Successful Outsourcing - Channel 4 TV

This was a project in the media sector which involved analysis of an existing call centre with the option of keeping the operation in house or outsourcing. After the initial phase of analysis and board presentation RXP were retained to implement on the selected option – to outsource customer contact handling.

Business review

As a leading UK broadcaster, Channel 4 now provides its services Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4, 4Radio and 4oD across multiple channels – television, internet, and radio. It is a requirement of OFCOM that Chanel 4 provides a method by which viewers can provide feedback on the programmes and their content. The Viewer Enquiries call centre fulfilles this role.

In 2006, RXP undertook a feasibility review of outsourcing the Viewer Enquiries call centre operation and Channel4.com email handling, along with the contact handling processes of the brand new Video On Demand (4oD) services. This produced a solid business case to reduce the operating costs of handling telephone calls, letters and emails from the viewing public. In addition to potential cost savings, the following benefits were identified:

reduced level of call abandons
reduced level of email and correspondence backlogs
as well as increased levels of self-service through website FAQs and telephone IVR.

Outsourcing

In implementing this strategy, RXP helped Channel 4 to select the Belfast based call centre provider gem as its contact centre partner to execute a contact centre vision that was based on being “Professional, Courteous, Consistent, Efficient, Accurate, Human and In Touch”. The project also included a series of technologiocal improvements including a website FAQs knowledge base and email management tools.

Performance Review

Six months after the outsource relationship was established with gem, in July 2007 RXP was asked by Channel 4 to review the operation and to suggest improvements where necessary. Our consultants spent time in the centre in Belfast and facilitated joint workshops with both Channel 4 and gem to instigate a series of operational changes. When implemented, these changes resulted in increased levels of productivity which in turn led to higher performance of KPIs and SLAs.

Joanna Fitzgerald, Deputy Head of Channel Operations at Channel 4 comments "Our decison to outsource customer contact to gem allows Channel 4 to provide viewer support services for both its existing and new media businesses in one centre. RXP have helped us to make this outsourcing partnership work more effectively and effciently”.

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