With a busy summer of sports - including Euro 2024 - underway, a lot of work has been happening behind the scenes in our Global Customer Services Department. We spoke with team members to understand how they are supporting the biggest events in sports during this exciting period for Kindred. What type of planning and tactics are used to ensure a world-class experience for our customers? One thing is for sure: teamwork and dedication are required!
Mette Lorenzen, Global Customer Services Director: What does the Euro Championships mean for the Customer Services function?
The Euros are always a big deal for Kindred, but especially so for Global Customer Services (CS). We have the pleasure of being remarkably close to our customers and the action. We do not change our fundamentals for these events, so in some ways, you could say that the Euros aren’t different from our day-to-day operations. Our focus remains on driving sustainable value by offering our customers a safe and great experience. The main difference during these events is that everything gets amplified, making us significantly busier and requiring creative solutions and a strong emphasis on collaboration and teamwork. We often have fun competitions internally, where we get to enjoy our products while cheering for the games. The Euros are always a good reminder of what Kindred is all about.
Tobias Krohn, Head of Resource Planning: How do you anticipate the increase in customer contacts, and what steps are you taking to manage this surge?
Looking back tells us much about the probable future. For the first week, we expect our contacts to double and gradually taper off once the group stages finish. The forecasted customer contacts for the Euros are built on learnings from the most recent World Cup. We use different algorithms to determine the forecast, considering historical data and current trends. Determining the number of active players and how many of them might need support lays the foundation for how many customer service agents we will need. We have also merged teams to have a more flexible scheduling output and better coverage. Our "teams helping teams" approach allows us to redirect traffic if we see sudden surges in specific markets that the dedicated team cannot handle alone.
Vincent Van Der Westhuizen, Head of e-Services: How do you use technology to help customers during the tournament?
We have hyperlocal help centres that are also in the native language. This gives customers the answers they need in real-time, while more complex issues are handed over to our agents in a contextually relevant channel. In line with our value "We Strive for Better," we recently refreshed our Help Centre Platform, allowing us to provide even more relevant solutions based on the customer’s issue. Considering the tournament, we have ensured that tournament-specific topics such as Sportsbook, Login, and Deposits are front and centre for customers. In support of our Resource Planning and Operational teams, we also have a translation tool that allows load distribution between teams during pressing times, demonstrating that we work Together as Kindred.
Enzo Comes, Head of CS Operations: How do you ensure that everyone is ready to handle the increased volume of contacts effectively during peak periods?
To prepare for increased customer contacts during peak periods, we implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure our team is ready. Here’s how we do it:
- Recruitment Open Day for Customer Service Agents: We host an open day to attract top customer service agents. This event allows us to meet and assess candidates in person, ensuring they are skilled and align with Kindred values, such as "We Have Passion to Win."
- Collaboration with Training and Development Team: Once new team members join Kindred, we collaborate with our training team to create tailored sessions. These sessions address the unique challenges of peak periods like Euro, ensuring readiness. Cross-team collaboration aligns with our value: "We Are Together as Kindred."
- Empowering agents with enhanced Live Support: During peak times, we work closely with our escalation, payments, and sportsbook teams. This ensures our customer service agents have immediate access to live support, allowing them to resolve issues quickly and efficiently. Our value "We Champion Accountability" reminds us to involve relevant teams and respect their expertise.
Marcus Nokelainen, Head of CS Operations: What strategies do you implement to keep the team spirit high and ensure that everyone remains motivated and provides the best customer experience during increased workload?
Nothing highlights our identity as a gambling company more than a major sporting event! The Euros are the perfect chance for us to dive into the same thrill and excitement that our customers experience throughout the tournament.
Our top priority has always been driving internal engagement and sparking interest in the event and the products we offer. This ensures we can connect with our customers and deliver a tailored, personal service not just during the tournament, but before and after it too. We achieve this by hosting various Euro-themed competitions, games, and social events for our employees. We also encourage everyone to participate in our company-wide initiatives. These competitions not only get our teams more involved and attuned to our customers, but they also foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Plus, they provide us with invaluable feedback on our own products. We encourage everyone to join in the fun, embrace the competitive spirit, and make the most of this exciting time!
What has been your favourite or most memorable major football tournament while working at Kindred, and why?
Mette: There have been so many great events, but I think the absolute highlight for me was the World Cup in 2022. We gathered the entire Global CS team at the EDEN Cinema in Malta and held an event in Gibraltar for our annual CS conference to prepare and align towards our goals, but also to drive engagement and ensure we always focus on our people internally to provide our customers with the best possible experience. Throughout the event, you could really feel the positive energy in our offices, and it was amazing to see how everyone came together, working hard and collaborating while having fun as one big team – both within Global CS and across the entire Kindred. This was a wonderful experience and example of how we all live by our values, specifically where our superpower "We Are Together as Kindred" truly came to life.
Vincent: I would also say the 2022 World Cup. It was amazing to follow the matches and have our own internal tournament among the teams in the department. It raised a lot of excitement and engagement alongside the actual tournament. I would say our internal tournament generated as much camaraderie as the actual World Cup for me.
Preparing for major events like the Euro and the Olympics requires meticulous planning, robust recruitment and training programs, and strategies to maintain team spirit and service quality. Our Global Customer Service team exemplifies dedication and teamwork, ensuring that we deliver an exceptional experience to our players during this exciting time. Thank you for the interview, Team CS.
