BMI today announced it is launching a new initiative to modernize and enhance the customer service experience for its songwriters, composers and publishers. The new project will roll out in multiple phases and include the creation of a dedicated customer service team based in BMI’s Nashville office and the implementation of new processes and technologies to more effectively manage the high volume of royalty administration inquiries the Company receives. Alison Smith, BMI’s EVP, Chief Distribution & Publisher Relations Officer, will oversee the new initiative, working closely with Mike Steinberg, BMI’s EVP, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer.
Said Smith, “It has always been a priority to address the many administration and royalty questions we receive from our affiliates and offer the guidance and help that is so important to our creative community. Given the millions of affiliates we serve and the trillions of transactions we now process each year, we’re very excited to take on this new initiative that will accommodate the ever-growing volume of affiliates who require our assistance on a daily basis. By using the latest customer service technologies and strategies, we will be in a much stronger position to respond in the fastest and most effective way possible to the evolving needs of our songwriters, composers and publishers.”
Steinberg added, “This is a great solution to help us better manage the many calls that come into our Creative team about royalty systems and processes. By streamlining this process, we can make sure that the inquiries we receive are sent to the right place and that our Creative team can continue to focus on providing creative support and guidance to our incredible roster of affiliates.”
BMI worked with Material, a global strategy and customer experience transformation consultancy, to help define and build its new strategy. The Companies spent several months conducting an in-depth analysis of BMI’s current systems and capabilities and laid out a clear plan for future growth. Material will serve as an advisor to BMI during the project’s start up period.
Phase One of the project will begin immediately and includes the hiring of the new customer service team, creating new streamlined and centralized processes, and implementing a new telephony platform. Later phases will include the establishment of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform, the building of an affiliate self-service portal and deploying a Chat function to better handle incoming calls and questions.
