Once an application is approved, a card is automatically ordered for them. Customers then obtain information about their status from Capital One's IVR system or Web site, but Schwieder says that many people prefer speaking to a live agent. Sometimes there are certain questions that just don't lend themselves to automated explanations, he says. Before a caller hears the first ring, Capital One identifies who is calling and predicts a reason for the call to determine which agent receives the call. Agents can view information about callers and what they might want to buy based on their banking preferences and information obtained when they signed up.
Agents are then prepared to sell after they address each customer's issues.
We try to route the call to agents who are more capable of handling that request, Schwieder says. We start by limiting the range of calls to certain customer segments, which gives agents a higher level of familiarity, competence and efficiency. Both groups are available to answer calls when call volumes dictate a need for them. Another line of defense is the 'contingency team,' which answers inbound calls when needed, but when call volumes are overestimated, the team makes outbound calls, says Schwieder. The outbound work generates revenue that more than covers the expense of having the team.