L.L.Bean Uses NICE Workforce Optimization Solutions to Maintain Top Notch Customer Service

L.L.Bean is famous for its World Class customer service, and with good reason. As a mail order, online, and in-store retailer celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, L.L.Bean has seen the tides of customer-facing processes change gradually and significantly, and its workforce optimization processes have undergone important changes as well over the last century. What intrigues those in the customer relationship management (CRM) field is how such an organization selects the right type of software to manage its customer-facing operations.

Having chosen NICE IEX (News - Alert) Workforce Management in 1996, L.L.Bean has used the solution to evolve with the changing needs of the contact center. The many capabilities of NICE’s workforce optimization solution enabled L.L.Bean to accommodate scheduling flexibility while maintaining customer satisfaction, according to a case study on the relationship.

Becky Andrews, Supervisor of Scheduling  at L.L.Bean, commented, “We produce our schedules three weeks in advance and agents have the flexibility to trade their entire schedule  if they want. A recent initiative now allows agents to access and view schedules from home allowing them even more opportunity to trade and swap shifts.  That’s a huge component to keeping our agents happy.”

The case study noted that L.L.Bean does not use an IVR system, a traditional feature used in any contact center, so the workforce management approach of NICE had to be different than most other businesses. The centers, located in Maine, employ about 875 agents year-round, and about 175-200 of those are home agents.  At Peak L.L.Bean adds seasonal staff for a workforce totaling in the vicinity of 2500 agents.

Officials with L.L.Bean noted that the company has been making strides for some time now in the arena of social media – incorporating it into its customer-facing processes, and enabling contact center agents to leverage it for better customer service. “We are able to schedule all of those agents using our IEX Workforce Management software.”

Andrews added, “We have a multi-skilled workforce to provide the best level of Customer Service to our Multi Channel customer. Our agent population consists of reps with numerous skills including basic order taking, E-mail, Chat, International skills and those that help our retail customers. We also have agents more skilled in back-office processes that might do special inquiries. Though one skill may live in one contact center but not in another, they are tied into the whole organization’s schedule via NICE IEX Workforce Management.

The NICE/L.L.Bean relationship has proven to bolster the business of both organizations. No doubt it will continue to benefit both in the future.