IMPLEMENT A CUSTOMER-FOCUSED ORGANIZATION to increase revenue, service and operational performance
Project Focus
Beginning with departmental mission and standards, assess, redesign and implement new workflows, processes, practices, and organization structure to increase revenue through improved quality, service and productivity, and reduce costs in the classified sales, and accounting departments; optimize utilization of electronic systems and upgrade telecommunications equipment to support the new customer-driven operation.
Financial and Operating Benefits
- 10.7% increase in Classified “voluntary” revenue (goal was 5%)
- 20+% increase in Classified “commercial” and “outside sales” revenue (goal was 5%)
- 80% reduction in calls abandoned from 18% to 3.5%
- 47% improvement in call response time in inbound service center
- 10% increase in $ per ad through up-selling
- Credit application turnaround improved 97% with 90% 1-day
- 80% reduction in cost of collection agencies through in-house collections without additional staff (goal was 35%)
Key Changes
- Redesigned Classified organizational structure, consolidating functions and service activities, realigning sales groups, adding supervisory and administrative support without adding staff
- Developed and implemented a staffing and scheduling methodology based on customer requirements
- Designed and implemented a sales planning/feedback system based on territory potential/customer profiles
- Implemented realigned Real Estate and Automotive territories to optimize revenue potential
- Redesigned incentives based on revenue increases, lineage and new accounts
- Implemented online box replies to reduce manual processing time
- Improved telephone system configuration and use (in/outbound) and streamlined workflows
- Redesigned “in-house” collections flow, improving collections, reducing costs of outside collectors
- Implemented skills training for sales/service reps and management
