Security Sales and Integration Magazine

Business Management

Protection 1 Earns Top 5 Ranking in Call Center Excellence Awards

June 30, 2011 | Comments (0) | Post a comment

By Ashley Willis

LAS VEGAS — Protection 1 earned a top five listing for "Best in Class Call Center — Over 200 Staff" category at the 2011 Call Center Excellence Awards. This is the first time the company entered the competition.

With awards given in eight categories, the Call Center Excellence Awards honor innovative call center solutions from the past year. The Int'l Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC), a company that provides tailored conferences and trainings to help executives keep up-to-date with industry trends, hosted the awards program on June 15 at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas.

Protection 1 placed among well-known brands such as Discover, CIGNA Corp., ING Direct USA and Puget Sound Energy in its category. So, what does the ranking mean for the company? It shows the true value Protection 1 places on customer service, Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Haenggi tells SSI.

"Consumers today are not comparing us to other security providers, they are comparing us to their other experiences," she says. "Knowing how we rank against other companies outside our industry that are known for high quality customer service is important to us. The awards provide a forum to learn from others, share our accomplishments and also bring attention to our industry."

With 419 employees working in the call center, Protection 1 executives place great emphasis on customer service and leadership training. The company recently hired a training director to provide leadership tools for all supervisors and managers. Additionally, all employees are cross-trained to become universal agents so that they can handle nearly any call they receive, Haenggi says.

"Being transferred from agent to agent is a customer's biggest complaint in customer service," she explains. "We hold our centers to a less than 10-percent transfer rate — and we consistently accomplish that. We also deploy technology on the back end that enables us to route calls effectively without involving the customer."

Another technique the company uses is its "one ring, live person" program, where an agent answers a call on the first ring. Only one agent is expected to answer the customer's issue, and the problem should be solved the first time the customer calls.

"We keep our metrics simple, yet tied to the critical things that impact the experience," Haenggi says. "This allows agents to focus only on the necessary things so they can deliver a consistent, quality experience."

Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.


Review / Comment



Other Recent News

May 22, 2012

Doyle Security Expands Footprint in Upstate N.Y. With 2 Acquisitions

Doyle Security and Integration Systems, based here, has expanded its footprint in upstate New York with the acquisitions of Loss Prevention Experts Security & Fire Alarm Systems (LPE) and JMS Alarms.

May 21, 2012

PBFAA to Commemorate 30th Anniversary at Annual Expo

Pennsylvania Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (PBFAA) will celebrate its 30th anniversary during its annual membership meeting, held June 6-7 at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

May 17, 2012

Majority of Security Integrators Hesitant to Do Business With IT Distributors

According to a new report, less than 40% of North American-based security systems integrators would prefer to deal with IT distributors when purchasing their IP-based video surveillance products.

May 16, 2012

Smart Business Tips Video: Growing Through Acquisition

Should electronic security integration companies acquire their competitors? Can your company afford to purchase another business? PSA Security Network President and CEO Bill Bozeman discusses this hot topic in the latest Smart Business Tips video.

May 11, 2012

New York Times Best-Selling Author to Speak at SIA Government Summit

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has tapped New York Times best-selling author Brad Thor to serve as keynote speaker during its 2012 Government Summit, scheduled for June 19-20 in Washington.

Sign up for the eControl Panel

env Sign up here to receive current news and industry updates delivered right to your inbox.