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Electronic Data Systems
EDS Achieves Superior Client Support with 100% Microsoft-Certified Help Desk
The Lansing Certified Support Center, a technical help desk within EDS Global Support Services, provides Microsoft Office support to EDS clients. To ensure superior service, EDS requires all help desk personnel to become Microsoft Office Specialist certified. Since implementation, the certification has increased overall productivity within the help desk by 16 percent-a significant percentage in terms of saved time and money—improved employee satisfaction and elevated customer service ratings.
Finding innovative client solutions that make the most of technology is nothing new for Electronic Data Systems (EDS). After all, EDS pioneered the information technology (IT) services industry in 1962.
Today, with over 140,000 employees in 58 countries, EDS remains the leading global IT service provider by embracing technology and helping clients to do the same.
EDS collaborates with more than 9,000 clients worldwide to eliminate business barriers with digital solutions. More specifically, this entails supporting over 2.2 million desktops, managing 46,000 servers and providing Web hosting for 750 clients.
Leading the Way
To remain a leader in today's digital marketplace, EDS continually seeks ways to improve customer service and response-a business value it strongly recommends to its clients, too. At the Lansing Certified Support Center, a technical help desk within EDS Global Support Services, Microsoft® Office Specialist certification plays an important role in helping EDS achieve superior client support.
Since 1999, the Lansing Certified Support Center, which provides hardware and software support to EDS clients (such as General Motors, Saturn Corporation and the State of Michigan) has maintained a Microsoft Office-certified help desk. When hired, help desk employees commit to earn Master level Microsoft Office certification by taking a certification exam every three months for an eighteen-month period.
Currently, 190 employees comprise the help desk; all are certified in at least one Office program, and 35 have earned Master certification.
"When our employees earn Microsoft Office certification, they prove to themselves and our clients that they can effectively troubleshoot and provide solutions to clients over the phone," says Kyle Root, IT training manager for EDS Global Support Services. "Certification is an integral part of our Microsoft Office training program and an essential requirement for all help desk personnel."
Providing Solutions the First Time Around
Help desk employees at the Lansing Certified Support Center handle all client calls related to Microsoft Office software. To monitor employee performance, EDS measures how often employees resolve client inquiries without having to transfer clients to a specialist, by what it calls the "first pass rate (FPR)."
"We expect employees to resolve 75 percent of client questions on the first try, which is challenging," says Chris Lehr, business relations supervisor at the Lansing Certified Support Center. "Microsoft Office certification enables our employees to reach and surpass this goal."
To be precise, EDS attributes a 16 percent increase in overall FPR to Microsoft Office certification. In 1999, when certification was made a requirement, employees resolved about 55 percent of calls without transferring the client to a specialist. As of December 2001, total FPR has increased to about 71 percent.
Help Desk Services Analyst Chad Patrick, a Master-certified help desk employee, credits the knowledge he gained through certification for greatly improving his productivity.
"After earning certification, my FPR increased 15 percent-from 70 to 85 percent," he says. "Certification requires you to know the menu and help features of the Office programs inside and out, and it's this knowledge that helps me quickly find answers for clients."
Quicker Resolution, Better Bottom Line
In addition to superior client support, an increase in FPR is significant to EDS in terms of saved time and money.
"In terms of productivity, an increase in FPR indicates that employees can resolve client's questions more quickly, decreasing the average length of calls and increasing our capacity to support greater call volume," says Lehr. "Because our agents are Microsoft certified, they're not fumbling around trying to find manuals or online resources to answer client questions. They already know the answers."
And agents that "already know the answers" save EDS money. According to a study conducted by Help Desk Institute, a first-level client call costs a company about $12, a second-level call, or a call that is transferred, costs about $40, and if a call is transferred a third time, the cost of the call jumps to about $100.
As IT Training Manger Kyle Root says, "It pays to invest in employee knowledge and skills through certification."
Becoming an Employer of Choice
EDS was ranked number one in the IT services category of this year's list of "100 Best Places to Work in IT" by Computerworld magazine. Computerworld determined rank by rating companies based on criteria such as training, benefits, career development and retention.
"EDS' career mobility and training programs coupled with the best work force to be found are the reasons our ranking improved," says Troy Todd, EDS executive vice president of leadership and change management.
At a time when most companies are cutting training programs, EDS is investing even more in employees. In the past two years, EDS has implemented over 30 career development and training and compensation programs. In fact, EDS recently began offering Microsoft Office certification to employees company-wide through EDS University, an internal training resource with over 7,000 course offerings and training opportunities.
"When applicants find out that we invest in their career development with training and certification, we become the preferred employer choice," says Lehr.
Taking Care of Business, Taking Care of Employees
Progressive career development and training programs also help EDS challenge, motivate and retain employees.
Though working in the support center can be intense, Lehr says attrition is not a problem. "EDS' commitment to continued learning enables employees to gain skills and certifications that help them function better in their jobs and progress their careers."
Within the help desk, employees can work toward four levels of support. Each consecutive level provides new challenges and responsibilities to stretch employees' knowledge and skills. Microsoft Office certification serves as a pre-requisite for advancement within the support center, says Lehr, which simplifies the screening and promotion process.
Help Desk Analyst Chad Patrick is pleased EDS weighs certification when determining advancement. He is now a second-level agent, handling calls that first-level agents were unable to answer.
"Often clients ask what makes me more qualified to help them, and when they learn that I'm Master certified they're more responsive," he says.
Microsoft Office certification gave Patrick his first taste of being a subject matter expert and the confidence to earn additional certifications. He has since earned Microsoft Certified Professional certification and plans to soon earn Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification through EDS University.
These career development opportunities are why he chooses to remain with EDS.
Superior Client Support
Embracing the latest technologies enables EDS to provide the highest-level of client support. At the Lansing Certified Support Center, agents earn certification in the latest Office suite, Office XP, showing clients that EDS anticipates their needs and is prepared to help them upgrade.
"Prospective clients want to know that we can provide the Microsoft Office support we say we can," says Lehr. "Certification provides clients with a verifiable indicator for assessing what we claim."
Certified support is important to EDS client General Motors. As part of its contract, General Motors requires monthly reports from EDS, with updates on the support center's certification progress.
Overall client satisfaction has increased measurably since implementing certification, too. On a scale from 1-5, 5 being the best, satisfaction ratings with the support center's knowledgeable staff has increased from 3.13 in August 1999 to 4.40 in December 2001.
"Microsoft Office certification plays a vital role in helping our support center attract new clients, retain current clients and provide the best support possible," says Root.
—Posted 09/24/02
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