Government Agency: United States Air Force Active Recruiting

Solution or Platform Selected: RightNow On Demand CRM

1. The Government agency's challenge that led to the Cloud or SaaS adoption.
   US Air Force Active Recruiting faced the challenge of providing answers for individuals contemplating enlisting into the Force. Entering the military is a big step in an individual’s life and, increasingly, they are going online to get answers. This process was made even more difficult by the fact that potential recruits are such a diverse group. They can range from a young person just graduating high school to an experienced medical professional. Offering multi-channel and cross channel choice was important in addressing these individuals concerns in a timely, personalized and accurate manner.



2. The solution that was chosen and why that particular solution was selected.
   Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS) implemented RightNow Technologies on demand customer relationship management (CRM) solution that includes web self-service and email management. RightNow’s web self-service functionality allows site visitors to find answers to many of their questions without personal assistance any time of the day or night. Its email management functionality ensures that AFRS responds to visitors’ questions with accurate, timely replies. AFRS has also been successful in its use of online chat. One reason for this success is that site visitors are required to fill out an in depth registration form before initiating a chat session with an AFRS contact center staffer. This filters out less-serious candidates and provides staffers with plenty of useful information that helps them more effectively answer questions. Registration also enables AFRS to create a personal record for the site visitor, which can be used to store all future chats.



3. Results of the implementation. How did the vendor meet the agency's needs?
   AFRS has to meet an annual goal of more than 30,000 recruits. AFRS has to use both conventional and new media to bring its message to the public. The approximately 1,640 recruiters across 1,200 offices have to be savvy about engaging young people in their communities. AFRS’s online channel continues to grow in importance. The number of chats, for example, has quadrupled over the past three years – reaching 8,000 per month and surpassing email volume by about 50 percent. Thanks to staff skills and the productivity-enhancing features of RightNow, all interactions can be handled by just six contact center specialists. According to Master Sergeant Deshan Woods, AFRS’s interactive account executive, RightNow’s expertise and support have been effective in designing a chat/web/email system and in integrating that system with AFRS’s other recruiting applications. RightNow’s on demand delivery model has also enabled AFRS to implement its sophisticated internet communications environment without putting additional strain on its internal IT resources. RightNow enables AFRS to make the most of every interaction – whether that interaction is with a would-be pilot or a nervous mom – so that it can efficiently meet the in-force requirements of the US Air Force.