Twilio : Hult Business School Leverages Twilio Flex to Deliver Omnichannel University Communications and Better Engage with Potential Students Across the Globe

London - 7 October, 2021 -- Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the leading cloud communications platform, today announced that it has been selected by Hult Business School to better enable communication with potential students.

Hult Business School receives an average of 10,000 enquiries each month from potential students in 144 countries around the world and needs to be able to effectively engage with them. The previous approach to handling inbound queries wasn't cohesive and was complicated for staff members, who were fielding requests using a number of different types of software, giving a less than ideal experience to potential students. In order to tackle this challenge, Hult Business School turned to Twilio and to Flex, Twilio's cloud-based programmable contact center solution.

Using Flex has enabled Hult to connect with students across the world and ensure that they are always connected to the best person for their enquiry. For example, if a student requests information about Hult's MBA programme in Boston or London, the call will be routed to an available person in the right geography, and if the first person on the list is offline, it will then route to the next best person.

From the viewpoint of the student, Hult's use of Flex also enables them to choose their preferred communication channel, whether that's video, phone, email, SMS or even WhatsApp. This ability to align to channel preferences has proven especially powerful when looking at undergraduate degree information requests, where there are very often two sets of stakeholders - the potential students and their parents. While the students prefer WhatsApp or video, data from Hult's past interactions show that parents prefer email or voice.

John Prokos, vice president of technology at Hult Business School said: "When looking to better manage our inbound requests, we knew we needed something truly omnichannel and with the possibility to route by expertise and location. We also understand that education is often one of the biggest financial investments someone will make in their lifetime and they rightly expect Hult to provide a luxury experience, so they don't want us sending information that's outdated or shared via the wrong channel. Using Twilio Flex has enabled us to create a custom-built solution that ticks all the boxes, at scale. We are able to speak to students across the globe, from the initial touchpoint of requesting the brochure, to when they matriculate, and ensure they are supported throughout.

"We continue to work with Twilio to build the future solutions that our students want and need. For example, we recently tested a WhatsApp quiz that asks the student a set of questions to help them determine which programme may be most suitable to them. We've also added a caller-ID function in the US, so the Hult name displays when we call, which has resulted in a 30% increase in pick-up rates. This ability to continuously iterate our communications solutions and ensure we provide potential students with the right information at the right time and on the right channel, is what will enable us to continue growing Hult Business School."

David Parry-Jones, senior vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, added: "Customer engagement takes many forms and is often thought of as something to worry about when a transaction or interaction has taken place. However, the brands who do this best are those that think about how they can speak to their audiences before money has even changed hands. This is exactly what Hult Business School is doing: asking prospective students how they want to communicate removes the guesswork out of it and allows the Hult team to support them in their application journey, while also adapting fast to changing environments and communication styles."

About Hult Business School:

Hult International Business School is a new kind of non-profit business school that constantly innovates to meet the needs of students, employers, and society in a world that is changing faster than ever before. More than a business school, Hult is a dynamic and multicultural community that educates, inspires, and connects some of the most forward-thinking business talent from around the world.