See how a Texas-based home improvement company maximized the performance and efficiency of its agents by partnering with Balto’s AI-driven real-time feedback solution

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The Challenge

Identifying off-script agents and training with manual processes and time constraints

Like most contact centers, the management team at Expo Home Improvements (EHI), a company that specializes in full residential replacement projects, struggled to find an efficient way to review calls and implement corrective action. This tedious, manual process was adding three to four hours of additional daily work for training manager Sheldon Mallory.

Even with other managers, supervisors, and team leads trying to monitor calls it was impossible to listen to recordings of every call. “The biggest time consumption was looking through calls and trying to pick which ones to listen to. That in itself was a full-time job, but it was mine on top of other responsibilities,” said Mallory.

These efforts were not fruitless but identified a problem the EHI team was not equipped to handle. With frequent script changes, only about 50% of agents were adhering to the latest given script on their calls. The company’s current grading software was able to help management identify this and other issues after calls, but offered no solution for script tracking or real-time coaching.

The Solution

Modernized agent review processes with the integration of Balto’s Real-Time QA

With EHI’s previous software, all agent review processes were manual and conducted with pen and paper. The company knew there had to be a better way. The EHI team had contacted various companies in their search for the ideal call center software, but time and again found products that couldn’t meet their needs. All that changed when Sheldon Mallory contacted Balto and was introduced to Real-Time QA.

Real-Time QA uses artificial intelligence to monitor 100% of calls in real-time. Managers have access to that data in the form of customizable scorecards, interactive reports, and detailed analyses of trends allowing them to do on-the-spot training.

Another huge draw of Balto’s Real-Time QA was that the AI tracking allowed EHI reps to seamlessly step away from their scripts to connect with customers on a personal level and then jump back without missing any of the necessary points.

“Balto has done a good job of keeping it simple, even though it is a pretty robust system. I would say that it’s seamless for what we’re doing.”

Sheldon Mallory, Contact Center Training Manager, EHI

Key Results

Improved agent compliance and a higher volume of high-quality appointments set

In just over a year, EHI saw dramatic improvements across the board. Some of the most notable benefits were:

  • Agents now adhere to scripts almost 90% of the time, a dramatic 40 point improvement
  • Significantly more appointments are being scheduled, an additional 10 to 20 daily
  • Calls are converting at a much higher rate, from about 13% to 34% with Balto
  • A/B testing now able to identify areas where agents diverting from the given script has led to improved conversions
  • Supervisors can now monitor the temperament of callers and agents to deescalate tense situations before they turn
  • Balto’s solutions have allowed EHI to drop two other software platforms, saving money and technology management time

Additionally, Mallory was pleased to see that these results were achievable without having an overbearing impact on the agents’ day-to-day work opportunities. By updating their processes with Balto’s Real-Time QA software EHI also saw improvements in their agents’ ability to multitask by eliminating the need for emails or paper copies of script revisions.

“The Real-Time QA has been really good for allowing us to do some real-time, on-the-spot changes in coaching and agent improvement.”

Sheldon Mallory, Contact Center Training Manager, EHI

The Next Step

Balto’s Real-Time QA had an incredible impact on agent compliance, training standards, and overall customer conversion rates for EHI. If you’re interested, we’d encourage you to schedule a demo today to see how this and other real-time Balto software can help to maximize the efforts of your company’s contact center.