Mayflower leave the competition 'feeling small'

Mayflower and Avaya IP Office help Giant Group plc to exceed customer service goals.

"We are very happy with the new system. It has provided all the benefits that we envisaged and some that we didn't - and has consequently led to a more ‘organic' 2nd phase as we stretch its capabilities. Mayflower demonstrated a strong commitment to servicing our communications needs, working with us to meet our goals, our objectives and our deadlines".
Mark McAllister - IT Director, Giant Group plc

The Requirement
Giant Group first decided to look at upgrading their communications infrastructure in late 2004 whilst moving premises as their existing BT Meridian system was becoming obsolete and there were many functions which it could not provide. They looked at a number of systems and providers, including a Panasonic system and also the Avaya IP office. Mark McAllister explains:

"We wanted to improve control of our communications and to find a system that was flexible yet also easy to manage. We also needed new features such as voicemail, call management, group working and so on. Customer service is of paramount importance to us and our communications system really had to be right, so we needed a sophisticated solution to maximise our capabilities in this area. We chose Mayflower because they demonstrated a strong commitment to servicing our communications needs. They were not the cheapest, but we were confident that they were the right company for Giant to work with. Large enough to have the resources we required, but small enough to ensure that we would be an important client for them and would not get ‘lost in the crowd', as can happen with larger suppliers".

The Solution
In March of 2005, Mayflower supplied and installed an Avaya IP Office 406 with 120 extensions and full voicemail capability. The system has a number of digital handsets for senior staff, with the remainder being analogue. Senior staff have Bluetooth headsets while customer service staff have wired GN Netcom headsets. A critical part of the solution was the ability to record all calls, so Giant also implemented a Western Digital call recording system which sits in front of the IP Office and records all incoming and outgoing calls.

These calls can then be kept and actually attached to the customer's records within Giant's CRM system. Mayflower also managed the installation of a structured cabling network throughout both floors of the new offices. They also provided Giant with non-geographic 0870 numbers throughout, which have helped the group to significantly reduce its phone bill.