Case Study: Microsoft Corporation achieves 10% increase in call center productivity with Centrical

Microsoft increases revenue generation in its service centers with Centrical

Microsoft’s B2C customers are supported by a global network of outsourced call centers, and the company needed a way to ensure consistent, high-quality service across locations. With only a small percentage of calls reviewed, agents tended not to perform at their best on every interaction; Microsoft wanted to boost engagement, speed to proficiency, alignment on process, and retention.

Microsoft rolled out Centrical as part of its “Making Agents Great” initiative, using gamification, personalized goals and microlearning, and real-time performance management to motivate and train agents daily. The program produced strong business impact: a 10% productivity increase (about two more calls per shift per agent), a 12% drop in absenteeism, doubled sales rates, agent awareness of new information rising from 23% to 89%, and an ROI measured in the millions.

Microsoft Corporation

Dee Niles

Senior Business Program Director