Esteban Corso
Operations Manager in CAT Technologies.
CCSUR, 20/04/2015
1) Could you briefly tell us your business vision? For instance: the market and its competitive environment, players in Argentina and the region, trends in recent years…
From my point of view, the market will continue the path of diversification of services. Those players, who have so far covered better the ground of Operational efficiency, will go ahead with the most diversified processes in terms of Multichannel business and the most complex ones in 2015.
In the Contact Center industry, the development of Social Media and mobile applications oriented to the end- users´ satisfaction are constant. Technological tools that allow Client experiences` customization will turn essential to achieve responses and more consistent communication in all means of contact.
Contact Centers that have already introduced COPC practices and have high levels of trained management have a wide advantage over others.
A key aspect in this business is our clients` perception (companies). Clients use Contact Center services and their value added, as a result of those contacts with their end users. Each player has its own culture of communication and ways of connecting with those companies that use Contact Center services.
In Cat we believe that, in this diversification process, the key is to know the needs and the results expected from companies instead of innovating in their ways of contact with their users.
2) What is your position, tasks and goals within the company?
I am the Operations Director at CAT Technologies, and today I am in charge of more than 1,600 agents, I also lead teams of Team Leaders, Supervisors, General Supervisors and Operations Managers.
I carry forward all operation processes in all CAT platforms, both Argentina and abroad too.
The main tasks I lead are the design of successful campaigns for Clients. To achieve this, I work hard in setting the operational processes that guarantee the expected service levels. My role then turns to run operational teams towards achieving business goals and ensure that our customers are getting the results they seek.
Reach the service levels required by clients and our own goals must go hand in hand. That’s one of my main functions. Both in the medium and the long term and in the day-to-day operational boards of results.
3) What is the range of services offered today by CAT? Sales, Customer Care, Collections, Help Desk?
We are continually developing Social Media and Mobile Applications oriented to the end-user satisfaction. Technological tools that allow Client experiences` customization will turn essential to achieve responses and more consistent communication in all means of contact. Contact Centers that have already introduced COPC practices and have high levels of trained management have a wide advantage over others.
CAT Technologies offers a range of services that are grouped as:
Acquisition and Development: Telesales (Inbound and Outbound) Campaign Planning, Sales Optimization, contact tracking, etc.
CAT has more than 11 years managing telesales campaigns, from strategy design to contact execution and conversion implementation. We are a company that builds our day-to-day goals from capturing new users for our customers. Our motivational strategy and focus in goals is our distinctive feature.
Loyalty: Internal Customers Attention, end Customers Attention, Support – Help desk, Customer Retention, and Loyalty Programs, Face-to-face Services, etc.
CAT Technologies has intermediate managers (General Supervisors, campaigns Supervisors and Team Leaders) that lead campaigns under COPC practices and, for this purpose, they are constantly trained. Operation has registered COPC coordinators who conduct operations under these standards of quality and performance.
Profitability: upselling and crosselling campaigns, databases enrichment, debt collections, etc.
CAT management is focused on capitalizing business opportunities that could be successfully developed in terms of making profitable our customers budgets and thus be tempted to increase them. We have vast operational experience and success cases in Blending and Multiskill agents’ implementation, allowing us to increase the efficiency production in management processes.
4) What is the vision of the company towards innovation and services diversification?
CAT’s achievements in terms of high profitable operations and first levels of quality standards, allows the company to project a 2015 with a strong solidity in services and current volumes and space for growth in developing Social channel. Our customers rely on the potential of new contact channels and that is combined with the experience and results that CAT shows in the day-to-day volume services, in first level services for a customer service campaign and product acquisition costs for campaigns. That mix of potential and proven experience makes much easier the decision making in strategic terms. To make the most of Multichannel without saturating the End User will be decisive to the operational results of 2015.
5) Much of the operation challenge happens in channel integration. What do you think are the specific needs of contact centers at this level? And which are the priorities? What is CAT vision?
At CAT Technologies, we believe that new technologies should always go hand in hand with actions that involve and customize human resources. Therefore, in CAT Technologies we develop actions and campaigns that encourage agents to customize each customer interaction. Besides, this also encourages Agent belonging; which turns tasks more attractive and increases end-user satisfaction. In brief, those companies in the industry that are clearly aimed at transforming each contact in a satisfactory experience for end- users will increasingly be better positioned.
6) Call centers are often horizontal structures. What motivational elements are being used in the company to balance the lack of rising workplace mobility? (Loyalty and retention strategies) Which kind of new working practices applied to business have been implemented? Could you give us more details?
The importance of being part of a project that is constantly moving and growing, awakes in our employees a daily commitment spirit. Those challenges and opportunities allow a visible and ever latent chance to grow within the company and therefore to be able to contribute from other position. For those agents with more expertise there is a career plan for their training and development of new skills.
CAT has a strong operational structure, with different levels of expertise and responsibilities with space for those who stand out for their performance to go for a long-term career plan. All support areas, such as HR, Administration & Finance, Personnel Administration, Technology, etc. are mainly composed of people that came out from the operating line. This is a conclusive and definitive fact that those who enter the company value. It also generates motivation for a career development.
The company has activities that integrate the entire staff, agents, intermediate managers, managers and directors and that practice drives the commitment of all lines. For example, frequent breakfasts are made with all staff (in which our CEO participates) to deal with improvement opportunities.
For the last 3 years CAT has a project of Corporate Social Responsibility, called Teaming that also gathers an economic collaboration of time and energy of all employees and the company. All actions are driven by the area of Marketing and Communications that has been working in the company for the last 3 years. Working environment, incentive Plans, celebration days, birthday gifts, year -end parties and many other activities that involve all employees are strongly managed.
7) In your opinion, how is outsourcing considered in Argentina today? Is it seen as a key methodology or a strategic approach? Why? What kind of progress and improvements do you perceive in relation to years ago?
I think that nowadays in our country the contact center outsourcing services are strongly influenced by factors not related to the industry itself and that takes away a lot of its potential.
Argentina has productive factors and human resources of high quality and performance which are wasted in some way due to the risks posed by certain policies that do not encourage investment. Both in the domestic and the international markets.
Each market has its own problems. Local market looks for more efficient solutions in relation to outsourcing which is healthy both for competence and industry´s professionalization.
These high level standards require training and structures that imply high risks and long-term investments for Contact Centers.
And that is in conflict with an uncertainty environment with the economical reality of Argentina, materialized in the increase of labor cost and infrastructure, among others. For big companies, although the outsourcing process is still convenient in economical and results terms, it has become less attractive. And to reverse this tendency, many argentine economical and political aspects should be reformulated, in order to keep a properly development of our local Contact Center industry.
