A Sneak Peek at the State-of-the-art Customer Service Supporting HughesNet North America Consumer and Small to Medium Business Customers
HughesNet® customers enjoy the richness of a high-capacity, high-quality broadband service with the fastest Internet speeds available by satellite. And when an occasional blip in service occurs, help is just a phone call away—or an email, a fax, or even an online chat.
“We’re focused on delivering top-quality customer service designed to meet a wide range of customer requests on a consistent basis,” said Deanna Matsumoto, vice president of customer service for HughesNet North America consumer and small/medium business customers.
Service with a Smile
More than 750 customer service representatives operating from centers in the U.S., India, and the Philippines serve HughesNet North America customers around the clock, handling a variety of inquiries that range from questions about a bill to reporting an interruption in service. Representatives use multiple tools to resolve problems, escalating calls to a higher support tier if additional help or specialized services are required.
Representatives stay in touch with the customer until each problem is resolved. When appropriate, customers are notified of events through an interactive voice response (IVR) system and the Hughes Customer Care Web site. Using callback and auto-dialing services, agents acknowledge customer calls and keep customers advised of ongoing work on any outstanding issues.
Intelligent Interactive Voice Response
Hughes is continuously looking at ways to improve processes to make it easier for customers to do business with the company. For example, the sophisticated IVR hosted by Hughes has embedded intelligence coupled with key self-service functions. When a customer chooses the technical support option, the system automatically performs service diagnostic routines and provides the customer and the agent with key information regarding the health and warranty status of the customer’s service. At any point during the call, the customer can opt to speak with a fully trained, live service representative.
A Change of Pace
But not all calls in Hughes call centers are inbound. In its goal to create a positive experience from the very beginning, the company places welcome calls to new customers, providing helpful information such as the top three reasons most new customers contact customer service.
The Hughes customer service operation also reaches out to customers with its TACT (Thank the Customer Today) program. Representatives periodically call hundreds of customers selected at random to simply thank them for their business. No sales pitch—just a thank you.
Hughes takes customer satisfaction very seriously. Perhaps that’s why the customer service organization holds a low five-percent abandon rate, which refers to the percentage of callers that hang up before a call is completed. And according to customer ratings from post-call surveys, customer satisfaction percentages are continually improving.
Customer Advocacy
“We’re the advocate and the voice for our customers throughout the company,” said Matsumoto. Through the Hughes Customer Advocate Program, a selected group of customers tests new services and features, providing valuable information and feedback before the services are released—further building customer satisfaction.
“The customer is the lifeblood of our business,” added Matsumoto. “Without the customer we don’t have a business, so it’s vital that we work proactively to prevent problems and effectively address any issues that arise.”
That’s why for the more than 750 representatives supporting North America’s HughesNet consumer and small/medium business customers, business is truly all about top-quality service.