The date of the Victorian state election is not known until the Premier announces it. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) needs to have all related infrastructure in place prior to any possible election announcement; including a 100-seat contact centre and all relevant IVRs and technologies. 24 hours after the election announcement the contact centre must "Go Live" with up to 100 fully trained CSR's. In 2002 Service Stream Solutions successfully provided the contact centre for the election that was called on Melbourne Cup eve.

Solution

Utilising its in house developed CRM application (proContact), Service Stream integrated with the Victorian electoral role and established an FAQ database that was flexible enough to change with each phase of the election. Utilising Service Stream's fulfilment and logistics centre, a complete end-to-end solution was provided including the packaging and delivery of forms and collateral. Along with the ProContact application Service Stream also proactively managed the daily IVR changes to minimise talk times and improve the customer experience. Over 100 CSRs were pre trained in the Service Stream training facilities and put through regular refresher training courses to ensure that they were ready for the unknown start date of the service. Service Stream's retention strategies ensured that the cost associated with recruiting and re training was minimised.

Outcome

The project went "live" on Melbourne Cup day, with Service Stream delivering quality people on time with the right technologies within 24 hours of the election announcement. Call volumes in excess of forecast were managed and rostered for, providing flexibility, KPI adherence and quality outcomes at all times. The project not only met, but exceeded all of the VEC expectations, and subsequently Service Stream continues to provide services to the VEC as required.