Ford SA has appointed Call Centre Nucleus (CCN) to establish and run their total Customer Relationship Centre operation for the next two years at an undisclosed cost. CCN is the call centre outsourcing division of MB Worksoft, the software and services division of JSE listed MB Technologies, This will free Ford to concentrate on increasing market share and establishing its African footprint. Dan Pillay, Director of Customer Services at Ford says, "The call centre is the hub of our Customer Relationship Management programme. CCN was able to satisfy a list of stringent requirements and get the call centre up and running in record time."
Ford Motor Company recently increased its shareholding in local vehicle manufacturer Samcor, almost doubling its investment to 90% by acquiring a further 35% share from Anglo American Corporation. In SA, Samcor markets premium brands Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Jaguar ranges, with the recent addition of Land Rover, bought from BMW by Ford Motor Company.
CCN has established a dedicated area for Ford within its existing call centre facility in Rivonia, Sandton, where a Ford look and feel and culture will be established. "One of our differentiators is our ability to create a customised solution at a competitive price," says CCN MD John Poulton. "The call centre is designed to fit in with Ford`s exact requirements now, be scalable for the future and staffed with dedicated operators who have experience in the motor industry and the issues affecting quality customer care."
Ford will be running off CCN`s central infrastructure which includes the Alcatel 4400 communications platform, CTI, Mercom voice logger and redundant power backup. The CRM application, Cincom Encompass, is fully customised to Fords requirements. Initially integrated to mail and fax, it will allow rapid implementation of unified messaging, workflow and web integration when Ford require it.
Other requirements on Ford`s call centre spec were the assurance that CCN has the expertise both technically and in business processes to drive the initiative. "The greatest challenge for us" says CCN Business Development Director Ray Payne, "was to scope, design and implement a complete solution from scratch, based on identified business drivers."
"This centre has to be able to respond to business change quickly", says Poulton. "and we have the capacity to provide additional infrastructure at short notice. An example of this is the recent addition of Land Rover to the Ford stable. The new product information is quickly assimilated and additional customers catered for."
"The motor industry is very competitive and Ford expects high levels of service. We place a great deal of emphasis on customer relationship management", adds Pillay. "The delivery of a functional call centre has been done within a short lead time by CNN. We expect our customers and dealers will find that the call centre is an excellent line of communication, enhancing their relationship with Ford."
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