Award for the pme Familienservice hotline
The telephone customer support of pme Familienservice is one of "Germany's best customer hotlines" in the "Social Services" sector. The award from the F.A.Z. Institute for Management, Market and Media Information and the Institute for Management and Economic Research (IMWF) was based on an analysis of the areas of customer advice, customer satisfaction, hotline, price and service.
An understanding of service with heart and mind
From the very first contact, customers should feel understood and receive the best possible support. "It is important to us that our customers feel comfortable. Our mission statement is entitled 'Heart and Mind', and this is also important to us on our hotlines. We know that the people who call us are often in difficult situations. Regardless of whether they are looking for childcare or are in a psychosocial crisis," says Timo Benz, who is responsible for the project.
Pioneer of the first German EAP hotline
The pme Familienservice Group introduced the first German company-based EAP hotline (Employee Assistance Program) 20 years ago to support the local offices. "In this way, we guarantee the employees of more than 900 employers direct and personal contact with a pme Familienservice employee. In acute situations, a wide range of specialist advisors are now available around the clock (24/7) to provide immediate advice," explains Benz. With the "My Familienservice" service portal, the pme Familienservice also provides access to all support services at any time and from any location. pme customers can also contact the service hotline staff personally via chat.
The lockdown demanded maximum performance
The lockdown in March of this year also presented the service hotline staff with unexpected challenges. "On some days, we had to deal with four times the call volume of a normal day and were still personally available for customers. Many new services from all specialist areas (virtual childcare, online group coaching, online yoga@home) emerged in a short space of time, which we had to adapt to quickly and flexibly in order to provide customers with good advice as the first point of contact," recalls Benz.
Motivation of the study: Which German companies enjoy the highest reputation?
As many products on the market are interchangeable, customer support is an important criterion when making a purchase decision. Hotline support is one of the central means of communication through which customers can easily contact the provider. Good telephone support can lead to greater trust and loyalty to the company. With this in mind, the study "Germany's best customer hotlines" analyzed data from over 20,000 companies.
