Sunrider stays connected while saving big on communications

The Challenge: An expensive and inflexible system

Before 8x8, Sunrider International was having some major headaches because of its previous communications setup. The company had an on-premises Cisco phone system that was complicated and disjointed—not to mention costing an arm and a leg. “We had expensive bills for maintenance, hardware, licensing, and the expertise to manage all of it,” recalls Gareth Hooper, Sunrider’s Chief Information Officer.

The on-premises solution became even more of an issue during the height of the pandemic, when employees needed a level of flexibility that the system couldn’t offer. For example, agents who needed to be able to work and answer phones remotely during the lockdowns would often have to use a VPN in order to access their work phone while at home or on the go.

Sunrider knew that there had to be a better solution. With the help of Bluewave Technology Group, an IT advisory company, Sunrider began evaluating solutions to replace its expensive and outdated on-premises system. After looking at options from RingCentral, Zoom, and 8x8, the company chose 8x8. The decision came down to 8x8’s unified solution, wide global reach, affordability, and excellent hands-on support.

The Solution: Twenty countries, one Sunrider

After deciding to make the switch, 8x8 Professional Services team worked directly with Sunrider’s IT team to create a plan and migrate all 37 Sunrider offices and plants to 8x8. Sunrider has locations in 20 countries, and 8x8’s extensive global reach made the company the perfect partner.

8x8 provides 24x7x365, follow-the-sun support with 10 multilingual customer support teams, strategically located around the world. Sunrider completed its roll out early in 2023, with all locations now operating smoothly on 8x8. “We are a global company, and 8x8’s support worldwide is excellent,” says Hooper.

With 8x8 Contact Center, the company can easily communicate with customers while keeping an eye on key data and analytics to help with staffing and maintain its high standard of excellence. Plus, Sunrider’s employees can now enjoy a hybrid work system, with the ability to work remotely from anywhere in the world, without the need for a complex VPN system in order to make and take customer calls.

The Result: Staying connected, for less

Sunrider saw some significant savings after making the switch. “With 8x8, our monthly fees are about ⅙ the cost of the old system in the U.S., and roughly ¼ the cost abroad,” says Hooper. These massive savings allow the company to be more cost-efficient and reallocate funds into other areas of the company.

Plus, 8x8’s data and analytics help Sunrider get top-notch insights into its contact center operations. By capturing and analyzing a wealth of customer interactions, from calls to chats to emails, 8x8 enables contact centers to gain deep insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points. These insights are invaluable for refining strategies, optimizing agent performance, and tailoring services to meet customer needs more effectively.

“Not only is 8x8 less expensive, our employees are able to realistically work from home as well, without sacrificing core quality,” says Hooper.