New Federal-Mogul Customer Service Center Integrates Teamwork and Technology To Delight Customers
6 October 1997
New Federal-Mogul Customer Service Center Integrates Teamwork and Technology To Delight Customers
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 6 -- The integration of self-directed
work teams and advanced technology was celebrated today as Federal-Mogul
Corporation dedicated its new consolidated customer service center
in Southfield, Michigan. The consolidation of the customer service operations
in Phoenix, Arizona and Southfield into one location was part of the company's
restructuring plan announced in February, 1997. The goal of this action was
to improve service to the customer while reducing company costs.
"Everyone involved undertook a huge effort to make this day possible,"
said Dick Snell, chairman and chief executive officer, during a ribbon cutting
ceremony today. "Thanks to the team effort, we finished ahead of schedule and
under budget. We were able to make this changeover without disrupting our
customers for one second."
Southfield was chosen and announced in March, 1997. Since then, Federal-
Mogul has hired and trained 90 new employees from the Metro Detroit area.
Each new hire receives eight weeks of extensive training on Federal-Mogul
products, policies and procedures.
The customer service operation is organized into self-directed work teams
that are charged to manage themselves. This builds a team culture based on
empowerment and ownership of customer needs. To reinforce the concepts of a
self-directed work team, each employee receives on-going training in teamwork
dynamics and conflict resolution.
"Without a doubt, these are world class people in an exemplary
organization," said Mike Schultz, vice president and general manager - sales,
North America. "Throughout Federal-Mogul, we are applying the proven
methodology of this teamwork success."
Customer service employees answer an average of 340,000 calls per month or
17,000 calls per day. Each employee handles over 250 calls per day. Federal-
Mogul's customer service level goal is based upon a call being answered within
24 seconds or four rings.
To support this activity and increase customer service, several
technological upgrades were a part of the consolidation effort. These new or
upgraded technologies include:
Fax to Order - An electronic means of transferring faxed documentation
into an electronic commerce format eliminating the need to re-key orders.
This paperless system reduces fax order process time by over 80% thus speeding
the customer's order.
United Parcel Service (UPS) Tracking - Online tracking systems give
customer service employees the capability to track UPS packages without
calling UPS. This allows immediate response to customer inquiries compared to
a previous tracking method that took several days.
Electronic Invoice Retrieval - Verifies any information in regard to
billing and shipping while the customer is on the phone. The customer service
employee may electronically retrieve and send invoices to customers, a time-
saving process that previously involved the manual retrieval of a paper copy.
North American Branch System (NABS) Order Inquiry - The electronic history
of every customer order is available when the customer requests information
on: an order, shipping costs, or any other information specific to their
order. The immediate retrieval of information addresses customer requests
from a single source.
Electronic Publication Request - Customer service employees can instantly
request and place a customer's request for catalogs, price sheets and other
publications. This process used to take up to two weeks and is now routed
immediately to the publication fulfillment center.
Automatic Number Identification (ANI) - With ANI, the customer's account
information and history is automatically displayed when their call is
answered. This allows for servicing the customer in a more efficient manner.
Monthly monitoring of incoming phone calls is performed as part of
Federal-Mogul's quality service assurance. This is a tool for determining
future training as well as assuring each agent is professional, proactive and
accurate.
Federal-Mogul's customer service operations supports the company's North
American aftermarket operations. Over 100,000 SKU numbers are handled through
the operation.
Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Federal-Mogul is a $2 billion
global manufacturer and distributor of a broad range of non-discretionary
parts primarily for automobiles, light trucks, heavy trucks, and farm and
construction vehicles. Visit the company's web site at
http://www.federal-mogul.com for more information on Federal-Mogul.
SOURCE Federal-Mogul Corporation