low-risk migration by first launching one Volkswagen brand, with all agents taking turns to gain experience in the new environment, and launching remaining brands one week later
- Ongoing support from Cognizant with a focus on continuous improvement in business outcomes for Volkswagen Group Ireland
Business outcomes
After a successful implementation, Volkswagen Group Ireland gained a fully integrated, fully digital, cloud-based omnichannel customer service environment empowered with a holistic customer 360-degree view. The new platform significantly improves the experience for dealers and customers contacting the company, and it supports Volkswagen Group Ireland contact center agents in responding faster and in a more informed way to every inbound inquiry.
Measurable CX and productivity benefits from day one
The new customer service experience platform has delivered positive business outcomes for Volkswagen Group Ireland and its dealers and customers from day one of go-live, including:
- Streamlined customer experience with every inbound communication handled in the Service Cloud agent desktop, improving agent productivity by 4.2% and ensuring a 360-degree view of the customer for every inquiry.
- 15% of calls are contained in the IVR, thanks to new self-service capabilities that reduce agent transfers and enable callers to get rapid answers to common inquiries within the IVR.
- 8% reduction in average queuing time, thanks to improved routing and new features such as callback, there is a significant reduction in call wait time.
- 50% back-office productivity boost, as agents no longer have to toggle between applications to find customer details, and improved call flows automatically route callers to the right agent.
- Lower TCO with an affordable, OpEx-based cloud platform eliminating the need for on-premises infrastructure, licenses and maintenance.
- Data-driven insights to guide CX improvements using advanced analytics and reporting functionality to identify and address customer experience issues.
- Potential for further improvements using powerful AI-powered capabilities of Salesforce Service Cloud, including real-time “best next action” guidance for agents during customer calls
