Grand Canyon University – PACE Arizona Chapter Event
The average rainfall in Phoenix for the month of August is one inch. On Tuesday, August 19, 2014, more than 4 inches of rain fell. Streets were flooded, homes were evacuated, and highways had to be closed. Despite the torrential rainfall, nothing could stop the PACE Arizona Chapter meeting at Grand Canyon University.
Arizona Chapter President, Stephanie Millner, opened the meeting and introduced the sponsors and welcomed Tom Rocca, who recently assumed the role of PACE COO. They both offered a look into the future of PACE at both the local and national levels.
Our hosts, from Grand Canyon University, presented a fascinating overview of their path to becoming a truly multi-channel customer service provider. They have gone to great lengths to provide services via the method their customer prefers. Because of their dedication to reduce wait times and provide faster and more efficient interactions, Grand Canyon University has evolved from 2008, when the average wait time was 1 hour and 32 minutes at peak, to an impressive wait time of under one minute in 2013.
In 2013, only 27% of interactions were via the phone channel. Social media accounted for 67%. Grand Canyon utilizes a variety of social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. They also provide customer support via email and chat. Currently they have a full-time customer support staff of 49 and an additional 350 part-time representatives.
After the presentation, we toured the contact center facility and concluded the day with a networking lunch. It was great to be able to meet new people and have time to catch up with old friends. Despite the rain, this was a fantastic and informative event and we thank the entire PACE Arizona team and the team at Grand Canyon University for hosting us.
