BrightHouse

BrightHouse equips Customer Advisers with Panasonic Toughpad tablets to improve service and efficiency

When BrightHouse, the UK's leading rent-to-own retailers, wanted to improve customer service and efficiency for its mobile Customer Advisers the company turned to Panasonic and its rugged Toughpad FZ-X1 tablet.

With more than 300 stores across the country offering branded consumer electronics, domestic appliances and furniture to its customers for affordable weekly payments, BrightHouse was looking to improve the information its Customer Advisers had to hand when visiting customers in their homes.

Traditionally, the adviser would use the office systems at the store to collect information and create a list of visits each day. “This was a paper-based system and incredibly manual and time consuming,” explained Alasdair Skeoch, Head of Credit Operations at BrightHouse. “It was clear that we needed a level of automation to assist the workforce.”

After identifying Kirona Software’s Job Manager and Infosuite applications as the best tools for the job, BrightHouse turned its attention to choosing the best mobile device for the Customer Advisers.

Decision unanimous

“We ran a workshop to look at a range of mobile devices. People from across the business attended the session and the decision to choose the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1 tablet was unanimous,” said Alasdair. “Everyone agreed that the Panasonic device felt right. You immediately got the sense that this was a device of substance.”

Today, the customer adviser at each store is equipped with the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1 tablet running Kirona’s Job Manager and Infosuite software. The mobile application connects the field-based Customer Advisers to their central systems providing them with near real-time customer information as they make an average of 40 home visits a day. Using the device, the Advisers have the latest account information to hand to enable them to serve the customer efficiently.”

Like CRM in their pocket

“Effectively it is like having our CRM system in their pocket,” explained Alasdair. “It provides all the information the Adviser needs to make an accurate assessment of the customer’s situation; notes are taken on the device and the information transmitted back to our systems via 3G, 4G or WiFi.”

BrightHouse has already seen a wealth of benefits from the new solution. “Before, we lacked oversight on this side of our operation,” said Alasdair. “Now we have that insight. We know exactly how long a particular operation takes and can streamline the provision of information and even the routing of customer visits, allowing more time for the Adviser to spend with the customer and less time on administration.”

Excellent support

BrightHouse has also agreed a support contract with Panasonic to ensure that any devices issues can be resolved quickly. “If there is a problem with a device, which is rare, we simply log the issue and Panasonic delivers a replacement device to the store the next day,” said Warren Bolton, IT Service Delivery manager at BrightHouse. “Panasonic also manages the Gold Master Build for the device, so every time a new device is delivered, it is loaded with the applications and ready to be used as soon as it arrives. It is an excellent support service and Panasonic has been very flexible adapting to our needs.”

Moving forward, BrightHouse plans to add even more functionality to the system removing any last requirements for paper-based systems, such as issuing receipts, and adding additional lone worker safety features to the applications on the device.

“When BrightHouse informed us of their requirements, we knew immediately that the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1 tablet was the right device for them. Its combination of voice and data capabilities combined with its rugged and ergonomic design was ideal for the BrightHouse Customer Advisers,” said Oliver Ledgard, UK Channel Sales Manager, Toughbook UK & Ireland.

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1 Android tablet brings together the best of the handheld, smartphone and tablet market in the most rugged, easy to use, long working device. The devices’ numerous unique enterprise-grade features include a sunlight-readable, HD, toughened multi-touchscreen display with a rain-sensing feature that allows for single touch use even in pouring rain. In addition to an 8MP rear camera with bright LED flash and a 1.3MP front camera, a gadget expansion facility allows businesses to customise the ideal tool for their workforces. Programmable function buttons also make customising the device for one touch access to favourite applications easy to achieve.