Churches Fire & Security, the UK’s only fully integrated fire safety company, has revolutionized its customer service operations using an innovative AI-powered analysis program. This solution provided valuable insights into customer behavior and opened up new opportunities for automation.
The company, which offers comprehensive fire protection and security services across the UK, collaborated with Sabio Group, specialists in digital customer experience (CX) transformation. Together, they conducted an Intent Capture & Analysis (IC&A) process, reviewing over 25,000 customer calls to identify key pain points and areas for improvement.
The analysis revealed that 17% of all incoming calls, which translates to over 16,000 calls annually, were simply requests to test fire alarms. This finding led Churches to create automated customer journeys via their online portal, potentially saving thousands of hours of customer service time.
In a recent case study, Charlie Haynes, CEO of Churches Fire & Security, discussed the strategic importance of the IC&A project. He explained that the company was increasingly focused on self-service and operational efficiency while maintaining a strong customer experience. Given the nature of their business, understanding customer needs and streamlining processes was crucial.
The analysis also uncovered significant challenges with call resolution. It showed that 60% of customers had to make multiple calls to resolve their issues. Even more concerning, 83% of repeat callers seeking fire alarm service had already contacted the company multiple times for the same issue, highlighting a major area for improvement in first-call resolution.
Kevin McGachy, Head of AI Solutions at Sabio, pointed out the transformative insights uncovered by the project. He explained that the program provided key data on customer behavior, offering Churches and other organizations a clearer understanding of why customers were calling in.
As part of a larger three-phase transformation plan, the IC&A process has already led to several improvements. Instead of overhauling their entire customer service system, Churches Fire & Security opted for a more focused approach based on real customer interaction data.
The company is now rolling out various automation initiatives, including a PCI-compliant payment system integrated with their telephony infrastructure. This move was prompted by the discovery that billing and invoice payments were the second most common reason customers contacted the company.
Haynes commented that the IC&A solution had been a game-changer, enabling the company to make data-driven decisions, prioritize automation efforts, and ultimately enhance the experience for both customers and employees.
Kevin added that the success of this initiative highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making in customer service transformation, showing how organizations can improve operational efficiency while maintaining high-quality service.
