This renowned client saved more than 25% of its staff’s time by employing a modern, automated scheduling system, but how it managed to bring back lost clients is even more impressive.
THE CHALLENGE:
The client’s previous scheduling process for setting up meetings heavily relied on phone & email communication. Every appointment request would be picked up by the Reception staff, who would have to review each Financial Advisor’s individual calendar, and book the meeting.
That’s a little cumbersome, but manageable… if an Advisor’s calendar was wide open. If the Advisor was booked, another round of calls & emails had to be made in order to find a mutually agreeable time slot.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Reception staff were also tasked with re-booking appointments requested by the clients where they directly contacted the Financial Advisors. This resulted in more confusion and appointment overlap, leading to missed appointments, communication silos, and a frustrated workforce.
THE OBJECTIVE:
Recognizing the inefficiencies inherent in these processes, the COO Janise. aimed to reclaim the valuable time spent on appointment scheduling, while attempting to:
- Optimize the appointment scheduling process
- Create efficient communication channels between Advisors & clients
- Alleviate the stress of additional responsibilities off the Reception staff
- Prioritize individual client experiences through round-the-clock service
- Enhance overall time-management efficiency
THE SOLUTION:
After a period of time persisting with the burdensome manual scheduling process, SUMO was brought onboard.
SUMO implemented round-the-clock, semi-automated response systems, meaning that the Client was able to book meetings at any moment, even during the off hours, directly affecting the inflow of customers.
Critically, this update allowed the client to radically decrease the number of no-shows, as both Advisors and Clients appreciate the simplified & efficient process of booking appointments.
Furthermore, custom meeting-types were built for the client, where they now had the convenience of selecting their meeting options based on their availability: phone, video or in-office. This directly resulted in the reception staff no longer spending all their time (re)scheduling appointments.
Ultimately, the implementation of SUMO’s solution had a positive effect on the FinTech firm’s C-SAT. Their Clients felt catered to as the Advisors focused on building interpersonal relations, whereas the appointments were now easy to moderate.
THE RESULT:
The COO reiterated the importance of time-management and efficiency in operations when asked about her key objectives for SUMO:
“Our firm offers full-service financial advice to its clients from non-commissioned fiduciary advisors, so meetings are integral to our service. Our goal was to remove any obstacle that keeps the client from not engaging or coming in for advice”.
– Janise, COO FinServ Client
The FinTech firm can now:
- Manage appointments through a modern interface
- Minimize no-shows through a semi-automated communication system
- Personalized customer service through custom meeting types
- Freed up the Reception staff to focus on more productive tasks
THE FUTURE:
The COO’s team is now able to achieve the primary business goal of handling every incoming appointment in an efficient and professional manner.
SUMO’s personalized solution turned a highly manual process of booking meetings, which was prone to human error, into a seamless, client-first system. SUMO now helps the FinTech firm connect and engage with their clients at their convenience.
