National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC) announced that the loss mitigation department of Consumer Loan Services (CLS) has been awarded the prestigious BenchmarkPortal certification. The BenchmarkPortal recognition is given in conjunction with Purdue University’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality. BenchmarkPortal collects data from more than 20,000 call centers worldwide and selects those that are in the top 10 percent to be classified as ?Centers of Excellence.? The certification means that the National City CLS call center is now judged to be a ?Center of Excellence.?
The National City loss mitigation area of Consumer Loan Services handles inbound and outbound customer collection calls that are in the early stages of delinquency. CLS was awarded the BenchmarkPortal certification following a rigorous audit that compared its call center data against the best practices of a peer group of comparable centers. The audit measured a variety of metrics, including number of calls received by inbound collectors, number of contacts on outbound campaigns, number of promises received per hour, quality control measurements, and recruiting and training of collectors. In addition, auditors interviewed many employees regarding their work environment and the call center’s culture and philosophy.
Dru Phelps, vice president of BenchmarkPortal said, ?The National City collections department is the first ever outbound collection call center to achieve certification. Compared to all types of call centers, BenchmarkPortal’s quantifiable results ranked National City in the top four percent of its banking peers.?
?Call centers that achieve certification are remarkable in their ability to balance a commitment to service excellence with cost effective service strategies,? Phelps continued. ?We were impressed with National City’s business metrics of number of calls-per-day and handle-time, which help them serve more customers, achieve efficient ratings and create a balance of effective results on calls completed for payment.?
?At National City, we care about doing what’s right for our customers, and we apply this approach to our collections efforts,? said Mark Biars, director, loss mitigation department, National City Consumer Loan Services. ?We are proud to have earned this certification, which recognizes our efforts to provide customers with the best possible experience every time they speak with one of our representatives. We believe our business is best conducted when our collectors serve as financial advisors, and we have implemented a rigorous training program to develop their customer service and communication. It is exciting to be recognized for our efforts to ensure a high level of professionalism and efficiency.? Other companies that have received the Certified Center of Excellence distinction include Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, Dell Computers, and Bank of America.
About BenchmarkPortal
BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue University Center for Customer-Driven Quality database of contact center metrics, the largest in the world. It provides reports, products and services for contact centers in the areas of operational metrics, customer satisfaction measurement and agent satisfaction measurement.
About National City
National City Corporation, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation’s largest financial holding companies. The company operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania, and also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its core businesses include commercial and retail banking, mortgage financing and servicing, consumer finance and asset management. For more information about National City, visit the company’s Web site at NationalCity.com.
