The California Association of Realtors is a statewide trade association dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. The organization includes 115 local member associations and more than 165,000 REALTORS®, REALTOR® Associates and affiliate members.
Summary
The California Association of Realtors develops and distributes products, programs and services that help members achieve success in their real estate businesses. Providing a top-notch contact center was a must for the organization, but officials knew that the existing communications infrastructure wouldn’t be sufficient. The answer? An integrated technology solution from Siemens Communications that’s proving to be a sound investment.
Challenges
CAR’s contact center in Los Angeles is a critical component of the organization’s operations. The center serves the needs of all 165,000 members, many of whom frequently call for time-sensitive legal advice prior to closing property contracts.
The association recently faced a critical business challenge. It realized that the communications system in place couldn’t help them achieve world-class customer service and the desired response rates the association needed, says Rick Kinzel, vice president of CAR. Members calling in sometimes faced excessive wait times to receive a response.
Result
“Our customer satisfaction level has consistently been 94 to 95 percent each month,” Kinzel says. “I don’t think we could have achieved such a high approval level without everything we have put in place. Our biggest goal is keeping members satisfied, and the communication improvements we’ve made allow us to collaborate with our members in a very meaningful, effective way.”
“To me, unified messaging is one of the greatest features. I can’t remember the last time I physically dialed in to listen to a voice mail. Now I can access my messages no matter where I’m at using either my PDA or laptop computer, and I’m not the only one. Most of the staff are relying more on their computers for voice mail message access.”
Rick Kinzel-Vice President-California Association of Realtors
Tags: California Association of Realtors, communications, HiPath, Managed Services, OpenScale, openscape, ProCenter, siemens, unified messaging, Xpressions
