Federal Express Canada Ltd.

Company Description

Federal Express Canada Ltd. is a global logistics company offering domestic and international shipping and supply chain management services.

The company uses real-time package status tracking systems, automated customs clearance, and a dedicated air and ground transportation network to serve Canadian and global markets. FedEx is dedicated to being the nation's "employer, neighbour and shipper of choice". FedEx employs more than 5,000 people in over 60 facilities coast-to-coast. Customer service centers are located in Vancouver, Mississauga and Montreal and are all virtually connected.

Contact Center Description

The contact center structure includes a VP Customer Service and Managing Director who oversee operations for all 3 centers in Canada. Each site has a Sr. Manager who has full responsibility for that location. There are also Managers, Frontline Representatives, Trainers, Employee Relations, and Workforce Management staff. They practice a servant/leadership style of management that truly re-enforces their support and respect for the employees.

FedEx Canada Customer Service centres handle over 1.3 million calls per year. The majority of inquiries handled include: inbound order placement, package tracing and general service calls for both air and ground customers. Some outbound calls are made to follow-up on inbound inquiries. Customer communication channels include: phone, email, fax, post mail and web.

Customer Service Representatives are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers requiring service in a foreign language are transferred to a Customer Service Representative who communicates in their language. Customers are currently assisted in 18 different languages.

Federal Express Canada Customer Service Centre is the first contact center in North America to attain the Contact Center Employer of Choice certification. It achieved the highest combined score of any multi-site call center facility assessed to date.

The following issues were key factors in the decision to pursue the CCEOC designation:

• New opportunities for in-sourcing
• Attracting the best candidates in a tight labour market
• Motivating & guiding employees
• Open and trusting communications between staff and management

Becoming certified through the Contact Center Employer of Choice program allows FedEx to: benefit from achieving the designation, address key employee satisfaction issues and develop an action plan for continuous improvement.

Since achieving CCEOC status, FedEx customer service has embarked on an ambitious plan to develop a company-wide Health & Wellness program. This involves participation from the contact centre employees and the development of ongoing education events. Topics include: personal finance, physical fitness, stress & relaxation, time management, career progression and nutrition to name a few. The results have been outstanding. FedEx Canada has experienced very low attrition rates, improved employee satisfaction and greater customer satisfaction.

Performance Measures

• Customer Satisfaction
• First Contact Resolution
• Productivity
• Revenue
• Service Level
• Employee Engagement

Technology and Ergonomics

FedEx uses a Rockwell phone switch and ACD (automatic call distributor) using intelligent call routing to get calls to their destination in the shortest time possible. All workstations are equipped with computer terminals, headsets, ergonomic chairs and keyboard wrist supports.

In an effort to provide the most efficient customer service while making the best use of labour hours, FedEx began a telecommuting pilot project in late 1996. Several Customer Service Representatives are linked to the company databases from their homes using high speed internet technology, allowing them to work from home on the weekend, as well as during the evening, overnight and peak hours of the week.

FedEx Canada's Internet site is another technological advance increasing customer convenience and reducing the need to phone Customer Service. Customers can access information and track their packages at their own convenience. Although these technological developments allow FedEx to provide prompt and easy-to-access service, customers who prefer the "personal touch", or who require more in-depth information, can still speak to a call centre representative by calling 1.800.GoFedEx.

Growth Prospects

Growth prospects for FedEx Canada Customer Service look very good. It is a progressive, fast paced operation continually looking for new opportunities to drive value and deliver cost effective results to the rest of the organization. Even during slow periods, the management team works very hard to ensure employment continuity. Job security is a big part of the FedEx culture.

CCEOC Attributes

Overall, the FedEx Customer Service Centres display many positive contact centre employer of choice attributes.

The following represent some of the main items that stood out as important from Management's perspective:

• Fair and selective hiring process
• Extensive training
• Open and regular communication
• Supportive team culture
• Consistent coaching
• Continuous improvement
• Promote open and regular communication/feedback

Health & Wellness and Work/life Balance

The Health and Wellness Committee is made up of individuals from all 3 Canadian contact centers. They have developed an ambitious program to increase employee satisfaction, reduce stress, improve the quality of work life and focus on work/life balance.

Each month has a unique theme and various topics are reviewed to address employee concerns including:

• Health Awareness
  • Cancer Control
  • Health assessments
  • Food for Thought Communications
  • Healthy Living communications
  • Active Living
  • Food for Longevity
• Humor Month
• Fun Days
• Work/Life Balance
• Stress Management
• Financial Awareness
• Budgeting
• Work/Life Balance
  • Time mgmt
  • Home & Career
  • Personal Hobbies & Passion
  • Motivational/Inspirational communications/tips
• Nutrition
• Fitness
  • Career Progression & development

Employees are kept informed through a regularly updated Wellness calendar & plan. Information is provided weekly/monthly to employees through various channels such as internal newsletters, Lunch & Learns, bulletin board postings, electronic communication boards, intranet resources. This is a very structured program offering everything from very detailed information to "Tip of the Day". Employees are very much involved in the entire process and provide input for desired wellness initiatives

Because FedEx Customer Service is a 24 hour operation, scheduling frontline employees has some unique challenges. In an effort to create fairness and ensure scheduling requirements are being met, a regular review of the scheduling process and shifts is conducted for improvement recommendations.

In order to help streamline the scheduling function, workforce management software is used by the scheduling team. CSRs can "shift swap" provided they are performing the same job function with the same knowledge and skill requirements in any center. Shift bids happen 3 times per year and preference is given to individuals with the most seniority. FedEx hires students throughout the school year and works closely to fit the work shifts around their class schedule. Each employee can use flex time, which means they can start late 5 times during the month and make up the time at the end of the day.

When necessary, management can work from home provided there is a valid reason and they have discussed it with their superior.

Rewards & Recognition

FedEx customer service managers know how important it is to recognize and reward their employees. Customer Service has a wide variety of recognition programs, with a combination of cash and non-cash prizes as incentives. The BZ (Bravo Zulu - a US Navy term meaning 'well done') is a monetary reward managers can give to any staff member for exemplary service. This is handed out immediately and has an instant positive impact on that individuals' esteem. Customer Compliment letters are received regularly by the customer service department and are posted in a highly visible area in the contact center. Typically, customers write letters because a CSR went above and beyond the call of duty in helping resolve an issue and depending on the nature of the event, they may be eligible for a cash incentive. Larger prizes are available for individuals that show significant contribution to revenue generating or cost reduction measures.

There are a number of awards handed out for providing service excellence.

They include:

• Circle of Excellence – Rep of the Year
• Canadian Award of Excellence – Top 1% of employees
• Customer Satisfaction Award
• Attendance Award – short and long term
• Monthly performance Awards
• Quality Awards
• Marketing Initiatives – internal prizes for sales events
• Employee appreciation dinners

Some of these awards have a monetary value attached to them. During national customer service week, many fun and challenging events are planned to energize and motivate the staff.

Culture and Social Environment

The center culture is very open and trusting. They have an "open door" management policy where employees are encouraged to communicate freely with their superiors and peers. A culture of quality exists in each center which is reflected in the manner in which customers are treated and the way employees treat each other. The social environment is very active. The Social Committee/Action Committee organizes events throughout the year. There is an Outdoors Club that appeals to individuals who have a common interest in more active social events. Contact centre employees consider themselves very family oriented. The culture is highly people focused and their "people, service, profit" philosophy consistently embraces employer of choice values and beliefs.

Community Support

In order to support employees' desire to give back to the community, FedEx CSCs participate in a number of charitable and volunteer events. Each centre has a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator who is directly involved in promoting and running organized events. Some of these include raising money for The United Way, the Cancer Society's Run for the Cure, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Variety Telethon, Jr. Achievement, Breast Cancer Awareness Week and Spin for Kids, Rick Hansen Foundation, Pitch In Canada, Tree Canada, Supporting Women's Shelters, Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon, Blue Jays Fantasy Camp (host 300 special guests to join in a day of fun and learning), Community Clean-up. They organize a number of food drives throughout the year to support the local food bank.

They do toy drives for less fortunate children at holiday time. "Bring a Kid to Work" and "Safe-Kids-Canada" are two activities FedEx is involved in to help develop children in the community. These community and charitable activities have helped create tremendous team spirit and a strong value based connection between the employees and the corporation.

Above and Beyond Factors

Above all of the official policies, procedures and structures that make FedEx Customer Service a great place to work, Customer Service employees simply seem to have a lot of fun. Above and beyond refers to the little (or big) extras that differentiates FedEx Customer Service contact centers from all the rest.

Here is a list of some of those activities:

• Management team focused on being fair and consistent
• People-Service- Profit (People First) Philosophy
• Servant leadership style
• Creative incentives and rewards program
• Action Committee comes up with fun things for the cente
• Purple Promise- "I will make every customer experience outstanding"
• Managers serve food to reps
• BBQ's in the summer
• Waffle day
• Raffles
• Hiking club
• Travel benefits
• Customer service week – week long activities
• Promote from within policy
• Management Training Programs