The challenge: demand spikes and long hold times

In the wake of COVID-19, Penske witnessed unpredictable demand spikes in truck reservations, which continued even as the economy opened up. Hiring and training new talent wasn’t easy in a remote working environment, with estimated cost and time doubling against the norm. Penske faced a unique set of challenges as lack of trained agents and lower productivity in the remote environment meant customers were on hold for long periods, and once connected, overwhelmed agents’ handle times on calls started doubling. Penske used Avaamo Voice AI technology to deploy a voice-based assistant in the contact center to field calls and streamline reservation and rescheduling without human intervention.

The results: zero wait time on incoming calls

Since its implementation, the Contact Center AI assistant reduced resolution time dramatically and ensured zero waiting period for incoming calls. With a faster and easier reservation process and personalized service, customer satisfaction has improved for Penske.

“We are impressed by the simplified phone experience Avaamo delivers for our rental customers. We are also seeing positive improvements related to the call center’s overall performance.”

— Mike Krut, Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Penske Truck Leasing