Top of the Class for Customer Service

The business challenge

Wyvern Technology College had an aging communication system that was struggling to deal with increasing call volumes. Consequently, the school’s receptionist was unable to cope. Calls weren’t getting through, which frustrated parents, resulting in many complaints being raised. This was damaging the whole school’s reputation.

"The previous communications system was very old, based on analogue technology. It wasn’t able to meet some of our most basic requirements. We wanted to ensure the school delivered good customer service and to look at better ways of using technology going forward."

Anne May, IT Manager, Wyvern Technology College
 

The business solution

Wyvern went out to tender for its communication system and met with three companies including BT. BT was the clear preference, so they placed an order for a Mitel Communication Director with Mitel Teleworker and Mitel Dynamic Extension functionality. BT was favoured because it was a trusted professional brand, and with the Mitel solution they didn’t have to rip out and replace their analogue system. They could gradually migrate to IP when they needed to.

"We were very impressed with BT, the implementation of the project was very good and the system worked very well from day one."

Anne May, IT Manager, Wyvern Technology College.

The business benefits

Improved efficiency

Since the system went live the number of complaints has reduced considerably. Callers can now select from a number of different options on a menu, which takes them through to the department or person they want. In turn, the receptionist, who was previously struggling to answer all the calls, is now free to focus on other tasks.

More flexibility

The school is now able to react to different situations and keep parents informed with recorded messages. For instance, during a school trip a message can be recorded announcing what date and time the students will return. In bad weather a recorded message can also be used to inform parents that the school is closed.

With Mitel Teleworker, certain staff can now work from home and make and receive calls on their office number exactly the same as when on premises. Dynamic Extension has enabled teachers who work at other schools in the area to be in constant contact with the school and has also been useful for teachers that deal with awkward students, who can call for assistance at any time.

Future potential

Wyvern is a forward-thinking school and wants to ensure their communication moves with the times. Mitel Communication Director can accommodate this, allowing for further enhancements. The school plans to implement Mitel Unified Communicator Advanced and Mitel Audio and Web Conferencing. This will enable staff and students to widen the learning experience to virtual arenas, application sharing and video conferencing. The school also wants to equip their teachers with soft phones on their laptop - a very cost-effective way of rolling out more phones.

About Wyvern Technology College

Wyvern Technology College is an outstanding (Ofsted September 2010) secondary technology and humanities college. Since becoming a Technology College in 2000, Wyvern has used its additional funding to upgrade teaching facilities, improve equipment and increase staffing levels