Virgin Atlantic Partners with WNS to Digitally Transform Customer Experience during COVID-19

Rhea-AI Summary

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) has successfully implemented a custom intelligent automation solution for Virgin Atlantic, addressing a surge in COVID-19-related refund requests that exceeded normal volumes by 400 times. Developed with Automation Anywhere, the solution automated refund processing, achieving approximately 90% automation in the refund-carding process, tripling processing speed, and enhancing claim quality by 93%. This initiative has significantly improved customer satisfaction while maintaining operational integrity during the pandemic.

Positive

• Achieved approximately 90% automation in refund-carding process.
• Tripled processing speed for refunds.
• 93% improvement in claims processing quality.
• 30% increase in productivity and higher accuracy in claim closures.

Negative

• None.

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS), a leading provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) services, today announced that it has successfully deployed a custom intelligent automation solution in collaboration with Automation Anywhere, a global leader in Robotic Process Automation, which equipped Virgin Atlantic to process the sudden spike in COVID-19-related refund requests with speed and efficiency, while maintaining its superior standards of customer service.

At the height of the pandemic, Virgin Atlantic was faced with an exponential increase in refund requests of more than 400x their normal volumes. It was imperative for the airline to quicken the refund process to maintain customer trust and comply with regulatory requirements. WNS’ intelligent automation solution, which leveraged Automation Anywhere’s digital workforce, was deployed to automate the manual activities involved in processing refunds. The solution, including customized BOT’s, was developed and launched in less than eight weeks, with zero disruption to Virgin Atlantic’s core operations.

The new solution enabled Virgin Atlantic to work through high claim volumes while reducing backlogs and hold time, resulting in increased customer satisfaction. It has yielded ~90 percent automation of the ‘refund-carding’ process with 3x speed, ~93 percent improvement in the quality of claims processing without any process re-engineering and ~30 percent productivity benefits and higher accuracy of claim closure in ticket refunds.

“The COVID-19 crisis has been especially hard on the airline industry. Collapsing passenger revenues and skyrocketing ticket refunds led to significant cash burn. While there is significant optimism about a demand recovery for travel in 2021, the rebound will primarily be driven by passenger comfort and trust. WNS’ intelligent automation solution was able to deliver an enhanced customer experience amidst the pandemic for Virgin Atlantic, thereby helping them maintain customer confidence and brand loyalty,” said Keshav R. Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS.

“Despite the pandemic, we were clear that we could not compromise on our customer service levels. WNS was the obvious choice for a partner when it came to creating a smart solution that was aligned to industry regulations for delivering desired efficiencies,” said Ash Jokhoo, Chief Information & Data Officer, Virgin Atlantic.

About WNS

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) is a leading Business Process Management (BPM) company. WNS combines deep industry knowledge with technology, analytics and process expertise to co-create innovative, digitally led transformational solutions with over 375 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of BPM solutions including industry-specific offerings, customer interaction services, finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, and research and analytics to re-imagine the digital future of businesses. As of September 30, 2020, WNS had 41,466 professionals across 60 delivery centers worldwide including facilities in China, Costa Rica, India, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit www.wns.com.

About Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 36 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. In 2020, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the fourth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic and its holiday business, Virgin Atlantic Holidays, employs 6,500 people worldwide, serving 27 destinations across four continents. Sustainability remains central to the airline and in September 2019, Virgin Atlantic took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft - helping to transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky. By 2022, the airline will operate a streamlined fleet of 37 twin engine aircraft following the retirement of its 747s and A332s, and its simplified fleet will be 10% more efficient than before the Covid-19 crisis.

Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities. On May 15, 2018 Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Limited signed definitive agreements to combine the existing trans-Atlantic joint ventures. The expanded joint venture offers a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or www.virginholidays.co.uk or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic @virginholidays

Safe Harbor Provision

This document includes information which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied are discussed in our most recent Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WNS undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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FAQ

What is WNS's recent achievement in collaboration with Virgin Atlantic?

WNS has deployed an intelligent automation solution for Virgin Atlantic to efficiently handle a significant increase in COVID-19-related refund requests.

How much did refund requests increase for Virgin Atlantic during the pandemic?

Refund requests surged by more than 400 times their normal volumes during the pandemic.

What percentage of refund processing was automated by WNS's solution?

WNS's solution automated approximately 90% of the refund-carding process.

What improvements were noted in claims processing after WNS's solution was implemented?

There was a 93% improvement in the quality of claims processing and a tripling of the processing speed.

What are the productivity benefits of the new automation solution for Virgin Atlantic?

The new solution resulted in a 30% increase in productivity and higher accuracy in ticket refund closures.