Case Study
Performance Inquiries: Enhancing Support for Sales Teams
Area marketing reps are a busy team that can always use some additional support. The balancing act of sales, grower requests and building relations via growers or retailers can strain hours of work in peak seasons, and/or can provide a varying result.
The Performance Inquiry program was developed to allow client sales representatives to focus on sales, product and customer relations and support in the peak growing season, all the while a support network via AgCall is tending to the performance inquiries.
The Challenges
- Relieve sales reps through third-party support for certain duties.
- Strengthen grower/sales rep relationships.
- Train retail agronomists for performance inquiries if needed.
- Offer a neutral environment for assessing and resolving inquiries.
- Utilize inquiries to educate growers on best practices.
- Enhance the brand by negotiating and settling claims in one visit, 98% of the time.
The Goal
The goal of this program was to differentiate branded products in the marketplace by providing a level of product inquiry service and maintain high product quality support for each branded product regardless of the retail supplier (some branded products received different levels of service).
The strategic recommendation from AgCall was to:
- Provide a team of trained Associates with strong agronomic background, strategically located in target areas.
- Split regions into manageable distances, with eight associates located strategically across the Prairie Provinces.
- Contract Associates on a part-time basis with a 40-hour minimum guarantee.
- Select quality associates that have a strong agronomic background, negotiation skills and are detail oriented.
- Provide a dedicated project manager to coordinate activities and troubleshoot details that arise in the field.
- Develop a reporting platform which integrates directly with the client’s CRM system and ensures that all Performance Inquiries are serviced, tracked and finalized so that there is no hold up in paperwork or payment.
For over a decade, AgCall has consistently delivered this service for our client, boasting minimal Associate turnover, fostering trust from growers and retailers.
Grower audits confirm high satisfaction with the process, and brand satisfaction remains positive. Despite varying performance issues, our widespread coverage and efficient deployment into hotspots ensure quick and professional issue resolution. Notably, 100% of growers are contacted within 24 hours, with 90% of claims settled within 3–4 days—significantly shorter than the client's previous handling timeframe.
Client management recognizes that the impartial process, swift response, educational component, and local knowledge contribute to lower product replacement but higher grower satisfaction. Less than 1% of claims require additional client involvement. Net Promoter Score follow-ups reveal increased satisfaction, with no difference noted between company and AgCall representatives handling performance inquiries.
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