Developing the 21stcentury workforceTM

Blended Learning Helps Blood DiagnosticsLeader Immucor Gain Competitive Edge

CompanyImmucor, Inc.

IndustryA leading developer, manufacturer and

seller of in vitro diagnostics used by

blood banks, clinical laboratories, and

blood donor centers.

StrategyImprove communication and service

skills to internal and external audiences

to improve company cohesion and

strengthen its service-focus reputation.

ImplementationUse blended learning incorporating

Web- and in-class delivery of

AchieveGlobal SStteellllaarr SSeerrvviiccee®,

Coaching, Guiding Customer

Conversations®, and Healing Customer

Relationships® modules to management

and frontline staff in briefest effective

time possible.

ResultsImproved intra-company co-operation asevidenced by increase in internal e-mailtrails regarding customer problem resolu-tion. Increased flow of unsolicited e-mails from customers commenting favor-ably on Immucor technical and field sup-port satisfaction and examples of stellarservice. In addition, Immucor is nowconducting customer survey data to trackadditional results.

AchieveGlobal helps improve Technical Specialist, ApplicationSpecialist and Field Service Engineers’ skill at resolving customer issuesAs the name implies, technical and field support’s realm is the field – the offices and laboratories where their companies’ products are used. Taking them away from their jobsis costly to the company and its customers so any reason for doing so had better have agood ROI.

Such was the case for Immucor, Inc., a medical diagnostics company relying heavily ontechnical and field support to ensure their customers’ long-term satisfaction withImmucor products and service personnel. Yet it had become apparent to company executives that a gap in customer service quality had opened.

The Norcross, Georgia-based Immucor is a global in vitro diagnostics company thatdevelops, manufactures, and sells products used by hospital blood banks, clinical laboratories, and blood donor centers.

According to Jim Kennedy, Vice President of Customer Solutions, and Ann Minyard,Director, Application Support and Technical Training, new service skills and behaviorstraining would help Immucor improve customer relations and maintain its competitiveedge. AchieveGlobal, an international performance improvement company, was askedto help Immucor improve both internal and external communications and service follow up.

The company is structured upon three organizational branches: field service engineerswho are dispatched to customer sites when product issues occur; technical service personnel who provide problem resolution via the telephone; and an application supportgroup who installs Immucor equipment and trains customer staff on its uses.

“Each of our departments deals with important problems, and we have to be able to handle customers well,” Minyard notes. “We knew that in our industry staying connected with each other would ensure consistent service delivery for our customers.We believe that AchieveGlobal’s programs and blended learning approach will help usachieve this vision.” Minyard and Kennedy liked how the AchieveGlobal programs are built, especially the tools available to reinforce new skills and behaviors, and selectedthe AchieveGlobal team to support their initiative.

AchieveGlobal recommended a combination of Web-based and classroom-delivered, orblended, training to shorten the learning experience. Minimizing the time required fortraining was especially appreciated by Immucor staff. Training involved managers and 75

frontline staff and took place in nine sessions over several months’time. Each onsite session consisted of a mixture of management,field engineers, technical services personnel, and applications support staff.

“Since we are separate organizations,” Minyard notes, “the cross-functional team approach to training really helped us cometogether. There was also considerable and powerful teamworkeffort to solve common problems.”

Management modules delivered via the Web included selectionsfrom AchieveGlobal’s SStteellllaarr SSeerrvviiccee® system, including itsCoaching modules. An AchieveGlobal coaching trainer then metlive with this group to review these lessons again. The frontlinegroup also participated in Web-delivered SStteellllaarr SSeerrvviiccee® modules,and then met in person for live training on AchieveGlobal’s GuidingCustomer Conversations® and Healing Customer Relationships®

The blended learning approach had been suggested byAchieveGlobal as the optimum means for delivering the learning inas brief a time as possible. All Web learning was delivered prior toindividuals traveling to the classroom training. The Web learningrequired participants to complete homework prior to taking thelive program.

Customer Solutions vice president Kennedy, being so adamantabout the importance of continual reinforcement and practice,made sure he attended the opening and closing of each training session to reinforce the high-level commitment to the effort. Beingcertified to deliver the AchieveGlobal material, Kennedy actuallytaught some of the sessions. “One area in which we’ve seenimprovement is in our technical support and field engineers’

approach to customer service, ” Minyard adds. “In a highly technical organization, our focus is to resolve the technical problem, and this class teaches us how to also fix the customer.The AchieveGlobal training and role playing got rave reviews.The course helps service personnel close the gap between theirtechnical focus and their willingness and ability to listen to ourcustomer’s concerns on human level.

“And, interesting to me,” she adds, “we are seeing an increase inunsolicited e-mails from customers thanking us for various reasons.It takes something quite out of the ordinary to trigger unsolicitedcustomer input. We’re very pleased to see these e-mails and we planto continue this training to ensure we keep on track to improve customer satisfaction at Immucor.”

About AchieveGlobalIn the 21st century, the level of human skills will determineorganization success. AchieveGlobal provides exceptional development in interpersonal business skills giving companiesthe workforce they need for business results. Located in over 40countries, we offer multi-language, learning based solutions –globally, regionally and locally.

We understand the competition you face. Your success dependson people who have the skills to handle the challenges beyond thereach of technology. We’re experts in developing these skills, andit’s these skills that turn your strategies into business success inthe 21st century.

These are things technology can’t do. Think. Learn. Solve problems. Listen. Motivate. Explain. People with these skills havea bright future in the 21st century. AchieveGlobal prepares you forthat world.

© 2009 AchieveGlobal, Inc. No. M01254 v. 1.0 (05/2009)

Jim Kennedy, VP of Customer Solutions,Immucor

World Headquarters8875 Hidden River Parkway, Suite 400Tampa, Florida 33637 USAToll Free: 800.456.9390

www.achieveglobal.com

Developing the 21stcentury workforceTM