members supported across 84 branches, 100 staff and 7,000 volunteers
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detailed reporting on call volumes, handling and trends
We’ve got up to four customer service agents available at all times to manage customer inquiries about things like missed meals or making changes to meals. Responding to notifications about clients not being present when deliveries are being made is absolutely critical –what we do is not just providing a meal; we are looking after the well-being of the client as well, so we can't just leave the meal at the front door and walk away. We have to talk to the client when we give them their meal to make sure that they are safe and everything is okay.
Nayan Perera
MoWSA’s ICT Manager
Meals on Wheels SA (‘MoWSA’) is a not-for-profit organisation providing support to more than 11,000 members of the South Australian community to live independently. It does this by preparing and delivering fresh, seasonal and nutritious dishes to maintain health and wellbeing; offering regular social contact; and recognising, responding and building people’s capacity to meet nutritional and other needs that increase wellbeing. MoWSA has 100 staff and more than 7,000 volunteers supporting 84 metropolitan, rural and regional branches across the State.
Each of MoWSA’s branches had been operating on stand-alone direct telephone connections with the day’s meal orders received and printed out via fax. The reliance on paper-based communications is two-fold, explained MoWSA’s ICT Manager Nayan Perera:
“Our heritage is in the healthcare sector and paper-based faxes have traditionally been the safest way to communicate. Also, in our cohort of 7,000 volunteers the average age is 70, so most are not necessarily tech-savvy or comfortable using a computer.”
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A disconnect between the hours that the branches and head office operate was a third reason necessitating asynchronous communication. The branches typically start preparing meals from 6am and work through until 2pm, while head office works to standard business hours. In the past, that disconnect also meant direct calls to the branches later in the afternoon weren’t being answered.
Upgrading head office and replacing analogue branch connections
MoWSA replaced its legacy head office IP telephony with RingCentral’s RingEX cloud-based unified communications platform. The RingCentral platform was also deployed over existing internet links to each of MoWSA’s 84 branches, enabling the organisation to terminate its dedicated phone lines that were costly and complex to maintain.
“By shutting down our branch phone lines, we’re saving at least 30% in telecommunications costs. As long as we have a good internet connection to the branch, that’s all we need to deploy and operate RingCentral successfully,” said Nayan.
Analogue telephone adapters (ATAs) convert RingCentral’s eFax service to each branch’s existing fax machine. Each day’s orders are compiled, formatted and sent by head office staff on screen before being sent via eFax to be printed out at the branch.
A staged deployment approach
Taking a staged process, MoWSA deployed the head office first, before moving on to the branches. RingCentral provided a temporary number range so that calls could be forwarded during the cutover. With accurate number mapping in place, the cutover was completely seamless for MoWSA’s end users.
Each branch was given the option of a preferred mixture of end points – Polycom handsets or cordless phones, the RingCentral softphone and headset, or the RingCentral mobile app. The chosen devices were then sent out to the branches with a straightforward ‘plug and play’ connection.
Customer service is critical
MoWSA advertises a free number to call (1800 854 453), with a simple IVR directing callers into one of four queues. It operates two main call centres; one to handle customer service and one for volunteer enquiries.
The customer service function is critical, said Nayan, because MoWSA provides more than just a meal delivery service: “We’ve got up to four customer service agents available at all times to manage customer inquiries about things like missed meals or making changes to meals. Responding to notifications about clients not being present when deliveries are being made is absolutely critical –what we do is not just providing a meal; we are looking after the well-being of the client as well, so we can't just leave the meal at the front door and walk away. We have to talk to the client when we give them their meal to make sure that they are safe and everything is okay.”
Support for flexible working and user acceptance
One of the main benefits with RingCentral for head office staff is the support it provides for MoWSA’s flexible working policy. Now, with the RingCentral app available on their mobile phones, staff can make and receive calls from anywhere at any time, and continue to operate as part of an existing queue or team via their office extension.
Having a single, centralised platform has also been beneficial for managing incoming calls, which had been problematic in the past due to the disconnect between the working hours of head office and the branches, explained Nayan: “When our branches have finished off for the day, we can still handle any calls and manage them; and any calls coming through to head office can be routed to the relevant branch quite easily.”
Nayan also singles out staff training as a key reason for the success of the deployment. MoWSA had three training levels to ensure rapid user adoption: Super Admin for IT staff providing end user and system support, Admin for reception staff and the customer service team; and Basic for standard users, showing them how to use the core features of the system.
Future CRM integration
While MoWSA is currently operating RingCentral as a stand-alone system, there are plans to integrate the platform with its new CRM system when it is rolled out. That will help the team identify callers and quickly retrieve important information about their requirements, keep more detailed records on interactions with clients and provide better overall customer service.
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