Success Stories

Cosi

The Company
Così® is the premium convenience restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee, dinner and dessert menus full of creative, fresh, flavorful foods and beverages. Così® has developed featured foods that are built around a secret, generations-old recipe for crackly crust flatbread. This artisan bread is freshly baked in front of customers throughout the day in open flame stone hearth ovens prominently located in each of the restaurants. From its humble beginnings in 1996 as a single restaurant based on a Parisian Café, Così® has evolved into a dynamic growth company with more than 107 company-owned restaurants in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

The Challenge
Così®’s growth is dependent on solid hiring practices, backed by a competitive and extensive benefits package. Traditionally, a member of the Così® Human Resources (HR) team would send benefits information to each restaurant location and have new employees fill out registration paperwork for healthcare and retirement benefits as they became eligible. With restaurant locations opening regularly throughout the country, it became increasingly challenging for Così® management to perform these HR functions easily, quickly, and thoroughly. Relying on an employee’s understanding of written material and completing multiple forms became too cumbersome.

The Solution
To reduce the cost and time of paper registration forms and personnel travel requirements, Così® enlisted Angel.com to develop an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that allows employees to register for benefits over the phone. The system prompts employees for all necessary information and allows them to select benefits packages based on their position and location.

“Part of our promise to employees is the swift activation of their extensive benefits,” said Susan Sterling, Manager, Compensation and Benefits for Così®. “The Angel.com IVR system allows employees to obtain their benefits quickly and accurately, and without the need to access a member of the HR team.”

The Results
Although implementation of the system is recent, Sterling believes the system is primed to help Così® maintain their rapid growth pace.

“Angel.com has helped us save a ton of time, travel, and resources with this solution,” said Sterling. “Our ability to offer new employees at each location the opportunity to sign up for benefits with ease assists our growth.”

Sterling also points out an added benefit: The Angel.com IVR system has saved the company a substantial amount of cost and waste associated with paper forms and travel, creating a more environment-friendly solution.