Project success story: Morris Communications

Client:
Morris Communications (Shared Services Center in Augusta, GA)

Internal Brand:
Customer One

Duration:
18 months

Challenge: Based on the overwhelming success of the pilot outbound retention center that Robert C. Davis and Associates (RCDA) helped build for the Florida Times-Union, Morris Communications hired RCDA to assist with the new Shared Services Center in Augusta, GA. The center's innovative mission was to make outbound retention calls to subscribers of several different newspapers from one central location.

Approach: RCDA has assisted in every phase of development at the Shared Services Center. After a period of training and coaching, the retention reps began by calling subscribers of the Augusta Chronicle. As the project advanced, RCDA provided consistent on-the-job coaching to these reps and their supervisors. As the team became more effective in applying the robust sales model, they began making retention calls for an increasingly large number of newspapers.

Results: The Shared Services Center now handles the outbound retention calling for 17 Morris newspapers. The reps call subscribers who are deep in grace, and on average, sell renewals to 50 percent of the subscribers they contact. The Shared Services Center now generates $140,000 worth of collections per month and has been a touted as a success story throughout the Morris organization.