October 2001 meeting recap
| | October 2001 meeting recap |
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At the October 2001 meeting, we learned how Akamai grew from $4 million in revenue in 1999 to nearly $90 million in revenue in 2000 supporting a growth in servers from 2,000 to 8,000, networks from 100 to 470 and Customer Care technicians from 14 to 38. Such fast growth can throw many companies out of business. But Akamai survived and thrived, with innovative techniques and an intense focus on the customer. How did they do it? Through excellent quality customer service! While most companies consider a customer to be one who signs the contract, Akamai considers the customer as a “maybe” sale for the first 30 days of that contract. Don told us that he puts his smartest customer support people UP FRONT. He hires the best people – 3 of his staff hold PHDs and 6 or 7 hold Master’s degrees. 8 out of 10 job applicants are rejected. While we all know it is difficult to do, he finds smart applicants who like to work with people Energy is a major requirement to the many hours required for international support across time zones. Automatic call distribution systems are used with staff logging on from their homes. Akamai pays for the required high speed access. While the company started receiving 50 complex calls a day, that number has raised to 70 to 80 complex calls a day. Staff is ranked by subject supported, not title levels. The highly skilled teams are trained internally. Everyone rotates through a chance to provide training. Seven staff members work in Customer Care Engineering providing tools to make problem solving easier. “Live” staff support is insisted upon. Support is 24/7 on call, globally distributed and follows the sun. Staff members are required to use on call pagers on weekends AND holidays. Regardless of the day, problems must be fixed. The customer sets priorities. If the customer thinks the problem is an emergency than the problem is an emergency. Staff does not receive after hours pay. They understand that Akamai is a 24-hour company and receive compensation reflecting that fact. Bonuses are given based on three factors: Customer satisfaction Objectives set as a group Objectives personal. While most companies consider their Call Centers to be one step in a career growth path, Akamai feels that “customer care is not a destination, it is a journey”. I came away from the meeting feeling energized and challenged. I know that everyone else shared my feelings. HDI-NE Home Page Underwritten by GroupSoft Systems, Inc. HDI-NE Chapter is solely responsible for the content of this site. |