Sensée/TCC Wins Contract With Nespresso to Enhance Customer Service Operations

SensĂ©e/The Contact Company (TCC), a leading provider of customer service solutions, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a contract with Nespresso, the renowned global coffee brand. This partnership marks a significant milestone for SensĂ©e/TCC and highlights the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Under this new agreement, SensĂ©e/TCC will provide comprehensive customer service solutions to Nespresso’s business-to-consumer operations. Leveraging our expertise in customer service, SensĂ©e/TCC aims to elevate Nespresso’s customer service experience, ensuring quick and efficient resolution of inquiries and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

The successful merger between Sensée and TCC has further strengthened our capabilities and positioned us as a prominent player in the industry. By combining our expertise, resources, and market insights, we have forged a powerful partnership that enables us to deliver innovative and tailored solutions to our esteemed clients.

“This contract with Nespresso is a testament to the exceptional services we provide and the trust our clients place in us,” said Asif Hamid MBE, CEO at The Contact Company. “We are excited to collaborate with Nespresso, a brand known for its commitment to quality, and we are confident that this partnership will bring immense value to both organisations.”

Steve Mosser – SensĂ©e Group CEO said: “This demonstrates the ability and commitment we have with offering a flexible Working from Home and an on-site model with the enhancement of technology to create a powerhouse in the outsourcing arena.”

The collaboration with Nespresso aligns with SensĂ©e/TCC’s vision to revolutionise the customer service landscape and empower businesses to build lasting relationships with their customers. With our cutting-edge technology, industry-leading expertise, and dedication to excellence, we are well-positioned to meet and exceed the evolving needs of today’s consumers.

Are you interested in joining the team? Click here to apply today.

Sensée creates a powerhouse in UK-based CX Outsourcing with purchase of the business of The Contact Company

Sensée has purchased the business of The Contact Company, a renowned customer service centre based in Birkenhead, Liverpool. This strategic move forms a new UK-based CX Outsourcing Group, combining the expertise of both companies and creating a dynamic team of over 2,000 employees with 35 combined years of outsourcing experience.

The two companies will continue to trade as Sensée and The Contact Company (TCC) respectively within the Sensée group of companies. Steve Mosser will remain in the role of Sensée Group CEO and Asif Hamid MBE, Founder and CEO of TCC, will be CEO of TCC.

Operations at both companies will carry on seamlessly following the acquisition. TCC will continue to operate from its Birkenhead headquarters and Sensée from its headquarters in London.

“We’re thrilled to welcome The Contact Company, its clients and its talented people into the SensĂ©e family” said Steve Mosser. “By bringing together two award-winning businesses we are combining our collective years of expertise in delivering exceptional customer experiences for renowned brands. Both companies share a common commitment to corporate social responsibility delivering value to clients, customers and colleagues whilst prioritising sustainability for communities and our planet.

“This acquisition allows SensĂ©e to offer exciting new advantages to TCC and its clients. With our unique talent, elasticity, scalability and productivity we will enhance customer experiences and deliver even greater value. In turn, SensĂ©e will benefit from TCC’s extensive experience in the retail and public sectors and their expertise in running highly efficient office-based services. Our portfolio of clients in the Financial Services industry will also benefit from the extended ability to support a broader range of FCA-regulated services that require a physical office location.

“We firmly believe that this combined proposition perfectly addresses the needs of organisations seeking a UK or international outsource partner that excels in quality, scalability, flexibility and can operate on either a WFH, hybrid or fixed office setup.”

“This is fantastic news for TCC, its clients and our dedicated team” said Asif Hamid MBE. “SensĂ©e has earned a reputation as the premier CX outsourcer in the UK with its unparalleled WFH technology platform that connects the best talent to the best brands. We are proud to join the SensĂ©e family and look forward to an exciting future together.”

Sensée launches Surge emergency response service

Sensée has launched an emergency response service for organisations needing extra trained personnel at short notice to manage spikes in customer contact.

The SensĂ©e Surge service, delivered as an outsourced Customer Experience (CX) service, is aimed at organisations that encounter: 

  • Unexpected weather events that overload their contact centre
  • System outages that create waves of unexpected customer contact
  • Known spikes that occur due to seasonality (but can’t be managed at ‘normal’ staffing levels)

Or any other planned or unplanned sudden increase in customer demand.

The Service can be accessed on either a Retainer basis (i.e. SensĂ©e will put in infrastructure and test, clients simply press the red button when they need people to act) or as a one-off service (i.e. clients can call SensĂ©e for support and have a first group “active in 24 hours). 

All Surge service colleagues operate on a work-from-home (WFH) basis. They are remotely trained by SensĂ©e, qualified to FCA standards (if required) and able to take payments in a PCI-DSS compliant manner (again, if required).  

“When it comes to providing WFH Emergency Response Teams at short notice we have a pedigree second to none having delivered award-winning contact handling solutions to major healthcare, energy, insurance, retail and travel companies for well over a decade” states Paul Whymark, Chief Operating Officer at SensĂ©e. “When systems and infrastructure shuts down we stay open.”

Photo by Chris Gallagher on Unsplash 

(Free eBook) Hybrid working in the Contact Centre Survey Results

Hybrid working is here to stay!

According to our survey of 102 UK contact centres, two-thirds (66%) believe that 50% or more of their advisers will be working from home (at least part of the time) by the end of 2023.

The ‘How successfully has your contact centre embraced hybrid working?’ market survey is the most comprehensive study of the hybrid working plans of top UK companies conducted post lockdown.

Conducted by Pitch Marketing Surveys and supported by Sensée, the Welsh Contact Centre Forum and SuccessKPI, the survey was conducted in Nov/Dec 2022.

Read the full Survey Results eBook (no need to register).

 

SensĂ©e’s LiveDesk hybrid working collaboration application now available through the G-Cloud 13 Government Framework

G Cloud 13SensĂ©e is delighted to announce that its LiveDeskℱ application to create Digital Workplaces for hybrid working front and back-office environments is now available through Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) G-Cloud 13 Government Framework to public sector organisations.

LiveDesk is a next-generation communications & collaboration app to ensure that everyone -independent of location – can tap into a real-time stream of information, care and support so they are optimised to deliver great service.

CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to ÂŁ2.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

Available as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), LiveDesk brings together home and office-based people into a single digital workplace with all the tools needed to inform, support and engage just a click away.  It provides:

  • One (web) app page with everyone needed to simplify employee experience (EX)
  • Continuous and certain support for frontline colleagues for better engagement
  • Consistent broadcasts, alerts and briefs, so nothing is missed
  • Peer-to-peer support and knowledge pooling to accelerate learning
  • Integration with comms tools like MS Teams
  • Digital Workplace Analytics for continuous improvement
  • Sentiment & Engagement tracking so no one is left hanging

Thousands of CX advisers are already benefiting from LiveDesk today by having a perfect-fit digital workplace that unites everyone under a digital roof so they are optimised for their work mission.

Launched in November 2022, G-Cloud 13 enables public sector organisations to purchase around 40,000 services from over 5000 suppliers that have been awarded a Framework Contract. To register to access services, customers must first register through the Public Procurement Gateway.

To find out more about LiveDesk and other hybrid working technology solutions, please visit www.cloudworks.cc

SensĂ©e’s Jo Hodge named Outsourced Contact Centre Manager of the Year

SensĂ©e Service Delivery Manager Jo Hodge has been named the Gold winner in the ‘Outsourced Contact Centre Manager of the Year’ category of the 2022 UK National Contact Centre Awards (UKNCC Awards). 

‘Outsourced Contact Centre Manager of the Year’ recognises Managers that have demonstrated key leadership skills in the last 12 months which had an impact on their team, team performance, or the relationship with their client.

The UKNCC Awards winners were announced at a gala awards dinner at Old Billingsgate, a prestigious Central London event venue on Monday night.

At the event, SensĂ©e Team Manager Emma Gunner was also recognised as a finalist in the ‘Rising Star in a Large Contact Centre’ category.

The Awards event was organised and operated by the Call Centre Management Association (CCMA), an organisation that has been bringing contact centre leaders together to share best practice and experiences for over 25 years. The UKNCC Awards, in its 27th Year, is the longest running contact centre awards programme in the UK.

Simon Hunter, CCO, SensĂ©e, commented, “Huge congratulations to Jo. She is an awesome and very hard working leader and all SensĂ©e colleagues are delighted with her success. Very well deserved! I’d also like to congratulate the CCMA for putting on such a wonderful event, and all the winners and finalists for their achievements and amazing stories.”

UK businesses have been slow to move back to the office says new poll

A poll conducted by online contact centre and customer service magazine Call Centre Helper and home and hybrid working specialist Sensée, reveals that UK businesses have been slow to move back to the office post lockdown. It also indicates that a single clear model for optimising hybrid (home/office) working has yet to emerge. 213 business professionals responded to the October 2021 online poll.

43 percent of people responding to the poll said that between 0 and 25 percent of their employees had returned to the office since lockdown ended – with just 20 percent of respondents stating that between 76 and 100 percent of employees had returned.

“According to our poll results, the return to the office seems to be a lot slower than many commentators predicted” said Mark Walton, CEO, SensĂ©e. “What isn’t clear though is why? Could it be because of concerns over employee welfare? Operational difficulties relating to maintaining social distancing? Employees’ desires to continue to work-from-home? Or indeed a combination of all these, plus other factors.”

The poll suggests that there is no single winning template for organisations when it comes to establishing a best-in-class hybrid operation. When asked: “How does your business currently operate hybrid working?” the most popular answer was “Flexibly between home & office (with employees deciding where they work on any day)”. This was selected by 33 percent of people. The second most popular answer was “Set days at home and set days in the office”, selected by 21 percent of respondents. But no hybrid model seems to be the overwhelming winner at this time.

The third poll question asked: “What is the biggest issue you’ve faced since moving to hybrid ‘home/office’ working’ post lockdown?” 41 percent of people indicated issues relating to “management/comms/training” while 34 percent pointed to “pastoral care (mental health concerns, isolation worries etc.)”.

And finally, when asked: “What is the biggest benefit you expect to realise from hybrid ‘home/office’ working?” 36 percent of respondents said “Better employee engagement/productivity” while 29 percent said “Reduced attrition/absenteeism”.

“The picture of hybrid (home /office) working painted by the poll is very mixed” continues Mark Walton. “A move back to the office has started, albeit slower than many people predicted. The hybrid models used by organisations are many and varied. And the most common hybrid challenges to date relate to management/comms/training and pastoral care. Yet the poll shows that many organisations see hybrid working as a way to improve employee engagement/productivity and reduce attrition & absenteeism. While operational cost is clearly a concern, ‘people’ issues – from employee engagement to recruitment, attrition, absenteeism and mental health & well being – appear to dominate organisational thinking when it comes to implementing hybrid strategies.”

View the poll results infographic

SensĂ©e launches ‘The SensĂ©e Forest’ with aim of achieving carbon neutrality

Home and hybrid working specialist Sensée has announced a three-year partnership with Treedom, a global web platform for planting trees and forests worldwide.

The partnership is part of a broader SensĂ©e programme to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and become the first 100% work-from-home business to achieve certification for carbon neutrality. SensĂ©e, established 17 years ago and with no physical contact centres, already has an estimated 90% lower carbon footprint than a typical office-based contact centre.

The SensĂ©e Forest will contain nearly 3000 trees, each gifted to permanent SensĂ©e employees over the next three years – with each person able to select their own tree species, in the territory of their choice, using the Treedom web platform. Initially, these choices will include Tephrosia, Grevillea, Coffee and Cacao trees with the territories available including Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania and Ecuador. Each tree will have an online page and be geolocated and photographed, with regular updates posted in an online Tree Diary for tree owners to follow the progress of the project.

The Treedom tree planting scheme is the latest in a line of initiatives designed to reduce SensĂ©e’s overall carbon footprint and encourage energy efficiency, recycling and other eco-friendly activities amongst its homeworker population.

“Over the last 18 months, many workers have re-evaluated their relationship with the workplace and come to appreciate the many benefits of homeworking” said Andy Rosser, Transformation and Innovation Director at SensĂ©e. “Eliminating the time and cost associated with the daily commute is one of the top benefits that work-from-home brings…. plus it brings a major benefit for the environment too in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

“SensĂ©e is committed to environmental and social sustainability and this latest initiative, The SensĂ©e Forest, is our way of saying a big thank you to our colleagues within the SensĂ©e Family, and doing something good for the planet together. We are proud to support an initiative that’s delivering genuine environmental and social benefits, and enables our colleagues to become part of that journey.”

Sensée Creates 500 New Work-from-Home Contact Centre Roles

Sensée, the work-from-home specialist, is creating 500 new permanent and temporary positions to meet the growing demand for homeworking staff.

The vacancies are for Customer Contact Advisors, Team Managers and back office staff to work for new and existing clients. Start dates are immediate.

Applications from people of all backgrounds, levels of experience, gender and age are welcome. Contact centre experience is preferred but not essential. Customer service and other job-specific training is provided.

SensĂ©e is the UK’s only 100% work-from-home contact centre specialist with fully-employed homeworkers. The company has 17 years experience of operating and refining its homeworking model and manages customer contacts on behalf of many household brands as well as a number of Government departments.

“We are delighted to announce these new permanent and temporary roles in response to the growing demand for work-from-home personnel” said Paul Whymark, Chief Operating Officer of SensĂ©e. “A vast number of people have experienced the benefits of homeworking during lockdown and many are now considering their options as organisations contemplate a full time return to the office. We predict a major surge in demand for full and part time homeworking careers where people can balance work with their other daily tasks and priorities.”

Candidates can apply today for the new roles at www.sensee.co.uk

LiveDesk named ‘Remote Team Communication and Collaboration’ innovation of the year

SensĂ©e is delighted to announce that its LiveDeskℱ Digital Workplace Creation Tool was named Remote Team Communication & Collaboration innovation of the year at the 2021 National Innovation Awards. The winners were announced at a virtual gala event on 11th May.

About LiveDesk

LiveDesks are user customisable Digital Workplaces for communications and collaboration. They unify home and office workers on the same work mission, ensuring everyone is on the same page, by having access to the same information, knowledge, care and support wherever they work from.

LiveDesks are easy to create and manage. Managers have a range of LiveDesk ‘pods’ at their disposal to build tailored workspaces best suited to their needs and work mission, including features such as:

  • Intelligent Chat: enabling advisers to quickly get help from team members, subject matter experts and virtual floorwalkers, tracking Q&A trends.
  • Bulletins & Alerts: keeping advisors updated on major service issues, ensuring everyone is on the beat (and thereby removing reliance on email).
  • Mood & Engagement Pulse: tracking engagement of users across home and office.
  • Social Spaces: enabling private chat rooms for breaks and socialising for engagement.
  • Digital Workplace Dashboards: tracking users frequency, complexity and trends of questions and knowledge needs to have clear capability flightpaths.
  • Teams / Meet / Zoom Facilitation: helping users organise and manage sessions etc. with webcams, voice and screen-sharing.

LiveDesks are always-on but only open during work hours and when managers (key holders) are logged in. They effectively level the hybrid office operating field.

LiveDesk is part of Sensée Cloudworks, a technology ecosystem for hybrid workplaces that comprises unique and innovative homeworking solutions for remote recruitment & onboarding, resource scheduling, communications & collaboration, and security/compliance.

About the National Innovation Awards 2021

The theme for 2021 was ‘technology innovation that improves Work From Home capability, productivity and experience’.

The judges received over 300 submissions. Other 2021 Awards winners were: Noetica & Avoira, Intradiem, Blue Prism, NICE inContact and Medallia.

Jon Snow, Chairman of Directors Club United Kingdom and Convenor of Judges for the 2021 Awards, commented: “Working from home or anywhere is the operational legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. These 2021 awards set out to highlight the technology developers who are making the distributed workforce not only possible but high performing. One reason the UK National Innovation Awards are respected so widely, is the way they are judged. All our judges are senior business leaders from the organisations that would benefit from the technology innovations being judged. All categories are judged on the quality of the business outcomes that the innovations deliver.”

“We are a 100% WFH business and have been designing, creating and managing hybrid workplaces with our partners since our humble beginnings 17 years ago” said Steve Mosser, CEO and CIO, Cloudworks. “The last 12 months have been the most significant in our history. We’ve had the opportunity to work with many of the UK’s top private and public sector organisations, helping them understand and embrace the opportunities that homeworking can deliver. The adoption of purpose-built technology solutions is absolutely key to work-from-home being established as a viable long-term option for employees and organisations. We are delighted that LiveDesk has been recognised by contact centre industry leaders at these Awards.”