HQ Food Court Associates Assisting Military Community in New Way as Contact Center Agents
Customer Contact Associate Trainees, from back, Alex Kelley, Sashema Toney and Crystal Engledow watch the instructor in an e-commerce training class.
With most of the Dallas headquarters team working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the food court has seen greatly reduced traffic, but restaurant associates are still supporting the mission.
Eight food associates have trained in the Customer Contact Center to field calls from shoppers. Five more will start training May 18.
“We are ‘one team, one fight,’ so whether associates are on the Services and Food team or the customer support team, they’re all in to serve our military community,” said Julie Leenders, director of credit operations. “These associates have stepped up to the challenge of learning new systems and skills to help the team and our shoppers.”
Human Resources has been working with the displaced food associates to find them new roles while their restaurants are closed or operating with reduced hours.
During the pandemic, calls to the Contact Center have increased—including an 83% increase in e-commerce calls during April—and the new associates are being trained to help with e-commerce calls, such as shoppers inquiring about their orders, how to access their ShopMyExchange.com account, tracking shipments, Buy Online Pick Up in Store and curbside services and more.
Customer Contact Associate Trainee Alex Kelley develops critical thinking skills in an e-commerce class.
“My transition to the contact center has been great,” said Mya Montelongo, who worked at Subway before the pandemic. “I love being here and helping our families around the world. I have all the necessary tools here, and things have been going great.”
The associates are training online and in small classes at headquarters while following safety guidelines such as physical distancing, wearing masks and frequent hand washing.
Once the new agents are ready to take calls, trainers monitor their first calls virtually to provide immediate assistance if necessary, as well as continued coaching.
“The program has been a great way to fill both the needs of the associates whose jobs are temporarily on hold and the contact center’s increased call volume,” Leenders said. “It’s one more way the Exchange is a family, looking out for each other and finding creative solutions to challenges.”
