1to1 - Spring 2009 - (Page 24) Employees are nominated by their bosses to participate in formal innovation training, and it is considered an honor to be selected. There is a certification process (one-week class), as well as several four-hour Education nurtures employees classes. There are also informal ways to participate, Whirlpool also invests in employee education to such as through an “innovation session,” which build engagement. The Best Ticket in Town program, generally lasts about four hours. Holmgren explains for instance, creates a partnership with local univerthat she took a formal class in innovation in 2002 and “If the idea is accepted, sities to give employees the opportunity to earn a then worked on four different projects, developed a we implement it degree in business administration or complete a portfolio, and was certified as an I-mentor in 2003 and then we reward Customer Service Certificate Program. Since 2005 through a board review process. the agent who more than 400 students have completed courses at a Additionally, the company holds executives submitted that idea.” 95 percent success rate, with students earning a 3.0 accountable not only for the development of new —Lynn Holmgren, Whirlpool’s National grade point average and above. products and services, but also for the creation of Director of Customer Care This is another area the cXc emphasizes. To processes and systems that foster innovation. For encourage call consultants to participate in the Best example, Holmgren says she facilitates an innovaTicket program, for example, all centers in the cXc are equipped with tion class or workshop at least twice per year, but most innovation Internet cafés, where employees can study during breaks or take online facilitators are required to participate at least once every month. courses. Holmgren says one former cXc employee even completed a Measurement also plays a part in holding executives accountmaster’s degree and now holds a senior management position. able. Holmgren says Whirlpool measures innovation at the “toll “Number one, it gives them pride in the work they do. Number gates” within various processes in terms of the number of projects two, it helps me from a financial perspective because it costs a lot of in the pipeline and dollars contributed to earnings based on new money to retain agents. This helps to tie them to a career ladder innovation. The results are reported all the way up the ranks and in within the contact center organization,” Holmgren says. the annual report. Employee training also includes sharing the cXc’s mission of “No The innovation intranet is an integral part of this. Consequently, customer will be lost because of me” with the rest of the organizait has evolved into a formalized program called Hit Me With Your tion to encourage other employees to think about how they can Best Shot, where employees across the organization electronically impact the customer experience. Through immersion tours, called provide input on improvements that they think Whirlpool should Customer Boot Camp, employees who work outside the call center make to products, processes, or strategy. “If the idea is accepted, we can hear the voice of the customer directly by listening in on calls implement it and then we reward the agent who submitted that and can interact with call consultants. More than 400 employees idea,” Holmgren says. visit the contact centers within the cXc annually and bring what Tracie Doll, solutions senior manager at Whirlpool, says that one they’ve learned back to their work environment. “A lot of times suggestion in particular that came from a call consultant shaved off people in the corporate side have a view of the call center that isn’t an average 30 seconds per customer call. The agent had suggested factual,” Holmgren says. “This is a great educational opportunity.” that when customers call about service issues, the computer system should automatically populate the customer information into the Idea sharing spurs innovation service request screen, which would save handle time. “It used to be The biggest opportunity employees have for sharing information is a lot of time to have to copy and paste that information several the company’s idea-exchange program, originally developed with an times,” Doll says. outside consultancy in 2002. The program is supported by an internal Another call consultant also recommended a successful process knowledge-sharing site to foster idea sharing among employees, and improvement: Instead of consultants repeating new service inforan innovation database helps them find answers to questions. mation to every caller, a voice recording from the IVR now lists the When Whirlpool first launched the initiative, employees introalerts instead. This saves about 30 seconds per call and provides duced a number of innovations, including an in-sink dishwasher consistency in messaging. from KitchenAid and products for the garage from the Gladiator line. Since the program’s inception in 2006 Whirlpool has received Innovation and the idea exchange program now are regular parts 800 suggestions from employees and implemented 20 percent of of the culture at Whirlpool, with all employees expected to particithem. The program has saved the company $4 million and has pate. A team of innovation consultants teaches employees about improved customer satisfaction scores. According to Holmgren, it innovation, an approach that Whirlpool attributes to increased also has kept call consultants inspired because they see firsthand the earnings and productivity. changes that have started at the grassroots level. can visit team advisors during their breaks to discuss any issue, and claims this open-door approach positively affects morale. &facts 24 1to1 Magazine stats HEADQUARTERS: Benton Harbor, MI CEO AND CHAIRMAN: Jeff Fettig 2007 REVENUE: $19.4 billion PORTFOLIO OF BRANDS: Amana, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Consul, Gladiator, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool
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