Starting with a humble Philadelphia factory in 1914, Brooks Running initially stitched together ballet slippers and bathing shoes. Fast forward more than a century and this seasoned company has radically transformed itself, focusing solely on creating the best performance running gear and experiences, and embracing an omnichannel strategy to meet runners wherever they shop. Today, brooksrunning.com not only serves as the brand's direct-to-consumer heartbeat, but also facilitates seamless omnichannel shopping experiences, connecting customers to the best running retailers in the world.
As the digital expansion of Brooks accelerated, the customer experience team confronted a formidable challenge — the need for efficient customer experience operations across multiple channels, hampered by disjointed systems and a lack of overall visibility.
This is where Andrew Marston steps into the picture. Once a specialist, he rose to become a Runner Experience Supervisor. Recognizing the need for a robust workforce management (WFM) tool to sustain service levels and enhance efficiency, the team set out to evaluate vendors.
A variety of WFM solutions were put under the microscope, but it was Assembled that emerged victorious. Its intuitive interface, live dashboard, and potent optimization features were the deciding factors. Andrew and his team were quick to grasp the value that Assembled brought to their customer experience operations.
Assembled enabled team leaders to make in-the-moment modifications such as tailoring focus hours for specific channels and keeping a close eye on agent adherence in real time. This led to the inception of WFM Fridays, a day dedicated to fine-tuning break scheduling — made possible through Assembled's sophisticated optimization tools.
The introduction of Assembled has been nothing short of transformative for Brooks.
"We saw a dramatic drop in our average phone wait time in the first three months of 2022, from 1 minute and 6 seconds to just 22 seconds, after implementing Assembled and expanding our team by two.”
Andrew Marston, Runner Experience Supervisor, Brooks Running
The forecasting tools and arrival pattern insights provided by Assembled have been crucial for understanding business trends, fostering data-driven decisions, and ensuring service levels are kept in check.
But it's not all about efficiency. Assembled has also enabled Brooks to put the well-being of its agents front and center. Post challenging calls, supervisors can afford to encourage agents to take breaks and recharge, safe in the knowledge that staffing levels are secure.
"Assembled allows us to visualize our capacity as a contact center in a meaningful way. Our first reply times are a testament to this. It's the tool that allows us to achieve our response times and maintain service levels.”
Andrew Marston, Runner Experience Supervisor, Brooks Running
The impact of Assembled on Brooks' customer experience operation has been profound — enhancing visibility, control, and the ability to maintain stellar service levels while prioritizing agent well-being. Reduced wait times, heightened efficiency, and an empowered team ensure that Brooks continues to deliver the exceptional customer experience its patrons have come to rely on.
