Top 10 U.S. Metro Daily Newspaper Audience Development Improves Service and Sales

INCREASE SERVICE AND SALES EFFECTIVENESS, reduce customer churn, and decrease operating costs across nine circulation-focused operating divisions

Project Focus

• Metro Daily Newspaper’s Audience Development Operations, including Direct Sales, Telemarketing Sales, Customer Service, and Delivery Operations
• Assess, redesign, and implement new workflows, processes, policies, procedures, and organizational structure

Client Gains: Financial and Operating Benefits

• 27% increase in customer retention
• 10% reduction in complaints; 48% decrease in second complaints
• 12% drop in poor service stops
• 49% improvement in average speed to answer inbound calls
• 76% improvement in time sales reps spent talking with prospects
• 51% decrease in call abandonment rate
• Cancellations within 28 days dropped by 41% for direct sales and 12% for telemarketing
• 30% reduction in stops due to solicitor misrepresentation
• Increased efficiencies and profits from improvements in process, performance and productivity

Key Changes that Supported Client Goals

• Developed a performance-driven environment, supported by mission statements, performance standards, and employee skills training
• Implemented staffing and scheduling processes based on objective measurements
• Improved processes for coordinating the roll-out of new promotions between departments
• Implemented a productivity-based, performance-driven compensation structure for sales management and sales force
• Implemented new sales/order entry methods designed to increase order quality and customer retention
• Increased utilization of the ACD phone system through training focused on effective management of the system and its reporting capabilities
• Standardized sales and delivery systems and practices
• Reorganized and centralized customer service operations

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