" CUSTOMERS INCREASINGLY EXPECTED DIGITAL SELF-SERVICE OPTIONS, FASTER ISSUE RESOLUTION, AND GREATER VISIBILITY INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS..."
FEATURE
• Equip employees with better visibility into customer services and support needs.
• Support continued subscriber growth without proportional increases in contact volume.
Every decision was evaluated against our mission of being the easy-to-do-business-with company.
WHAT SUPPLIER( S) DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
A: We selected several strategic technology partners to support our transformation initiative.
• CDG’ s MBS platform( now known as Elements) became our new billing and customer management system, providing enhanced automation capabilities and a modern foundation for future growth.
• We also implemented GoCare to expand customer self-service options and improve the digital CX.
Additionally, we further integrated Calix Cloud into our customer support operations. While it was already utilized within our Tier 2 network operations center( NOC), expanding its use provided customer service representatives with greater visibility into customers’ Wi-Fi performance, connected devices, and usage trends.
Together, these platforms are aligned with our goals of improving efficiency, increasing automation, and enhancing CX.
OUTLINE THE IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING WHEN AND STEPS TAKEN, INCLUDING CUSTOMER EDUCATION AND CONTACT CENTER TRAINING.
A: Once we selected Elements, most of 2024 was spent designing workflows, organizing data, going over configuration requirements and training.
There were points where meetings were weekly, and right up to crunch time, daily. I’ ll tell you one thing: I don’ t think I’ ve ever seen a group of people so dedicated to one cause.
Don’ t get me wrong. There were periods of frustration and uncertainty, but right down to go-live( which ended up amid a snowstorm in January 2025: that has only happened in Charleston maybe two-three times in the 12 years I’ ve lived here), our team put in a lot of long hour days to make sure we got it right.
One of the most important early steps was ensuring MBS and GoCare were properly configured to support our specific business processes and customer requirements. This required extensive planning sessions and collaboration between operational leaders, technology teams, and our vendor partners.
Training was equally critical to success. While Calix Cloud was already familiar to our Tier 2 NOC team, it represented a new toolset for many members of our customer service organization. Training focused on helping employees leverage customer insights, like from their bandwidth usage and devices. We invested months in preparation through:
" CUSTOMERS INCREASINGLY EXPECTED DIGITAL SELF-SERVICE OPTIONS, FASTER ISSUE RESOLUTION, AND GREATER VISIBILITY INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS..."
-- EARL E. SMITH JR.
• Classroom training
• Hands-on learning sessions
• System simulations
• Process documentation
• Internal communications
• Development of subject matter experts who could provide ongoing support after deployment.
Maintaining strong communication throughout the process helped build confidence and secure buy-in from frontline employees, which proved essential to a successful transition.
We also dedicated significant effort to customer education by communicating upcoming changes, promoting self-service capabilities, and helping customers understand the benefits of the new tools available to them.
WHAT, IF ANY, OBSTACLES DID YOU ENCOUNTER, AND HOW WERE THEY MANAGED?
A: The greatest challenge was managing the volume of change occurring simultaneously. Implementing a new billing platform, customer-facing tools, and operational processes represented a significant shift for both employees and customers.
Having experienced billing system conversions in previous roles, I understood that no implementation is ever perfect on day one. Despite extensive planning and testing, there were naturally areas that required refinement once the systems were live.
We addressed these challenges through:
• Frequent communication.
• Rapid issue identification and resolution.
• Ongoing employee feedback.
• Additional training sessions.
• Process adjustments and system fine-tuning.
We also closely monitored customer contact patterns and made operational adjustments to help manage temporary call spikes during the transition period. By remaining flexible and responsive, we were able to work through challenges while maintaining service levels and supporting our customers.
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