The Client

The client is one of the ten largest investor-owned electric utilities in the

United States. Their footprint covers 6 deregulated states and serves

more than 6 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Case Study | Outsourcing | Energy & Utilities IndustryManaging Experience

Providing deep expertise in managing sales campaigns

OVERVIEW

Industry: Energy & Utilities

Geographies: North America

Solutions:

- Inbound and outbound sales

Results:

- Reduced client’s cost per acquisition by half

- Achieved 70% inbound conversion rate - double the goal

- Aegis quality approach identified significant operating cost reductions that increased customer satisfaction

Managing Experience

2

Business ChallengeThe utilities market in the US is becoming increasingly deregulated.

Deregulation has opened up the market to competition in the states in

which the client operates. When the client determined that selling electric

service to small business and residential customers was outside their

core competency of generating electricity and selling to large commercial

and industrial customers, they made a strategic decision to outsource

this function. The client sought an outsourcing partner with

demonstrated experience with selling in a deregulated environment along

with the ability to realize operational efficiencies and cost improvements.

Services Provided By AegisAegis was selected for its deep expertise in managing sales campaigns.

Most relevant to the client’s challenges, Aegis has success in handling

B2B and B2C (mass market) direct sales for deregulated utilities in other

states, along with experience in helping clients make the transition to

deregulation. The client engagement began in January 2011 with 30

agents at Aegis’ center in Killeen, Texas. The Aegis quality approach as

designed by COPC was implemented at the start of the engagement.

Aegis provided the following services to the client:

- Inbound and outbound sales: Aegis conducted inbound and

outbound sales of electricity service to business and residential

customers. Aegis worked closely with the client to develop key selling

propositions, tactics for countering objections, and identify

opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell. In addition, Aegis conducted

outbound win back calls to customers who had left.

- Campaign follow-up: The client conducted direct marketing

campaigns throughout its coverage area, and Aegis performed

follow-up calls to convert these prospects into customers. Aegis also

performed back-office functions including the scanning and data entry

for direct mail conversions.

Case Study | Outsourcing | Energy & Utilities Industry

Managing Experience

3

- Quality: The Aegis quality approach drives improvements in customer

satisfaction, sales, cost and compliance. Inbound and outbound sales

agents were trained on strategies to maximize sales while reducing

handle times and improving close rates. Experience has shown that

implementing the COPC quality approach in a sales client engagement

offers insights into why a sale was not made (for example, the prospect

may not have been eligible for the offer, or the correct qualifying

questions may not have been asked, or assumptive closes were not

used), and identifies specific and actionable areas for improvement.

Key Results and Benefits- Sales performance: The client established an inbound conversion rate

of 35%, which Aegis exceeded by converting 70% of its contacts into

customers. These conversions were annual agreements, and today

Aegis is leveraging its expertise in retention programs to retain these

customers.

- Cost of sales: Aegis sales efforts reduced the client’s cost per

acquisition by half along with reducing cost of sales and Aegis inbound

and outbound sales efforts.

- Quality: The Aegis quality approach helped the client to learn more

about their customer base, which provided valuable information to the

Aegis sales agents. It also identified ways to improve the client’s

inbound call routing structure, which reduced operating costs while

increasing customer satisfaction.

- Engagement growth: Aegis performed so well that within a year there

were more than 120 agents at two centers in Texas on this client

engagement. By the end of 2012, there will be 140 agents engaged for

the client.

“With Aegis we feel we have a true partnership

where both sides are equally interested and

invested into the success of the program. We rely

heavily on Aegis’ leadership and agents to drive

future marketing and inform of us potential

improvements to our business. It is a pleasure to

work with such a great company.”

- Client

Case Study | Outsourcing | Energy & Utilities Industry

Managing Experience

4

About AegisAegis is a global outsourcing, technology and engineering company

committed to impacting clients’ business outcomes by focusing on

enhancing customer experience across all touch points and channels.

Aegis was founded 30 years ago in the US and now has operations in

56 locations across 13 countries with more than 55,000 employees.

Aegis services over 300 clients from verticals such as Banking and

Financial Services, Insurance, Technology, Telecom, Healthcare, Travel &

Hospitality, Consumer Goods, Retail, and Energy & Utilities. The company

is wholly owned by the Essar Group, a USD 27 billion conglomerate.

For more information write to us at info@aegisglobal.com or

visit www.aegisglobal.com

Case Study | Outsourcing | Energy & Utilities Industry