CIC (Customer Interaction Centre) Outbound Manager at Distell

The purpose of this position is to establish and lead a world class Outbound team to provide excellent customer service and to ensure that our products are delivered on time and in full in the most cost effective manner to all customers. Plan, co-ordinate, manage and control the activities to maximise profitability and enhance customer satisfaction through effective case management to meet organisational and operational objectives.

Key Performance Areas would include, but are not limited to :
Current and future shareholder value

• Ensure an efficient and effective team working in the most cost effective manner ensuring the highest customer service standards are met.
• Implement and report on measures around efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
• Achieve sales targets by setting daily / weekly / monthly goals/targets for team members, and managing to these goals
• Actively participate in the medium and long range forecasting of sales targets supporting each of the Business Units the SSC renders services to.

Operating efficiently

• Effective Outbound contact management through execution of sound case management techniques.
• Plan, prioritize and delegate work tasks to ensure effective functioning of the department.
• Oversee the achievement and maintenance of agreed customer satisfaction levels and standards.
• Ensure accurate reporting that is aligned with customer expectation.
• Drive consistent achievement and compliance of quality requirements / benchmarks.
• Responsible for the operational management of the CIC Outbound function in terms of percentage shrinkage, ratio of calls/contacts per agent, labour days paid, ratio of scheduled time to schedule adherence, percentage absenteeism, hours of training interventions, percentage improvement in cost to revenue ratios, customer satisfaction, KPI’s and specific measures agreed and monitored with team leaders in order to maximise performance and customer delight and minimise cost per call minute.
• Set key performance measures in terms of service level adherence.
• Manage marketing campaigns from inception to the completion of any campaigns offered by the Outbound Department on behalf of the Business Units.
• Structure, develop and maintain the CIC Outbound team in order to minimise Distell’s exposure to product liability through training and standard setting.
• Set short, medium and long term targets for cross and up selling to ensure we maximise the brand and product range full potential in relation to margin optimisation.
• Drive sales through cross and up selling opportunities whilst interacting with customers daily.
• Sound customer service management and case management to ensure all relevant information is in relation to customer engagement is comprehensively documented.
• Communicate and mediate with relevant external Legal Councils on cases elevated from these sources to minimise adverse public exposure.
• Support the execution of Dunning (collections) process for the efficient collection of accounts receivables.
• Responsible for meeting collections targets by managing day to day relationships with external collections agencies.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders (credit, risk and legal entities) in the development of optimum strategies.
• Adhere to master data governance and escalation procedures.
• Develop incentive strategies to drive sales.

Winning with consumers and customers

• Evaluate customer delight levels through Quality Assurance evaluations as well as Satisfaction Survey analytics and ensure team leaders and agents take appropriate remedial actions to maximise customer satisfaction.
• Develop strategies for the achievement of service levels agreements.

Growing the Business

• Be aware of latest developments in technology and how this applies to upgrades of current technology and new technology that should be considered by the business for implementation or integration in the CIC Outbound team.
• Develop business and market the CIC Outbound function to entities within and outside the organisation in order to ensure the CIC meets its targets in respect of customer service, sales / revenues, whilst decreasing cost to revenue ratios.

People and Expectations

• Implement identified soft skills, product, systems and process training initiatives to ensure employees remain up to date with latest business changes.
• Build and promote teamwork amongst team leaders, agents and key stakeholders.
• Ensure that recruitment, selection and training of new staff, relating to turnover and growth, is carried out on time and in accordance with the recruitment and training plan.
• Show creativity in identifying and recommending new business opportunities and /or re-engineering business processes and procedures to further enhance the Customer Relationship Management strategy both short and long term.
• Support Distell’s Sales Representatives on corrective actions with the customers.
• Perform side by side coaching with team leaders to develop their skills in leadership pertaining coaching and development, contact centre operations and problem solving.
• Keep CIC management team fully informed about latest industry related matters and product innovations and ensure knowledge base is kept up to date.
• Ensure team leaders monitor adherence to processes and procedures, review and agree recommendations on performance improvements, enhancements, streamlining and redesigning of processes.
• Leverage relationships between key stakeholders, customers and working groups through personal contact, meetings and reviews of service level agreements in order to achieve buy-in in terms of total customer satisfaction.
• Continuously ensure that team leaders specifically and staff generally are clear about their roles and personal contribution to the team, interaction centre and business as a whole to enhance team work and customer support in order for performance standards to be consistently achieved.
• Ensure effective staffing in collaboration with workforce planning function (WFP).
• Develop strategies that build a culture of sales to drive ultimate business performance
• Develop strategies that build a culture to ensure the collection team reach all business targets.

The successful candidate must have the following qualification, skills and experience:

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
• Management experience in sales driven In / Outbound Contact Centres and Credit Collections environment

 

Relevant Skills And Experience

• Public Relations – 6 years in dealing with Customers / General Public in a service / sales oriented call / contact centre.
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in contact centre management role, must include people management.
• Thorough understanding, interpretation and communication of Contact Centre metrics, statistics, data & actions to improve contact quality, customer service, revenue generation and productivity.
• Thorough understanding of service level agreements and negotiation with business partners, dealers, CIC Ops support and other suppliers.
• Thorough understanding of leadership skills, coaching methods, people management, sales generation and sales management, principles and practices of CIC management.
• Thorough understanding of all business technologies, processes and principles in the CIC and how they inter relate and align.
• Thorough understanding of interaction centre forecasting and work force management.
• Thorough understanding of key measures of service, sales generation and its impact on interaction centre success in the context of CRM strategy and vision.
• Sound knowledge of Sales, Marketing and Distribution / Supply Chain processes in manufacturing & distribution operations will be highly advantageous.
• Previous experience in the wine and liquor manufacturing and distribution industry will be highly advantageous.
• Excellent conflict Management and resolution skills.
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills.
• Excellent analytical skills. Understanding of financial principals and business management.
• Excellent ability to facilitate and manage change.
• Product and retail selling knowledge.
• Innovative, resourceful and self-disciplined.
• Excellent performance orientation coupled with strategic and entrepreneurial thinking.