How do the call center reps handle so much information coming at them at once?
Nelson: The CTI software routes incoming phone calls, e-mails and text messages based on rep availability. For example, if a rep is on the phone, the system may route an e-mail to them rather than another call. It wouldn’t route a text message if the rep was on the phone, since text messaging requires an instant response. E-mails are answered when there is a lag in real-time work. To help speed up e-mail response time, we’ve scripted the responses to a fair number of questions specific to the particular customer. For example, some of our client customers call their employees “employees,” and some call them “associates” – the e-mail contains the right terminology for the customer. The people in our call centers seem to really get fired up and think it’s fun since they are not just answering the phone. I&T: Your CTI initiative is an example of Minnesota Life’s innovation. How else do you use technology for competitive advantage? Nelson: We make a choice of whether to lead, match or trail
