Category: Call CenterUnited States

Brands Making Customers Work Too Hard—and it’s Affecting Customer Loyalty, JD Power Finds

2023-09-20

jillian.breska

TROY, Mich.: 21 Sept. 2023 — In the modern customer service environment, easy and frictionless make for a winning combination, but engaging with customer service can feel like way too much work for many customers. According to the inaugural JD Power U.S. Cross-Industry Customer Service Experience Study,^SM released today, the average consumer is spending 18.10 minutes every time they engage with customer service, and approximately 40% of the time when using the phone, they need to provide the same information more than once. This high level of perceived effort is dragging down customer satisfaction and customer loyalty across several industries.

The new study is the first of its kind to evaluate the complete customer service experience across multiple channels within the industries of investment; insurance; travel and hospitality; telecom; utilities; and other industries. Of all industries measured, telecom yields the lowest customer service satisfaction results in both the wireless and internet segments.

“The goal of elevating the customer experience should be a strategic imperative for all brands,” said Denese Waiters, senior director of customer experience intelligence at JD Power. “It is not enough to simply deliver good service. For brands to get a boost in customer advocacy and improve customer satisfaction, they need to consistently strive for great-to-perfect service.”

Following are some key findings of the new study:

• Good is not good enough: To build long-term customer advocacy and lifetime value, brands need to provide a “great,” “excellent” or “perfect” service experience. Merely providing “good” service results in a score of -10 (on a scale of -100 to 100) in Net Promoter Score^®,¹ while “just OK” results in a score of -45 and “poor” service results in a score of -80.
• Get it right the first time: First contact resolution continues to pose challenges for several industries. Overall satisfaction scores are more than 200 points higher when customer service queries and problems are addressed on the first contact, regardless of customer touchpoint. Likewise, satisfaction scores are more than 150 points higher when customers are not required to repeat the same information during their interaction with a brand.
• Lots of room to improve: Overall customer satisfaction with the customer service experience across financial investment services; insurance; travel and hospitality; utilities; telecom and other industries is just 605 (on a 1,000-point scale). Average customer service satisfaction scores are highest in the financial investment services industry (716), followed by insurance (610), travel and hospitality (596), utilities (562) and telecom (519).
• Too long to resolve a problem, especially on the phone: The average amount of time it takes to resolve an issue with customer service is 18.10 minutes. The phone is the slowest channel, coming in at 23.64 minutes, followed by in-person (15.62 minutes); website (11.41 minutes); and mobile app (10.75 minutes). Overall satisfaction scores drop precipitously if the customer needs to wait five minutes or more to speak to a representative in person or wait five minutes or more on hold. For website and mobile app-based customer service, customer satisfaction scores start to deteriorate after nine minutes.

Methodology

The JD Power 2023 U.S. Cross-Industry Customer Service Experience Study measures overall customer satisfaction with customer service functions in the investment, insurance, travel, telecom, utilities and other  industries, across the following channels: in-person; phone; website; app; social media; and text/email/mail. The study is based on 21,872 completed surveys from U.S. residents who engaged with customer service during the past three months. The study was fielded from May through July 2023.

For more information about the JD Power U.S. Cross-Industry Customer Service Experience Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/cross-industry/customer-service-experience-study#benefits.

About JD Power
JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, JD Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on JD Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

JD Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The JD Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, JD Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
John Roderick; East Coast; 631-584-2200; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

¹Net Promoter,® Net Promoter System,® Net Promoter Score,® NPS,® and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld and Satmetrix Systems, Inc.

 

Contractor Connection Contact Center Certified by JD Power

2017-03-22

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COSTA MESA, Calif.:  23 March 2017 — Contractor Connection® (a division of Crawford & Company) has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Contractor Connection contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”

• To become certified, the contact center successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations.
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Contractor Connection customers who recently contacted the company’s contact center in Jacksonville, Fla.

“The Contractor Connection team provides an outstanding customer experience and has earned certification in the live phone channel,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader at JD Power. “Our research shows that Contractor Connection particularly excels in promptness in speaking to their agents. Customers also cite strengths in the automated phone experience such as ease of navigation, clarity of the information provided and ease of understanding. This achievement clearly demonstrates Contractor Connection’s focus on providing their customers with an outstanding experience.”

“Contractor Connection takes tremendous pride in earning this distinguished certification from JD Power,” said Larry Thomas, chief executive officer of Crawford U.S. Services and Contractor Connection. “Customer satisfaction has always been the key driver to our success, and this honor demonstrates the commitment our contact center has made to delivering quality and timely results.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request.

The Certified Contact Center Program, which was launched by JD Power in 2004 as the Certified Call Center Program, evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center’s operations in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and Web self-service channel.

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; JD Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 717-621-6224; [email protected]
Chris Yazbec; Contractor Connection; Jacksonville, Fla.; 904-394-6370; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Swift Financial’s Contact Centers Certified by JD Power

2017-01-13

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COSTA MESA, Calif.:  13 Jan. 2017 — Swift Financial has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Swift Financial to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.” 

• To become certified, the contact centers successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations.
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Swift Financial customers who recently contacted the company’s contact centers in Conshohocken, Pa., and Wilmington, Del.

“Congratulations to Swift Financial on earning certification for providing an outstanding customer experience in the live phone channel,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice lead at JD Power. “This achievement is a clear demonstration of its customer-focused operation, which is a significant differentiator in this competitive and complex industry.”

“Providing an exceptional customer service experience is foundational to our organization. We are thrilled to be recognized by JD Power,” said Ed Harycki, founder and CEO of Swift Financial. “I am proud of our team. They are a passionate group of individuals committed to helping our customers. This is tangible proof of their pursuit to always go above and beyond, and I want to thank them for their contribution in earning this honor.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request.

The Certified Contact Center Program, which was launched by JD Power in 2004 as the Certified Call Center Program, evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center’s operations in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and web self-service channel.

Media Relations Contacts

Geno Effler; JD Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]

Kelly Henry; Swift Financial; Wilmington, Del.; 302-356-4028; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Ruleswww.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Merrill Lynch Retirement Services Contact Centers Certified by JD Power

2016-12-12

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COSTA MESA, Calif.:  16 Dec. 2016 — Merrill Lynch Retirement Services has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Merrill Lynch Retirement Services contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”  

• To become certified, the contact center successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations. 
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Merrill Lynch Retirement Services customers who recently contacted the company’s contact centers in Jacksonville, Fla., and Hopewell, N.J. 

“Congratulations to the Merrill Lynch Retirement Services team for achieving this milestone of certification for the 12th consecutive year,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader at JD Power. “The research is clear in identifying areas of excellence in each of the five key attributes we measure for customer service reps: timeliness of resolution; promptness in speaking to a person; courtesy; concern; and knowledge of the representative.  This high performance at the attribute level helps explain how the Merrill Lynch Retirement Services team provides an outstanding customer experience so consistently.”

“As our clients are our top priority, serving millions of plan participant clients each day, we are honored to receive this recognition for 12 consecutive years,” said Lorna Sabbia, head of retirement and personal wealth solutions for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “We understand the value of contact centers and believe they play a critical role in our commitment to improving clients’ journey to retirement and their financial wellness overall.” 

“This certification from JD Power is a strong demonstration of how truly dedicated our client services teammates are,” said Bill Pappas, Retail, Preferred & Small Business, GWIM Operations and GDCE executive at Bank of America. “We are committed to providing our clients with superior service and honored to receive recognition for these efforts.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research. 
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request. 

The Certified Contact Center Program, which was launched by JD Power in 2004 as the Certified Call Center Program, evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center’s operations in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and Web self-service channel.

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com. 

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; JD Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Julia Ehrenfeld; Bank of America Merrill Lynch; New York, NY; 646-855-3267; [email protected]  

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Guardian’s Retirement Contact Center Certified by JD Power

2016-11-09

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COSTA MESA, Calif.:  17 Nov. 2016 — Guardian’s Retirement Contact Center has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Guardian’s Retirement contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”  

• To become certified, the contact center successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations. 
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Guardian’s retirement customers who recently contacted the company’s contact center in Bethlehem, Pa.

“Congratulations to Guardian’s retirement contact center team for earning certification for a sixth consecutive year, showing a significant and sustained commitment to their customers,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader, JD Power. “Though all of our certified organizations deliver an outstanding experience, our research shows that Guardian’s retirement contact center team particularly excels in six attributes: ease of navigating the phone menu prompts; timeliness of resolution; promptness in speaking to a person; courtesy; concern; and knowledge of the representative. These results exemplify Guardian’s continuing commitment to providing an outstanding customer experience.”

“Customer service excellence is one of the critical competitive advantages in business. At Guardian, we understand that and want our clients to see us as a trusted partner. We believe that the key to exceptional customer service requires us to build relationships with customers and cultivate those relationships to create meaningful interactions going forward. We then focus on taking those learnings to deepen customer understanding, improve our process and inform future developments. We are committed to providing exceptional service, and earning this distinction from the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program for the sixth consecutive year epitomizes our efforts,” stated Kim Delaney, vice president of client engagement at Guardian. 

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research. 
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request. 

The Certified Contact Center Program, which was launched by JD Power in 2004 as the Certified Call Center Program, evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center’s operations in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and web self-service channel.

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com. 

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; JD Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Ana Sandoval; The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America; New York, N.Y.; (212) 919-8551; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

GES Contact Centers Certified by JD Power

2016-09-29

jdp-root

COSTA MESA, Calif.:  4 Oct. 2016 — GES has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel for an eighth consecutive year under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by GES contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”  

• To become certified, the contact centers successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations. 
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of GES customers who recently contacted the company’s contact centers in Las Vegas, Nev.

“Congratulations to GES for earning their eighth-consecutive certified contact center designation for the live phone channel, demonstrating their firm commitment to the customer experience,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader at JD Power.  “In fact, according to our research, GES’s performance around the ‘courtesy’ and ‘concern’ attributes was particularly high.”

“The experience our team provides to clients each and every day, in a very challenging and fast-paced environment, has resulted in highly-satisfied customers and a spirit of pride in providing the very best service available,” said Chris Elam, GES senior vice president.  “We are honored to have our commitment to industry–leading service recognized for the eighth year in a row by JD Power. The certification allows us to make sure we’re exceeding industry benchmarks and keeps us squarely focused on continuous improvement in key development areas.” 

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research. 
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request. 
• The experience with the automated phone system is evaluated based on the clarity of the information provided; ease of navigating the phone menu prompts; and ease of understanding the phone menu instructions.

The JD Power Certified Contact Center Program evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center operation’s in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and Web self-service channel. For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com. 

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; JD Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Detra Page, GES; Las Vegas, Nev.; 702-515-5627; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

MetLife’s Retirement & Income Solutions Customer Solutions Center Certified by JD Power

2016-09-21

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COSTA MESA, Calif.:  26 Sept. 2016 — The JD Power Certified Contact Center Program^SM has recognized MetLife Retirement & Income Solutions for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel delivered by the Customer Solutions Center. 

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by MetLife Retirement & Income Solutions to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”  

• To become certified, the contact center successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations. 
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of MetLife customers who recently contacted the company’s contact center in Warwick, R.I.

 “Congratulations to the Customer Solutions Center that supports MetLife Retirement & Income Solutions for earning Certified Contact Center status,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader at JD Power. “Though all certified organizations are outstanding in their own right, according to our research, MetLife customers provided particularly high satisfaction ratings for the concern demonstrated by the representatives they talked with.”

“At MetLife, our focus on customer centricity drives how we do business. As a result, we have dedicated significant resources to ensure our customers receive a superior service experience,” said Robin Lenna, executive vice president and head of Retirement & Income Solutions, MetLife. “This recognition is the product of our dedication and underscores the commitment to our customers demonstrated by our call centers supporting our U.S. Pensions, Institutional Income Annuities and Structured Settlements businesses.”

MetLife’s Customer Solutions Center, part of the Global Technology & Operations organization, services millions of customer calls each year across a full spectrum of MetLife products. Dedicated Retirement & Income Solutions specialists provide customer service from MetLife’s call center in Warwick, Rhode Island.

“As a primary point of contact for customers, our service consultants are committed to delivering a differentiated service experience. This recognition demonstrates their success,” said Kristine Poznanski, senior vice president and head of Customer Solutions Center, MetLife. “Ongoing investments in our people and technology enable us to continually enhance the service experience.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research. 
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request. 

The Certified Contact Center Program, which was launched by JD Power in 2004 as the Certified Call Center Program, evaluates overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and helps organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls. The program certifies a call center operation’s in three areas: live phone channel, IVR self-service channel and Web self-service channel.

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com. 

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; JD Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Judi Mahaney; MetLife; New York; 212-578-7977; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Contact Centers Certified by JD Power

2016-06-15

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 23 June 2016 — Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Banking has been recognized for contact center operation customer satisfaction excellence in the live phone channel for a seventh consecutive year under the JD Power Certified Contact Center Program.^SM

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit http://www.JDPower.com.

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Banking contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.” 

• To become certified, the contact centers successfully passed an evaluation of dozens of best practices that encompass their integration of Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee insights into their business operations.
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Banking customers who recently contacted the company’s contact centers in Brea, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Norfolk, Va.

“Congratulations to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Banking contact centers for earning certification for the seventh consecutive year, an achievement that  demonstrates their commitment to the customer’s experience,” said Mark Miller, contact center leader at JD Power. “Our research shows that Bank of America Merrill Lynch Corporate and Commercial Banking customers are particularly pleased with the interactive voice response (IVR) interaction prior to getting to a representative and with each aspect of the customer experience we measured once reaching the representative.”      

“Providing a world-class client experience is the foundation of building deep, long-standing client relationships,” said Alastair Borthwick, head of Global Commercial Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Our goal is to continue to improve customer service every year and to innovate consistently to address our clients’ changing needs.”

“We’re proud to be recognized by JD Power for the seventh consecutive year. This is truly a great accomplishment that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients,” said Paul Simpson, head of Global Banking and Markets Operations at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Our employees regularly participate in training sessions that focus on learning about best practices and additional opportunities to further improve our interactions with clients. The training extends beyond our contact center employees because we believe that every employee owns the client experience.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
• The research criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request.
• The experience with the automated phone system is evaluated based on the clarity of the information provided; ease of navigating the phone menu prompts; and ease of understanding the phone menu instructions.

Launched by JD Power in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and to help organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls, the Certified Call Center Program is now called the Certified Contact Center Program, which certifies the live phone channel, the IVR self-service channel and the Web self-service channel.

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Jumana Bauwens; Bank of America; Charlotte, N.C.; 800-796-8448; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Ruleswww.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Palo Alto Networks Certified by JD Power

2016-01-06

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.:  20 January 2016 — Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW), has achieved certification by  exceeding the average certification scores under the JD Power 2015 Certified Assisted Technical Support Program.^SM This distinction recognizes Palo Alto Networks for delivering “An Outstanding Customer Support Experience” to customers through the assisted support channel over the phone and online.  

For more information on the Certified Assisted Technical Support Program, please visit www.JDPower.com.

Jointly developed by JD Power and the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA), this program evaluates overall customer satisfaction and helps technology support organizations increase their efficiency and effectiveness in assisted support. The certification also helps businesses identify those companies that have demonstrated assisted support excellence before selecting which technology products to purchase.

• To become certified, an organization must attain customer satisfaction scores among the top 20% of network systems companies nationally, based on JD Power’s extensive technology industry benchmark customer satisfaction research. The organization must also pass a detailed audit of its support policies and procedures.  
• JD Power evaluated Palo Alto Networks on its assisted support over the phone and online channel. For the certification, JD Power conducted a survey of Palo Alto Networks North America customer base to establish an overall customer satisfaction index score, as well as on-site audits at Palo Alto Networks facilities.
• The certification is valid for one year.

“By passing rigorous standards of the certification process, Palo Alto Networks demonstrates a highly customer-focused culture that is committed to delivering the highest quality of service and support to its customers,” said Ritesh Kochhar, director of contact center solutions at JD Power. “Palo Alto Networks clearly understands the powerful influence service and support have on the overall customer experience.”

“We’re thrilled to honor Palo Alto Networks for their dedication to excellence in customer satisfaction with the JD Power and TSIA Certified Assisted Technical Support Certification,” said Tom Pridham, senior vice president, major membership development and general manager operational best practices & advanced services for TSIA. “By undergoing this rigorous certification process, Palo Alto Networks has clearly demonstrated a strong commitment to going the extra mile for their customers.”

“JD Power is a highly trusted brand and this certification demonstrates Palo Alto Networks’ investment in customer-focused people, dedicated to innovating processes and technology that deliver tangible results for our customers,” said Brett Eldridge, senior vice president of global customer services at Palo Alto Networks. “We are proud to receive this certification and remain committed to delivering an exceptional support experience for our customers.”

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Trisha Bright; TSIA, San Diego, Calif.; 1-858-674-5491; [email protected]

About TSIA

The Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) is the world’s leading organization dedicated to advancing the business of technology services. Technology services organizations large and small look to TSIA for world-class business frameworks, best practices based on real-world results, detailed performance benchmarking, exceptional peer networking opportunities, and high-profile certification and awards programs. TSIA corporate members represent the world’s top technology companies as well as scores of innovative small and mid-size businesses in four major markets: enterprise IT and telecom, consumer technology, healthcare and healthcare IT, and industrial equipment and technology. TSIA’s editorial blog, Inside Technology Services, is widely recognized by technology service professionals for providing thought leadership and insights into industry trends and best practices. Visit us at https://www.tsia.com/follow us on Twitter @TSIACommunity, or connect with us on LinkedIn and
Google +.

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Ruleswww.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com 

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Aflac Contact Centers Certified by JD Power

2016-01-06

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.:  11 January 2016 — Aflac contact center operations has been recognized for customer service excellence with its live phone channel under the JD Power 2015 Certified Contact Center Program.^SM  

For more information on the Certified Contact Center Program, please visit www.JDPower.com

The Certified Contact Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Aflac contact center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”

• To become certified, the contact centers successfully passed a detailed audit of more than 100 practices that encompass their recruiting, training, employee incentives, management roles and responsibilities and quality assurance capabilities.
• As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Aflac customers who recently contacted its contact centers in Columbus, Ga., and Omaha, Neb.

“We are honored to recognize Aflac for earning Certified Contact Center status, and we welcome them to the family of certified organizations who value their customers’ experience,” said Mark Miller, contact center practice leader, JD Power. “This achievement demonstrates Aflac’s commitment to providing an outstanding customer experience to their clients when they contact Aflac through the live phone channel.”

“As a founding principle of Aflac, we value our customers above anything else,” said Aflac U.S. President Teresa White. “We are both honored and pleased that our contact center program has been certified for customer service excellence by JD Power. We see this as the ultimate recognition of our efforts.”

For Certification Status:

• A contact center must also perform within the top 20% of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
• The evaluation criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request.
• The experience with the automated phone system is evaluated based on the clarity of the information provided, ease of navigating the phone menu prompts; and ease of understanding the phone menu instructions.

Launched by JD Power in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with live phone interactions and to help organizations in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls, the Certified Call Center Program is now called the Certified Contact Center Program, which certifies the live phone channel, the IVR self-service channel and the Web self-service channel.

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

John Sullivan, Aflac; 706-763-4813; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Ruleswww.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com 

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower