LeadingAge, a non-profit serving aging services providers across the nation, was facing a communication crisis. Their members and the public were used to reaching out directly to staff for assistance, as their website lacked even a basic “Contact Us” page. As the organization expanded, this outdated approach led to a frustrating decline in response rates and an overwhelmed staff. LeadingAge turned to Ricochet to find a solution.
Ricochet began by analyzing the massive influx of inbound requests received at LeadingAge’s headquarters. We discovered a staggering 22,000 annual inquiries flooding in through phone calls, emails, mail, social media, and even faxes! Our investigation revealed a major issue: a significant portion of these messages were never answered. This not only left the Leading Age consituents frustrated but also disrupted staff’s daily work, resulting in an estimated 45,000 hours of lost productivity every year.
To tackle this communication chaos, Ricochet developed a comprehensive service strategy based on industry best practices. Our recommendations included improvements to staffing and training, standardized responses for common inquiries, upgraded phone technology, a new ticket system, and revamped internal processes. We also set clear response performance goals and established analytics standards to track progress. To top it off, our plan included detailed expense estimates and productivity projections, giving LeadingAge a clear picture of the potential benefits.
