Entergy Call Center Case Study
Background
Entergy Corporation is a leading global energy company engaged in power production, distribution operations, and related diversified services. The utility holding company's subsidiaries distribute electricity to nearly 2.6 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and provide natural gas to nearly 240,000 customers in Louisiana. Ranking among the largest U.S. utility companies, Entergy supports annual revenues of more than $10 billion. Entergy was listed as one of the Most Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine, as well as ranked #200 in the annual Fortune 500 listing for 2001.
Business Issue
During the past few years, deregulation, the Internet, and consolidation of companies have transformed the utilities industry into a fast paced and highly competitive market. With new changes taking shape, Entergy realized that it was crucial to expedite processes and invest in new technology that would help them compete more effectively and efficiently, improve customer service and boost profits.
Entergy's 500 call center agents, divided amongst six centers –Little Rock, AR, Baton Rouge, West Monroe, and New Orleans, LA, Jackson, MS, and Beaumont, TX- provide service to the company's more than 2.6 million customers. Receiving more than a million calls per month regarding billing inquiries, service requests, bill extensions, and outage reports, Entergy had to ensue that every customer was receiving superior and consistent service. Communications – especially with valuable customers - became Entergy's top priority. To achieve this, the company constructed a comprehensive customer service program. Several major initiatives for Entergy's multi-site call center included:
- Maximizing customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Providing customers with faster and more effective responses to their service needs
- Maximizing the productivity, performance, and bottom-line results of their 500 agents