What was the business problem(s) that your organization / project was facing, and why did you choose a digital adoption strategy to help you solve it?
We launched a new platform for our loyalty program and our call center had a list of hundreds of change requests. We had to create user stories, prioritize them, have IT write code and then test the fix, get it prioritized for a monthly release date. Fixes for our call center rarely got prioritized higher than a new promotion or changed to our frequent flyer program. It could take several months to get any change in the system. Often, we never got the change in the system because other things were prioritized higher. We can now use WalkMe and get things done in hours or days, not months or years. Another problem that we had was policies that the system didn’t support, so the Reps had to remember that it was compliance. We use WalkMe to not have to rely on Rep compliance and do it correct in the first place.
How did you use WalkMe among other strategies to address your challenges?
We implemented 71 pieces of unique WalkMe content in 2019, our first year. We use Autoplay and user initiated Walk-thrus in order to drive the right actions from reps. We provide helpful SmartTip in order to push data quality and answers to questions in real time. We use Shout Outs that communicate important updates to the organization. We use anchor links to our departmental reference system to provide detailed information on a topic if/when needed without requiring they search for it.
How does your digital adoption strategy, especially in regards to WalkMe, impact or benefit your end-users?
WalkMe allows us to tie together complicated, multi-step processes. Instead of reps having to look at the reference files for the 16 steps and toggle back and forth, now Reps have WalkMe. WalkMe also gives Reps talking points and key information right on the screen in the loyalty platform, so they don’t have to toggle over to the reference platform and search for the information saving them time. WalkMe gives us guardrails so Reps don’t make big mistakes where they have to call the customer back. WalkMe gives them our guidelines, but also allows them to make exceptions. Reps love getting important program changes notification when they sign in the morning.
How does your digital adoption strategy, especially in regards to WalkMe, impact or benefit your team?
We held focus groups with about 1/3 of the call center Reps. The Reps provided us with what would help them in their daily job. We launched WalkMe to 50 of the 350 Reps as a pilot group. We asked for daily feedback and suggestions/changes to what we developed. After we launched to our entire call center, we have continued to ask for feedback and make changes to help them. We have had more focus groups, we send out surveys, and we have a digital suggestion form they can fill out every day. The Reps love that we ask them and we listen to them. They know we use WalkMe to help them with their job and their caller. We also create specific content for specific groups such as new hires or specialty groups. We use WalkMe to help our training team and our policy and reference team.
How has your digital adoption strategy, especially in regards to WalkMe, helped your organization better achieve its mission goals / values?
- Decreased time needed for agents to find the help/information needed and reminders of smarter ways to work in the system to increase productivity – ~400,000 SmartTip views in the 10.5 months since launch have led to at least 4,750 hours saved valued at approximately $106,466 (or ~$10,139 per month)
- Decrease in errors, so back office employees don’t have to call the member back telling them we made a mistake
- Decrease in Help Desk Calls for assistance with policy/procedure questions
- Early release of business process or policy changes prior to our loyalty system code change readiness
- Cost avoidance using WalkMe guidance versus costly application changes
- Successful 2019 Elite Downgrade Processing; Used WalkMe to help users understand what changed in Siebel and enforce the right behavior during the downgrade which led to continued productivity.
- First call resolution, so members don’t have to call us back
How has the success of your digital adoption strategy helped to change the perceptions or attitudes of your stakeholders?
Looking to WalkMe to solve for quick to market needs or to support new business processes or system changes has become top of mind for many of the groups within our department. IT has become a partner. WalkMe can do a lot of the requested Rep enhancements and our IT team can do other ones. It is great for our employees because they have two teams both working hard to implement changes for them. We also partner with teams such as our quality assurance team, training team, policy & reference team, our marketing team, etc. We all work together for the Reps.
More about American Airlines
American Airlines (the largest airlines in the world) is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members and members-elect offer nearly 14,250 flights daily to 1,000 destinations in 150 countries. Throughout the years, American has created more than 900,000 jobs worldwide and supported close to 1,400 nonprofit organizations. American Airlines is in business to provide safe, dependable and friendly air transportation.
