LAMDA's Successful Streamlining of Global Examination Operations with Freshdesk

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a prestigious drama school and a regulated awarding organization that offers globally recognized qualifications. The examinations department of LAMDA faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, LAMDA allowed customers to raise queries through tickets on the website or through phone calls. However, with the enforcement of lockdown and the shift to remote work, phone support had to be discontinued. This led to an exponential increase in the number of tickets coming in through Freshdesk, their customer support platform. Additionally, LAMDA had to transition from offline examination centres to online assessments, which led to a surge in queries about the new examination format and test requirements. The situation was further complicated by a reduction in the size of the customer service team due to the pandemic, resulting in each agent having to handle a significantly larger number of tickets.

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is the oldest and most prestigious drama school in the UK, founded in 1861. LAMDA offers exceptional training to actors, technicians, stage managers, and directors. Some of its notable alumni include Richard Harris, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Lithgow, and Benedict Cumberbatch, who is the current President of the institution. In addition to teaching acting and performing arts, LAMDA is a regulated awarding organization that offers courses and examinations in communication, performance, and musical theatre. Its qualifications are globally recognized. LAMDA's examinations department has three main customer groups: teachers and parents, over 185 independent examiners around the world, and LAMDA representatives who organize sessions on behalf of the school.