Industry: Telecommunications
Department: Customer Service, Digital Services, Operations
Company: (Anonymous)
Project Type: Green Belt
Project Duration: 6 months
Financial Benefits: Estimated savings of €5,746 per year
Helping Customers Use Self-Service to Reduce Calls
Receiving too many calls to effectively manage is a challenge that burdens every customer service team. Many of these calls could be avoided if customers used self-service tools instead. In this Lean Six Sigma project, the focus was on increasing the use of Mi Adamo, the company’s online self-service portal, to cut down on unnecessary customer service calls.
By improving the way Mi Adamo was promoted and making its benefits clearer, the project reduced calls from registered customers by 2.65% and increased the number of customers using self-service options. While the original target was a 5% reduction, the improvements showed promising results, with further progress expected in the future.
Why Were Customers Still Calling?
Despite having an online tool designed to let customers solve their issues quickly, the company was still experiencing a high number of customer service calls. Mi Adamo allowed users to check invoices, manage their accounts, and complete common service requests, yet many customers still preferred calling an agent instead of handling their problems online.
This not only led to longer wait times for those with more complex issues but also increased operational costs. If more customers could be encouraged to use self-service, the company would be able to free up resources for other priorities while also improving the customer experience.
To solve this, the team set a clear objective: lower the number of calls related to issues that Mi Adamo could handle by 5%.
Understanding the Problem: What Was Stopping Customers from Using Mi Adamo?
Instead of assuming why customers were still calling, the team took a data-driven approach to find out.
Customer surveys provided insight into whether users knew about Mi Adamo and, if they did, whether they found it easy to use. At the same time, the team conducted call listening sessions to analyze real interactions between customers and service agents. These sessions revealed that agents were not consistently directing customers to Mi Adamo, meaning many callers were unaware they could solve their issues online.
The team also examined key performance indicators (KPIs) to compare how many registered Mi Adamo users were still calling versus those who used the tool successfully. Although registrations for Mi Adamo were increasing, this did not always translate into active usage.
Another critical finding was that some key functionalities were missing from Mi Adamo, forcing customers to call even when they wanted to use self-service. While new features were already in development, their absence meant that many users had no choice but to contact an agent for help.
How the Team Increased Self-Service Adoption
To help more customers switch to Mi Adamo, the team focused on three main improvements: making the tool more visible, training agents to promote it, and improving some of its features.
A series of SMS and email campaigns were launched to inform customers about Mi Adamo and how it could help them solve their issues faster. Within the portal itself, additional in-app notifications guided users toward self-service options.
At the same time, customer service agents were trained to actively recommend Mi Adamo during calls. Instead of simply resolving an issue, they were encouraged to educate customers about how they could handle similar problems on their own in the future.
Additionally, one of the most common reasons for customer calls—checking invoices—was addressed with a new invoice preview feature in Mi Adamo. While this was only a small update, it was a step toward making the platform more useful and reducing the need for customer service intervention.
To measure the impact of these changes, the team monitored how many calls were coming from registered Mi Adamo users compared to non-registered users.
Overcoming Challenges: Unexpected Setbacks and Resistance
A project like this rarely goes exactly as planned, and this one was no exception.
A sudden increase in call volume, caused by the expiration of a summer promotion, meant that customer service agents were overwhelmed. This left them with little time to focus on promoting Mi Adamo, making it harder to reach the 5% call reduction goal.
To compensate for this, the company increased SMS and email outreach so that customers would be aware of Mi Adamo before they had a reason to call.
Another challenge came from within the customer service team. Some agents were reluctant to change their approach and did not always promote Mi Adamo during calls. This issue was addressed by making self-service promotion part of agent performance evaluations and providing refresher training sessions.
By reinforcing why Mi Adamo was important—not just for the company, but for reducing agent workloads as well—the team was able to get more agents on board with the changes.
Results: A Step Toward Lowering Calls
The project successfully reduced calls from registered customers by 2.65%, which, although lower than the original 5% goal, marked an important shift toward self-service.
One clear sign of progress was that registered Mi Adamo users began calling less often than non-registered users. This showed that once customers started using the tool, they relied on it more instead of immediately calling for help.
Additionally, new customer registrations for Mi Adamo increased to 59.8%, proving that the awareness campaigns were effective.
From a financial perspective, reducing call volume resulted in an estimated annual savings of €5,746, with the potential for further cost reductions as more customers adopt self-service.
Lessons Learned: What This Project Taught the Team
The team learned that some challenges can’t be controlled, no matter how well a project is planned. The unexpected rise in customer service calls due to the expired summer promotion made it harder to hit the 5% goal, but adapting the strategy helped keep the project moving forward.
Another lesson was the importance of tracking the right data. At first, it seemed that all calls from registered Mi Adamo users could be eliminated, but further analysis showed that some customers still needed an agent’s help. By refining the way they measured success, the team was able to adjust its approach.
Finally, the project reinforced the fact that not all improvements can happen at once. While many changes were planned, some had to be delayed due to technical or budget limitations. Being flexible and open to alternative solutions was key to making progress.
Need to Reduce Call Center Demand? Let’s Find a Solution
Encouraging customers to use self-service tools is about more than just technology. It requires clear communication, agent training, and continuous monitoring to ensure adoption.
If your company is struggling with high call volumes and you want to shift more customers toward self-service, Lean Six Sigma can help you optimize your customer support processes and reduce costs.
Contact us today to learn how structured problem-solving can help your team improve efficiency and deliver a better customer experience.
