The Web & Call Centers

Not that many years ago, the idea of a connection between the internet and call centers was theoretical, and not very well thought out. The most common way of thinking about the issue was to imagine self-support applications: literally, e-mail-based posting of customer support cases, and the ability of a customer to search a database of problems and solutions by themselves.

Just a few years ago, it was possible to talk about the different ways of delivering customer service without mentioning online support at all. When you did mention it, it was in the context of CompuServe forums or company-sponsored bulletin board systems. The Internet explosion that's brought us Web pages was still a year in the future. That's how fast things have changed.

A call center is not a place. It is a set of functions. It is the process of selling to people who are not in the room with you. And of serving their many varied needs. A call center's primary function is to create and keep customers.

Right now, that function requires a physical presence, a location -- an actual set of seats filled with people to help customers. Agents that have access to stores of data about the customers and the company, and the points of intersection. These people act as gatekeepers for the two-directional flow of information -- as intermediaries and interpreters.

The other major thrust has been a tentative exploration of one of the Web's major attractions, which is live chat. The idea being that a customer visiting your Web page would click on a button to initiate a text chat window, having a semi-real-time conversation with a rep back at the call center through a text typing session.

There are several advantages to this. One is that a single rep can handle multiple chat sessions at once, because many of the responses can be automated. (One vendor showed me a system where a rep could handle six at once -- a recipe for burnout and turnover if ever there was one.) The other advantage is that it is relatively simple technology connecting it to a rep's desk, in contrast to the much more complicated Web callback systems, that attempt to connect a Web surfer to a call center through an actual telephony connection.

From a 5 terminal based call center to a 200 based call center, we have done it. We can build call centers from scratch or we can come in and revamp the whole site if needed to.

• Planning a complete infrastructure
• Putting up walls and build individual offices
• Setup, chairs, computers, telephones
• Redundancy (Generator and UPS Backup)
• Wiring and building server farm
• Patching the whole place
• Programming servers and computers
• Training of personal to work with system

Scenario I:

• We sit with you and physically speak to one another and brainstorm you needs
• We then go back and start drafting the project and come up with a dollar and time figure
• You accept, transfer funds into a joint account, where you appoint an accountant or representative to funds our expenses
• At the specified time and date, you can come in and check our progress
• After completion you come in and start working or have us manage your location with experts in place

Scenario II:

• We come come in, do a Telecom and Network audit
• Come up with refund and discrepancies scenario
• Suggest a forward savings and cost/expense reduction plan
• Execute and present day to day, week to week, month to month monitoring systems

Our Preferred hardware choice will be Dell, where we order directly from the USA with a Dell Enterprise prices, where actually your company will be on the sale slip, thus receiving a 3 year, parts and replacement into your site will be guaranteed.

You name, we can take care of your needs. If we need to outline the project and work it physically form start to finish, do not think further and contact us: sales@host2wow.com