Putting patient needs first

Pihlajalinna deployed the Genesys Cloud™ platform to transform into a data-led organisation. This allowed the health services provider to move quickly to blended-remote working while increasing employee satisfaction, productivity and its Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Increased employee satisfaction, productivity and NPS

360-degree view of customer journeys

Simpler reporting based on real-time data

20% reduction in average handle time

Blended office/remote working model

Future roadmap for omnichannel and AI

Having seen an increase in employee satisfaction, productivity and Net Promoter Score, we are currently using a blended 50/50 model of office and remote working.

— Sanna Sarvijärvi, Service Director, Pihlajalinna

Ending the systems-led cycle

One of the best-known Finnish health service providers, Pihlajalinna, has an extensive customer base that includes municipalities, corporate occupational health services and private clients. The first point of contact is usually one of six service centres, which operate as part of a regional business model.

However, an outdated telephony system that was difficult to scale or customise hindered the customer experience and productivity at Pihlajalinna. Not only was the system increasingly difficult to maintain, it also created issues with reporting. Without CRM integration, advisors and nurses had to hunt for information and manually dial and transfer calls using clunky handsets. And, there was no scope to add channels or support remote working.

“We realised the only way to transform the experience was to stop being systems-led and become a data-led organisation,” said Sanna Sarvijärvi, Service Director at Pihlajalinna. “And that meant moving our contact centres to omnichannel and the cloud.”

A seamless and invisible transition

Supported by local IT partner Telia, Pihlajalinna considered various options before selecting the Genesys Cloud platform for its ease of use and strong routing and reporting capabilities. After careful planning, the actual switchover was completely invisible to clients and accomplished within a day.

“We soon realised that a basic lift and shift of our old routing setup wasn’t going to work in Genesys Cloud,” said Antti Hämäläinen, CC Service Support, Processes and Development Service Manager at Pihlajalinna. “Once we knew that, the migration went as smoothly as expected and we saw high user adoption straightaway. Compared to before, it’s also much easier to train and onboard new recruits.”

In an average week, advisors handle around 20,000 inbound inquiries. They enjoy greater work variety — swapping between calls and webchat conversations.

Empowering knowledge workers

With more integration possibilities than ever, Pihlajalinna wasted no time in connecting its Genesys contact centre and Salesforce CRM system.

“We always wanted an accurate 360-degree view of customer journeys in real time,” added Hämäläinen. “With Genesys Cloud, that’s exactly what we got.”

Customers are assisted faster and spend less time on calls. Employees have instant access to data, reducing the need to repeatedly ask basic security questions. Speeding up customer authentication reduced handle time by around 20%, which means advisors can take more calls. Plus, reporting is more accurate, extensive and simple. Managers and supervisors have greater visibility into queues and KPIs, spotting and correcting potential issues before they can escalate.

Reacting faster to patient needs

Pihlajalinna began redeploying staff to work from home during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite these changes, service was maintained throughout. Advisors efficiently handled additional COVID-19-related traffic, while nurses quickly assessed cases and referred patients at serious risk.

“We could not have done this without the agility of Genesys Cloud,” said Sarvijärvi. “Having seen an increase in employee satisfaction, productivity and Net Promoter Score, we are currently using a blended 50/50 model of office and remote working.”

We always wanted an accurate 360-degree view of customer journeys in real time. With Genesys Cloud, that’s exactly what we got.

— Antti Hämäläinen, CC Service Support, Processes and Development Service Manager, Pihlajalinna

Plans for the future include the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) to triage calls and determine treatment needs. In addition, as the healthcare sector continues to merge, Pihlajalinna is well-placed to integrate other contact centre operations in the future.