OnStar
Company: OnStar, Detroit, MI
Company Description: OnStar is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. OnStar safely connects its more than six million customers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible.
Nomination Category: Customer Service & Call Center Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
Nomination Title: OnStar's Use of Technology in Customer Service
Tell the story about how technology has improved your customer service initiatives since the beginning of July 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Since its inception in 1996, OnStar has been a company that relies heavily on
technology to deliver reliable safety and security services. OnStar’s
integrated hardware provides drivers with a 24/7 connection to emergency and
convenience services.
A staple of these services is Automatic Crash Response. OnStar vehicles are
equipped with sensors that are able to detect a moderate to severe
collision. If a collision is detected, an OnStar Emergency Advisor is
automatically conferenced into the vehicle, where they will ask if the
occupants are okay, and will send first responders directly to the scene if
the driver requests help or is too hurt to respond. 99.9% of these calls are
answered within one second. OnStar also includes an embedded Global
Positioning System (GPS) so Advisors can pinpoint the vehicle’s location and
relay that information to authorities.
A problem OnStar recently identified was the lag time between contacting
authorities and first responders actually arriving on scene. OnStar has always
been able to direct authorities to the scene as quickly as possible, but up
until now could only provide a comforting voice while these victims waited for
assistance. However, as of the past year we began training OnStar Emergency
Advisors to be EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch) certified, so that they can
provide crucial medical guidance while victims wait for help to arrive. While
one Advisor is contacting authorities and providing details on the situation,
another Advisor stays on the line and provides instructions to the victim.
OnStar Advisors already average more than 1,200 EMD calls every month, helping
in situations ranging from crashes, to allergic reactions to delivering a
baby.
In addition to utilizing Automatic Crash Response and EMD-training to helping
customers in need, OnStar also implores a priority cellular connection that
can be incredibly useful during desperate times. The position of OnStar’s
cellular antenna is embedded in the rearview mirror just so that it provides a
strong cellular signal in situations where many cell phones often do not
work. During Hurricane Irene, many people on the east coast could not get
cell service due to network congestion, yet many OnStar-equipped vehicles
still had working cell phones and allowed customers to contact loved ones and
authorities.
One of the biggest complaints we heard at OnStar over the years was “I want
OnStar’s service, but I don’t drive a GM vehicle”. Up until now these people
were out of luck. However, this past summer we introduced OnStar FMV, a new
retail product compatible on many non-GM vehicles on the road. The product
packs OnStar’s core technologies into an aftermarket rearview mirror, which
includes a 24/7 connection, embedded GPS, cellular antenna and an
accelerometer which utilizes an algorithm allowing OnStar to detect abnormal
vibrations experienced during a crash. Drivers of OnStar FMV-equipped vehicles
are connected to the same, expertly trained OnStar Advisors that have been
providing outstanding customer service for more than 15 years. These Advisors,
along with all lines of business, are at or above 8.83 on the Customer
Satisfaction Index (customer completed survey – scale of 0 – 10).
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
EMD: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/07/first-assist-helps-save-lives/
OnStar FMV: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/10/frugal-girl/
OnStar FMV/Advisors: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/09/no-one-watching/
Technology: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/10/how-onstar-stays-ahead-of-the-rest/
Ease of Use: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/04/telematics-research-ranks-onstar-
systems-the-easiest-to-use/
Timely Help: http://onstarconnections.com/2011/11/kelly-glissmeyer-broadsided/
Video: “How Automatic Crash Response Works”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c
OhQgiTA3ss&feature=channel_video_title
Video: “Power of the Box - OnStar FMV”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzJmzFx2XBg&feature=channel_video_title
OnStar Media Site: http://media.gm.com/onstar
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated customer service organization:
Terry Inch, Director of Service Delivery Operations and newly appointed
Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and New Business Development. Terry
joined OnStar in 2002 and is responsible for the Business Performance,
Quality, and Emergency Outreach/Strategy for our Call Center Operations.
Prior to joining OnStar, he served 17 years at Sprint Communications in
various Sales roles including assistant vice president, Broadband Sales,
senior director, National Consumer Operation Sales, and director Sales
Operations.
Linda Marshall President of OnStar, is responsible for leading the company’s
worldwide safety, security and connected information services initiatives.
Marshall has more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications
industry, focusing on strategic business and revenue planning, sales, customer
relations, and product marketing.