Northern Tool & Equipment

Good customer service is recognised as being key to continued business success.  Whether you're in banking, retail or construction, customers want to be able to contact you when it's convenient for them - whatever the time of day.  One company, determined to provide the best service across different time zones, found a unique way of combining an immediate response to customer enquiries with managing internal staffing levels; working with mplcontact, great customer service is guaranteed

24 hour tools & equipment

In 2000, US trade catalogue company, Northern Tool & Equipment, took the decision to establish a UK warehouse and mail order facility in Portsmouth as the first step in replicating the huge success of the US operation. For more than 20 years, the company has provided high quality, trade price tools and equipment to a worldwide customer base of over 5 million and attributes this success to the importance it places on relationships with customers and the convenience offered through direct shopping.

Establishing a European base in Portsmouth recognised the amount of business generated by the UK market; however, whilst planning this move, Northern Tool quickly realised that their existing US staff resource would not be able to handle the increase in orders and enquiries, especially as the majority of this call traffic would hit during their out-of-hours period.

A number of solutions were considered: hire more staff for the US office; outsource the call handling in its entirety; or, an innovative alternative, combine these two options -  outsource part of the call handling, monitor the number of calls handled by Northern Tool staff and by the outsourcer then adjust internal staff numbers when call volumes indicate this is justified. The decision was taken to try this third route and so the search for an outsource partner, with the staff and technical capabilities, began in earnest.

Luckily for Northern Tool & Equipment, an outsourcer with the right credentials was located in Portsmouth and mplcontact was duly taken on as a trusted partner to handle all those calls that Northern Tool might otherwise miss.

mplcontact agents use a bespoke call handling application to take orders and payment details from customers, checking pricing and product information from catalogue details held within the application.  mplcontact agents offer the same high levels of service and courtesy customers have come to expect from Northern Tool’s own staff and so those important business relationships are maintained.

The crucial added benefit that this particular outsource partnership offers, comes from the detailed call and activity reports provided by mplcontact; as the numbers of calls handled by mplcontact reach a pre-defined level, Northern Tool know they can take on a new member of staff in their own office.  Call volumes drop back and then, as new customers join, advertising campaigns get underway and special offers are promoted, call traffic increases again until that pre-defined level is reached – and the process is repeated. 

mplcontact's inherent flexibility means it has become a natural extension of Northern Tool’s business over the last 5 years in terms of the customer service it ensures and the strategic input it provides.  

Nick Hodge, MD of Northern Tool & Equipment Co (UK) Ltd explains: “In opening the UK operation, we wanted to replicate the success of Northern Tool in the USA. By outsourcing part of our order taking facility to mplcontact Portsmouth, we can cope with our varying inbound call volumes and maintain our required service levels throughout. This ensures our customers receive the best of attention at all times”.

Benefits

• FLEXIBILITY – Peaks and troughs of call traffic are easily absorbed by mplcontact's network
• RELIABILITY – mplcontact agents are available 24/7 across 6 UK centres to ensure an immediate response
• COST EFFECTIVENESS – The pay-as-you-go bureau agent service is easy to monitor and means value for money