2. The Client The client is one of the leading local newspaper publishers in the UK with over 200 weekly newspapers, over 17 daily paid-for titles and also publishes magazines and trade publications. The client also operates a network of web sites. The client has a weekly circulation figure of more than 10 million copies and over 13 million in readership. It has a digital portfolio of newspapers and online-only brands which attract more than 6 million unique users. Outsourcing customer care helpdesk to an offshore location was a strategic decision for the client though the client had already outsourced its Verification of Free Distribution (VFD) work to Merit. Challenges Reporting and Productivity: Though the client had an existing customer care team the biggest challenge was the lack of set systems and processes. There was no effective measurement of agent productivity and service quality, and little training material or guidelines for staff. Peaks and Troughs: Staffing was a major issue as the peak call volumes were concentrated around circulation days and there were severe troughs on certain days. Also, the volume of work was dictated by the Gross Distribution Figure for the week. Enabling Systems: The client did not have native workflow administration software and therefore yet another challenge was to find a CRM software that was flexible enough to encompass all requirements of the client. Setting up an outsourced team with the customer care and communication skills that matched the native customer care team was a consideration. There was an underlying concern that a team offshore might lack the skill and ability of the local team. For a publisher of local newspapers, this was an obvious concern.
