Since its inception in 2000, ING Direct USA has looked to go against the grain of banking, seeking to differentiate from the status quo while offering quality products and a superior customer experience. This focus on a smarter approach to banking also extends to the company’s call center, where associates are trained to serve customers but also to grow the business.

Its low-cost business model was intended to provide a competitive advantage so it could offer better rates and low fees. This model and customer advocacy position has paid off. ING Direct has grown into the nation’s largest direct bank, with more than 7.5 million customers.

To meet customer demands, the business needs to be accessible and available with a neighborly, human telephone connection. The company’s sales center was created to field customer service inquiries over the phone, but also to generate savings, mortgage and investment sales out of those opportunities. Similar to the organization’s initial business approach, the mentality to handle phone calls needed its own unique stamp to help it fit into the overall culture. There was a desire not to be a seen as a call center, but rather to build a strategy around the “un-call center.”

In designing the un-call center, the company sought to eliminate customer frustration triggers, such as greeting them with a robotic options menu, multiple transfers, repeating information multiple times and long hold times. At the same time, locally based sales associates would be tasked with providing an exceptional customer experience.

This focus helps ING Direct consistently register a Net Promoter Score at the top of the banking industry — 40 percent of new customers come to the company via word of mouth, which implies this focus is paying off. The ingredients of this customer experience effort have come together to cultivate a progressive culture where employees are engaged and business results continuously improve.

The Core Elements

The sales center always has been considered a strategic asset to the organization because the corporate brand can be reinforced on every call. Traditionally, call centers are seen as a drain on the bottom line — employees are just there to answer inquiries and move to the next call. This approach overlooks the opportunity to capture more business through selling while keeping engagement and performance high and maximizing learning opportunities.