Customer Inter@ction Solutions' seventh annual CRM Excellence Awards, Part I.For the seventh consecutive year, the editors of Customer Inter@ction Solutions dared readers to prove that their companies have what it takes to win the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. Excellence Award. Below is Part One of the winners list--the companies that offer the best and the brightest customer relationship management products and services, all to the benefit of their clients. Winners were chosen on hard data: quantifiable Quantifiable Can be expressed as a number. The results of quantifiable psychological tests can be translated into numerical values, or scores. Mentioned in: Psychological Tests results that convinced us, without a doubt, their clients were infinitely better off with these companies' products and services than without. Congratulations to the winners! 1 2 1 Direct Response Various cable-based services, including video, high speed Internet and VoIP www.121directresponse.com The cable company that engaged 1 2 1 Direct Response's services wanted to reduce service cancellations (churn churn: see butter. ), which tend to be high within the first 30 days of installation, whether for brand new service such as cable TV, or high-speed Internet See broadband. installation (new or add-on to video). As a result of the program formulated by 1 2 1, initial customer churn (cancellation rate) was reduced by 10 percent. Furthermore, ongoing feedback from the program has led to new technician training programs, post-installation technician evaluation programs and new installation policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental aimed at reacting to customer feedback provided by the program. Of those customers who accepted win-back offers made by 1 2 1 through their cable company's local customer service, 51 percent signed and returned the agreement as a result of the total turnkey back-office support 1 2 1 offers its client. The call-backs contributed to approximately 30 percent of that win-back rate. The results are expected to climb as this specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. group of saved customers goes through the entire cycle. Alorica, Inc. Helix by Alorica--Helix CRM 1.5 www.alorica.com The client, which produces display monitors and peripherals, amusement products and imaging system software, recognized the need to increase efficiency and enhance quality in service solutions. Additionally, due to the extensive research and development program the client delivers to build superior products that are safe to use in even the most fragile medical environments, the company needed a solution to provide the industry's best in service while maintaining a cost-effective model. The company turned to Alorica to enhance their customers' experience by providing CRM excellence through service and technology. Helix CRM 1.5 was built to accommodate high-profile clients with very unique service needs. The application includes customized call-tracking features, call history analysis and customer profile data reporting, service request creation and lifecycle tracking, troubleshooting Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving. It is the systematic search for the source of a problem so that it can be solved. Troubleshooting is often a process of elimination - eliminating potential causes of a problem. tools, and a specialized RMA (RealMedia Architecture) See RealMedia. feature that adapts to accommodate high-priority clientele. The client reports, "Because of the efficiency of the Helix CRM 1.5 software, we have significantly improved quality and efficiency for the customer. Alorica's solution has lowered abandon rates and freed our staff, allowing the agents to focus on our more serious issues and go above and beyond with clients to improve quality." AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. Technology AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite www.amctechnology.com The client is an information services See Information Systems. company that provides product, service and training solutions to automotive retailers and original equipment manufacturers. The company embarked on an initiative to increase customer satisfaction. The initiative included improving contact center capabilities for better support of one-to-one personalized per·son·al·ize tr.v. per·son·al·ized, per·son·al·iz·ing, per·son·al·iz·es 1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. 2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. customer relationships. To this end, the company decided to upgrade its telephone system to an Avaya DEFINITY The Definity is a make of various models of PBX hardware manufactured since the mid 1970's by Lucent and later Avaya. It has since been greatly upgraded and Avaya now calls it the Definity Server and Communication Manager 3.0 is the software which makes it work. G3, as well as to implement new software and system technologies from SAP, including mySAP CRM. The critical issue became how to effectively implement these new systems while maintaining the established agent-customer relationships. Working together as a team, Avaya, AMC and SAP identified the specific needs of the client's contact center and addressed customer service requirements. The team then developed an implementation strategy that would enable the client to streamline its contact center operations and process incoming calls more efficiently. Post-implementation, the client reported improved contact center capabilities to support one-to-one customer relationships; the implementation of tested, certified See certification. Avaya and SAP partner solutions; automatic look-up of business partner record in mySAP CRM; intelligent routing of incoming calls to designated agents
Amcat Amcat Contact Center Suite www.amcat.com The client, a coin and bullion BULLION. In its usual acceptation, is uncoined gold or silver, in bars, plates, or other masses. 1 East, P. C. 188. 2. In the acts of Congress, the term is also applied to copper properly manufactured for the purpose of being coined into money. reserve company, required an inbound in·bound 1 adj. Bound inward; incoming: inbound commuter traffic. Adj. 1. inbound and outbound out·bound adj. Outward bound; headed away: outbound trains. Adj. 1. outbound - that is going out or leaving; "the departing train"; "an outward journey"; "outward-bound ships" communications solutions for its call centers. Because of the nature of their business, the company required more than a contact center, as the lifeblood life·blood n. 1. Blood regarded as essential for life. 2. An indispensable or vital part: Capable workers are the lifeblood of the business. of their business depended on true customer communication. The client worked with Amcat to implement a customer history and profile information system within their inbound/outbound contact management system. Amcat Professional Services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. created new SQL SQL in full Structured Query Language. Computer programming language used for retrieving records or parts of records in databases and performing various calculations before displaying the results. tables and stored procedures In a database management system (DBMS), it is an SQL program that is stored in the database which is executed by calling it directly from the client or from a database trigger. When the SQL procedure is stored in the database, it does not have to be replicated in each client. along with new Web-based screens that would be displayed on the sales person's Amcat Agent Contact desktop. The Web pages are dynamically generated and contain the customer history of previous purchases for the customer being contacted. The sales person can now view the customer's previous purchases in seconds and prepare for the call in real time. The client reports that it is ecstatic ec·stat·ic adj. 1. Marked by or expressing ecstasy. 2. Being in a state of ecstasy; joyful or enraptured. [French extatique, from Greek ekstatikos, from about how the Amcat partnership has helped the company improve business processes that enhance business services and have a direct impact on revenue. The new system helps them capture and display customer and product information, streamline processes and analyze information to make decisions. Amdocs Amdocs CRM www.amdocs.com The client, a mobile operator in Moscow, was experiencing rapid growth--from 2 million in 2005 to 3.3 million subscribers in just over one year. The company required a system that was flexible to support all future subscriber and service growth, as well as a single system that could support the company's entire customer-centric operation. The client implemented Amdocs CRM to solve their business issues. Amdocs CRM consolidates all client data into a single, unified platform and can be fully integrated with existing pre-paid and post-paid billing systems. With the installation, all customer service representatives have access to timely and up-to-date customer data, enabling them to respond quickly to customer requests and provide a high level of customer service in line with global standards. Following the installation of Amdocs CRM, the client experienced not only an increase in subscribers, but it also helped the provider achieve transparency across all operations. Call handling time decreased by 62 percent within a month of the system being introduced. Call resolution time decreased by 60 percent and response time to departmental problems, such as billing-related issues, credits, etc., improved by 80 percent. Antenna Software Antenna [A.sup.3] Mobile Sales Intelligence www.antennasoftware.com The client, a provider of handheld communication and organization devices and accessory accessory, in criminal law, a person who, though not present at the commission of a crime, becomes a participator in the crime either before or after the fact of commission. solutions, found that its sales force had tripled in size in order to take advantage of the smart phone sector growth. But with the growth, many challenges arose. The client's sales organization managed multiple end-user customers, carrier constituencies, developers and solutions partners simultaneously. Said the client, "Long sales cycles are a thing of the past; we needed to be much more on top of our business, and understand from a forecasting perspective where we were." The company chose Antenna [A.sup.3] Mobile Sales Intelligence, a solution that provides real-time interaction with Siebel CRM OnDemand across any carrier network to the company's devices. Antenna's [A.sup.3] MSI MSI: see integrated circuit. (1) (MicroSoft Installer) See Windows Installer. (2) (Medium Scale Integration) Between 100 and 3,000 transistors on a chip. See SSI, LSI, VLSI and ULSI. fully enabled the client's sales force to get a deeper look into the sales pipeline and sales activities, and to have a tool for remote users who were out of the office. Sales reps can now pull data out of their CRM solution back into the mobile client at any time. As a result of the increased functionality, the client's sales reps have increased effectiveness and efficiency in closing deals faster. "From a solutions perspective, from a solving business problems perspective, the new Antenna [A.sup.3] Mobile Sales Intelligence solution helped sales teams identify the kinds of solutions being deployed at any given time and from almost anywhere," said the client. "Because of the improved data capture, they now have a better understanding of what the solutions were that helped them solve business issues and to deploy more broadly." APAC Customer Services
APAC Customer Services, Inc. is a provider of customer interaction solutions to large corporations in the communications, financial services, insurance, healthcare, logistics, publishing, and hospitality Inc. Virtual Agent Service www.apaccustomerservices.com The client, a newspaper, had a stated mission to be the leader in providing news, information and marketing services to customers in their region. APAC APAC Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing APAC Agricultural Policy Analysis Center APAC Asia and Pacific APAC Asian Pacific American Coalition APAC Adapted Physical Activity Council (American Alliance for Health) and the client partnered specifically to improve upon the quality of the subscription management process and the impact on the subscriber base. The client also turned to APAC to help resolve subscriber billing issues; initiate vacation stops/starts/holds; manage and resolve delivery issues; resolve and dissuade TO DISSUADE, crim. law. To induce a person not to do an act. 2. To dissuade a witness from giving evidence against a person indicted, is an indictable offence at common law. Hawk. B. 1, c. 2 1, s. 1 5. complaints about the paper and manage any other service-related issues. By transitioning their subscriber care to APAC, the newspaper noted a 20 percent increase in call handling efficiency. APAC instituted a quality feedback program and rewrote the newspapers' representative training to further enhance the subscriber experience. After the initial project was finished, APAC again came to the client with a new approach to virtual representative services that would help improve the processing capabilities of the client's subscriber care by implementing its atHome Services capability. APAC's atHome Services unit allowed the newspaper to meet higher levels of productivity and greater call handling efficiency. The home agent solution improved call handling efficiency by nearly eight percent; provided a disaster recovery solution; helped improve service levels; and reduced call abandonment by 20 percent. Aplicor Aplicor CRM www.aplicor.com The client, a financial services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. company, implemented Aplicor's Web-based CRM system in 2005. The objectives of the implementation were to achieve a holistic Holistic A practice of medicine that focuses on the whole patient, and addresses the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of a patient as well as their physical treatment. Mentioned in: Aromatherapy, Stress Reduction, Traditional Chinese Medicine (centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. and enterprisewide) view of the customer, increase customer satisfaction (and longevity longevity (lŏnjĕv`ĭtē), term denoting the length or duration of the life of an animal or plant, often used to indicate an unusually long life. ), increase customer share and present a single face to the customer regardless of the person or location providing service. The client reported that for the first time, it retains a complete and real-time view of each customer relationship in a centralized system In telecommunications, a centralized system is one in which most communications are routed through one or more major central hubs. Such a system allows certain functions to be concentrated in the system's hubs, freeing up resources in the peripheral units. and for all staff regardless of line of business, location or time zone. The company's users and management achieve real-time visibility to customer and prospect activities, sales pipeline maturation maturation /mat·u·ra·tion/ (mach-u-ra´shun) 1. the process of becoming mature. 2. attainment of emotional and intellectual maturity. 3. , salesperson effectiveness, customer evolution and customer support resolutions. All staff members are aware of all customer interactions from anywhere in the company, and each employee is speaking to the client with a consistent and informed voice. Aspect Software Aspect eWorkforce Management www.aspect.com Aspect eWorkforce Management enables businesses to accurately plan, efficiently manage and optimize the performance of multi-skilled, multichannel Using two or more paths for transmission or processing. It can refer to a variety of architectures including (1) multiple I/O channels between the CPU and peripheral devices, (2) multiple wires in a cable, (3) multiple "logical" channels within a single wire or fiber or (4) multiple , multi-site and outsourced staffing resources. The client, an automotive credit company, is focused on improving the customer experience through customer service or collections interactions. The company determined it needed a solution that would enable them to optimize their agent resources, gain greater control over agent scheduling, cut costs and improve customer service levels. As a result of the implementation, the client has seen increased productivity and revenue, improved customer service and agent performance, reduced staffing and operations costs, increased profits and customer satisfaction, as well as rapid return on investment. Specifically, the company has seen an 80 percent reduction in the time contact center supervisors are spending creating and managing agent schedules. They have also enjoyed a 23 percent increase in service levels, based on the percentage of calls that are answered within 60 seconds. In addition, the client has been able to reduce the average speed of answer by 138 seconds in the customer care group and by 60 seconds in the customer accounts group. Astute as·tute adj. Having or showing shrewdness and discernment, especially with respect to one's own concerns. See Synonyms at shrewd. [Latin ast Solutions ePowerCenter www.astutesolutions.com The client, an airline, had identified a host of service-related challenges which formed the basis of its global strategy to improve customer relations and service recovery. Astute Solutions and the client set an aggressive implementation schedule and deployed a team of professional services consultants and software engineers to roll out its ePowerCenter solution at the major sites within a nine-month timeframe. Ultimately, Astute helped the airline reduce its technology platform from 11 systems to one, creating an understanding of costs and control across global customer relations in the process; non-integrated systems were replaced by a single application running against a single database that is now being used in over 20 countries; and Astute used leading-edge technology to cache agent content and pass only dynamic traffic over the network--ePowerCenter met the client's 99.9 percent reliability contractual stipulation An agreement between attorneys that concerns business before a court and is designed to simplify or shorten litigation and save costs. During the course of a civil lawsuit, criminal proceeding, or any other type of litigation, the opposing attorneys may come to an agreement . Before The Call Before The Call www.beforethecall.com The client, which delivers personalized, multichannel automated information solutions to enterprises and network service providers, knew that its sales reps were not effectively using Salesforce.com in conjunction with the other sales tools at their disposal. They lacked a cohesive cohesive, n the capability to cohere or stick together to form a mass. strategy for lead qualification, so reps were cherry-picking leads based on their own knowledge of the market. Lead management and processing was inconsistent, so too much time was being spent researching leads that turned out to be inappropriate, and not enough time was spent pursuing leads that were of potentially high value. After evaluating a number of sales intelligence solutions to address these issues, the client chose Before the Call because of the seamless integration An addition of a new application, routine or device that works smoothly with the existing system. It implies that the new feature or program can be installed and used without problems. Contrast with "transparent," which implies that there is no discernible change after installation. of the Before the Call solution, mitigating the ramp-up time of the reps, best-known data sources available without leaving Salesforce.com, and the ease of the configuration to meet their specific business needs. This resulted in immediate return on investment using Before the Call. Says the client, "It's an amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. product that no sales organization should be without. Today's world is about doing more with less, and Before the Call is a solution that allows my team to make the best use of their time and allows us to focus on those opportunities that will have the greatest impact on revenue." Centive Centive Compel Compel - COMpute ParallEL www.centive.com The client, a provider of storage, backup and recovery solutions, had sales compensation plans that were managed by two separate systems--a series of Excel spreadsheets and a commercial solution from a leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or for one customer. vendor. Because both systems required so much support from time-constrained IT resources, plan changes and new plan setup were cumbersome cum·ber·some adj. 1. Difficult to handle because of weight or bulk. See Synonyms at heavy. 2. Troublesome or onerous. cum and required advance planning. Administrators ran manual credit assignment processing in MS Access, followed by manual reporting and approval processes. After evaluating several vendors, the client concluded that Centive's on-demand sales compensation management system, Compel, could meet all of their needs and was by far the best match across all criteria. Post-implementation, the client was impressed to find that configuring a compensation plan in Compel takes literally five minutes and requires no IT support or programming knowledge. The client realized significant improvements in process efficiency. As result of the automated, daily transaction feeds and real-time visibility, the reduced number of dispute incidents and time to setup and update compensation plans, in the first six months the client saved over 3,000 hours in inputting data; 390 hours in preparing, validating, running and publishing reports; 200 hours in commission dispute resolution; and 120 hours in configuring and updating compensation plans. Chordiant Software, Inc. Chordiant Decision Management (DM) www.chordiant.com Chordiant's Decision Management helped a large wireless provider talk to its customers directly about what they wanted and needed. It had the effect of making the interaction very personable PERSONABLE. Having the capacities of a person; for example, the defendant was judged personable to maintain this action. Old Nat. Brev. 142. This word is obsolete. and manageable, with all the information needed in one place. The client has seen its response rate of less than two percent increase to over 50 percent with inbound micro DM combined, with an impressive sales conversion rate of 56 percent; for certain products, the rates were even higher, and a single-day conversion rate peak at 64.1 percent. Return on investment (ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). ) was projected at 2,500 percent, based on current results. Closed-loop reporting also indicated three percent average revenue per user (ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) A calculation often used to determine the overall value of an application. It is also used to rate particular customers, especially in the wireless space, by comparing someone's account to the overall average. ) uplift, not including customer retention benefits and customer experience measures. The wireless provider has also abandoned its average handling time (AHT AHT Animal Health Trust (Suffolk, England) AHT American Hairless Terrier (dog breed) AHT After Hours Trading AHT Animal Health Technician AHT Anchor Handling Tug ) measures in the call center, focusing on quality over quantity. The prediction process now takes one-seventh of the time it used to. Citrix Systems Citrix Systems' (NASDAQ: CTXS) is an American technology company, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with subsidiary operations in California and Massachusetts, with additional development centers in Australia, India and the UK. Citrix GoToAssist 7 www.citrix.com The client, a business services firm, discovered Citrix GoToAssist to provide real-time remote support to clients each day. With proprietary screen-sharing technology and best practices support tools, consultants securely share a client's server or desktop just as if the consultants were actually on-site. A consultant can assist clients immediately by working from home using Citrix GoToAssist. "For issues that were previously handled over the phone, we have cut the resolution time by as much as 75 percent," said the client. With a typical round trip to a client averaging two hours, travel costs added up rapidly. "Because we charge clients for travel time and mileage MILEAGE. A compensation allowed by law to officers, for their trouble and expenses in travelling on public business. 2. The mileage allowed to members of congress, is eight dollars for every twenty miles of estimated distance, by the most usual roads, from his , using Citrix GoToAssist saves them [consultants] money," the client said. Issues that previously required hours of travel can now be resolved in minutes. With consultants traveling less, the company can spend more time on higher-value consulting services Noun 1. consulting service - service provided by a professional advisor (e.g., a lawyer or doctor or CPA etc.) service - work done by one person or group that benefits another; "budget separately for goods and services" . ClientLogic ClientLogic Customer Care Solutions www.clientlogic.com The client, a provider of cable TV, high-speed Internet and telephone services, chose ClientLogic for its reputation of helping clients reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction as well as working with clients to determine the best strategies to help them continue to be successful. Since the successful initial program was instituted, the client is constantly updating products and introducing new services to keep pace with the industry. The client company reports that ClientLogic has been very successful in keeping abreast of all changes in order to best serve customers. Since the client's business continued to grow, more calls were transitioned to ClientLogic, leading to the outsourcer handling 50 percent of the client's total calls. Since partnering with ClientLogic, monthly customer surveys have consistently shown 90 to 92 percent customer satisfaction. Cross Country Automotive Services 24-Hour Roadside Assistance www.crosscountry-auto.com The client, a large automotive retail and service organization, manufactures multiple vehicle brands, directs operations in over 30 countries and sells its products in 200 countries. To support its mission, the client provides round-the-clock roadside assistance services 24 hours a day, 365 days per year to their customers. A partner was needed that could rescue the customer in the event of a vehicle breakdown, and through flawless execution of service delivery, turn that negative event into a positive, brand-building experience. The success of the program was measured through customer surveys. On a monthly basis, approximately 9.8 percent of customers serviced through the program opt to participate in the survey. The average weekly top box satisfaction score for customers that utilize the roadside assistance program is 87 percent for the last 52 weeks. The top two boxes overall satisfaction score has an average of 94 percent for the last 52 weeks. On average, the top box and top two box satisfaction scores for customers who were serviced by mobile dealership personnel increased five additional percentage points. As a result of CCAS's service, more than two out of every three customers who experienced a vehicle breakdown during their warranty period indicated they would return to the brand to purchase their next vehicle. Customer Direct Inbound Customer Care For The HSIA Hsia (shēä), semilegendary first dynasty of China, which ruled, according to traditional dates, from c.2205 B.C. to c.1766 B.C. or, according to some modern scholars, from c.1994 B.C. to c.1523 B.C. Industry www.customerdirect.com Together, Customer Direct and the client, a large provider of HSIA (high-speed Internet access) technology to the hospitality industry, began to lay the groundwork for a holistic guest support process, with a clear program purpose: "Building guest loyalty for hoteliers." Since launching in early 2005, the program has grown to support in excess of 100,000 hotel rooms; from Hong Kong Hong Kong (hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. to Great Britain Great Britain, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 60,441,000), 94,226 sq mi (244,044 sq km), on the British Isles, off W Europe. The country is often referred to simply as Britain. , and from exclusive five-star mega-properties to roadside inns. Each month, the guest program cares for tens of thousands of hotel guests and their need to stay connected with their office, home, e-mail, and lives. In excess of 90 percent of calls are resolved on a first-call basis, and over 99 percent of trouble tickets are recorded as "happy" or "very happy" in regards to guest mood. The tremendous growth of 2005 is expected to double in 2006, and is a testament to a process for guest satisfaction that works. Echopass Echopass Contact Center On-Demand www.echopass.com Almost immediately, Echopass Contact Center On Demand produced the efficiency the client, a hotel group, was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. . "We quickly reached the 50 to 60 percentile percentile, n the number in a frequency distribution below which a certain percentage of fees will fall. E.g., the ninetieth percentile is the number that divides the distribution of fees into the lower 90% and the upper 10%, or that fee level range for conversion of calls to bookings--that's unusually strong for the hospitality industry," reported the client. In addition to meeting desired call center standards for transactions per hour, calls handled per hour and average call answer times, the client also noted that Echopass Contact Center On Demand's ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. reporting features help keep their business's quality assurance efforts on track. Department supervisors can easily monitor both overall system and individual agent performance, ensuring consistently high service levels and pinpointing problem areas should they arise. eGain eGain Service 7 www.egain.com To remain on the competitive edge, the client, the IT branch of a large multinational financial services/mortgage company, had to find a way to offer value-added services A value-added service (VAS) is a telecommunications industry term for non-core services or, in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. to financial products that have become near commodities. The management team recognized they had to expand their institution's service capabilities and improve ease of use and efficiency without increasing expense. Their goal was to create a multichannel customer interaction hub that would allow them to offer customers new interaction options such as self-service, chat and e-mail. It would have to work within the existing IT environment, enable agents to handle multiple service channels easily, and give clients the option of quickly and securely accessing information and services on their own over the Internet. By deploying relevant components of the eGain solution, the client reports that it has set new customer service standards in the financial services industry and now offers electronic banking services such as cash management to a range of customers. Following deployment, the customer base has continued to expand, while the number of customer service agents has remained constant. The Chicago-based customer service team has exceeded performance goals in virtually every area of activity, including response times and customer inquiries handled per agent. Empirix Empirix Service Assurance for Siebel www.empirix.com Recently, a well-known bank decided to upgrade its customized Siebel Call Center application--a critical enabler for quality customer interactions. Based on their past experience with upgrades, pre-deployment testing quickly became a top priority. The financial services company had experienced challenges with a previous upgrade of their CRM application. At that time, its strategy had been to focus most of its testing efforts on the agent desktop (CRM application). In addition, some of the telephony components were manually tested in isolation. Empirix developed a comprehensive test plan that was to generate production levels of inbound caller and agent desktop traffic. The result of the test was a detailed data set on system performance and a report that highlighted opportunities to tune the application for even better performance. In this case, the testing verified that performance was excellent and that the system would in fact support the financial services company's expected call volumes. As a result, they could deploy with confidence, and the client's Siebel Call Center upgrade was flawless. In fact, the company reported that, "It was the smoothest rollout we've ever had." Envox Worldwide Envox CT Connect www.envox.com The client, a utility company serving over two million customers, needed their agents to be more productive in order to handle their high volume of calls. To solve the problem, the utility chose Envox CT Connect to implement an agent screen pop solution. It captured the automatic number identification (ANI) from their Avaya Definity G3R G3R German 3lite Ranger (gaming clan) PBX (Private Branch eXchange) An inhouse telephone switching system that interconnects telephone extensions to each other as well as to the outside telephone network (PSTN). and used it to look up customer information in their CRM database. As the agents received the calls, they were also provided with the customer's account profile and recent history, including any interactions with IVR (Interactive Voice Response) An automated telephone information system that speaks to the caller with a combination of fixed voice menus and data extracted from databases in real time. self-service applications A software application that allows a user to obtain information or complete a business transaction on the computer that has traditionally required the help of a human representative. Voice response systems and Web sites are widely used for self-service applications. See kiosk. . Because Envox CT Connect provides an open, standards-based method for communicating with their Avaya PBX, the company has been able protect its development work as it provides compatibility with over 30 different traditional and IP-PBX models. The agent screen pop solution has made a positive impact on the utility's service organization. It allows agents to begin resolving issues immediately, without wasting time asking for account information. Because they have access to history information, agents are better equipped to understand what has happened with the account and how best to provide assistance. The screen pop application has reduced average call time by 15 to 20 seconds. This not only represents a significant cost savings, but also has enabled the company to handle higher call volumes without increasing staff. Epicor Software Corp. Epicor CRM www.epicor.com The client, a software company, reports that now, whenever a support or sales representative talks to a customer, the agent can easily access notes on the customer's account, complete call history as well as training information. The client's customers appreciate the fact they don't have to spend time repeating themselves or bringing somebody new up-to-speed on an issue every time they call. The client also installed Epicor CRM Conductor, a companion product to Epicor CRM that is used to automate workflow processes based on user-defined criteria. The client set up Conductor to notify key individuals and team leaders whenever a call has been in the call queue for 60 minutes, or when a call remained unresolved Not completed; not finished; not linked together. See resolve. for seven days. With Epicor CRM Conductor, call activity improved almost immediately. The client also automated its training setup process, including class registration and confirmation, and also helps manage the company's custom programming projects. Through these automated reminders managed through Epicor CRM, the client is seeing a faster response from customers who are sent quotes for custom programming projects. etalk Qfiniti www.etalk.com As a result of etalk's Qfiniti product, the client, a financial services provider, has experienced a two to eight percent gain in first-call resolution, depending on the line of business; it has seen its customer satisfaction increase more than six percent; and it has gained a better understanding of its customers' and distributors' needs. This improvement in satisfaction is also helping sales efforts. The company's two-pronged approach to sales includes cultivating new leads while strengthening established relationships with existing customers. "We're actually not trying to cast a wider net all the time, but rather work on the net we have to make sure that we're getting more of our fair share of the business with the relationships that we already have in existence," said the client. eTelecare Global Solutions Proprietary eTelecare Global Solutions CRM package www.etelecare.com The solution is a CRM application that integrates all channels except posted mail into one unified desktop. The software is based upon the Microsoft DNA/.NET approach to building distributed systems Distributed systems (computers) A distributed system consists of a collection of autonomous computers linked by a computer network and equipped with distributed system software. . The solution helped a large wireless telecommunications provider successfully migrate 840,000 customers from one billing platform to another and sign them up for multi-year contracts. At the same time, eTelecare reduced the client's cost per accept by more than 56 percent, and enabled customers to migrate plans from their homes instead of requiring them to travel to a client retail outlet retail outlet n → punto de venta retail outlet n → point m de vente retail outlet retail n → , something the client originally did not consider possible. The proprietary CRM system helped eTelecare's agents increase their accuracy, reduce average handle times and provide superior customer service. During peak months, eTelecare handled more than 120,000 calls, resulting in about 72,000 renewals. Compared to the previous vendor, eTelecare achieved a 56 percent per-renewal reduction, saving the client about $27 per retention. Overall, renewal rates have almost doubled since eTelecare started the program. In addition to the savings it offers, eTelecare's proprietary CRM system also enhances the customer experience by helping agents provide faster, more accurate service. Excell Services Medicare Discount Prescription Drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, Plan Call Center Services www.excellsvcs.com The client, a pharmacy benefits solutions company, provides services to millions of individuals; the client base includes several large health insurance providers, employers, union groups and third-party administrators. The client contacted Excell Services to gain assistance with handling incoming calls for the roll-out of the Medicare Prescription drug plan. Due to the difficult task of predicting call volume for information requests and enrollment calls, the client was looking for an additional outsource partner to be available for a limited amount of initial FTEs to handle the expected initial surge in call volume. For the start-up, Excell sent two trainers to the client's call center facility for two weeks to attend training and development courses. Time was spent learning the products and internal policies and procedures along with detailed information on Medicare, the healthcare industry, medical privacy laws and the specifics of the client's discount pharmacy plans. Excell Services was able to extend the amount of hours the client's call center remained open, boosted the number of calls handled from 2,500 per week to 16,000, met or exceeded quality insurance scores of 94 percent, and attained an average speed-to-answer of under 30 seconds. FrontRange Solutions This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. GoldMine Corporate Edition www.frontrange.com The client, a provider of fitness equipment and programs, was often beholden be·hold·en adj. Owing something, such as gratitude, to another; indebted. [Middle English biholden, past participle of biholden, to observe; see behold. to a busy schedule of trade shows and outreach efforts. However, without a system for tracking prospects and follow-ups, the company found its hard work often didn't pay off as anticipated. The client then integrated GoldMine Corporate Edition with QuickBooks and their UPS shipping program to enable single data entry, and brought in QuoteWerks software to take the place of to be substituted for. - Berkeley. See also: Place Excel spreadsheets for creating and storing quotes. As a result, GoldMine has become the single interface for everything the company does, with information easily pulled into the client's other critical business applications. Today, nearly every employee in the client organization actively uses GoldMine, from sales to shipping. Seven remote sales reps stay connected with the rest of the team with regular synching of customer data. The company logs every detail about prospects and customers in the software, and can access it in seconds when needed. IEX IEX Ion Exchange (chromatography) IEX Inter-Exchange Carrier Corp. TotalView Workforce Management Workforce Management (WFM) encompasses all the responsibilities for maintaining a productive and happy workforce. Sometimes referred to as HRMS systems, or even the larger ERP systems (Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP). There are many software vendors within this space. Version 3.9 www.iex.com The client company, a large power producer in South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. , stated that since implementation of TotalView Workforce Management, it has come a long way from its roots with an annual master schedule (its former method of scheduling the workforce). Central schedule coordinators monitor forecasts, plans and overall schedule performance while local managers supply schedules to their agent groups. Accuracy is measured both daily and at 30-minute intervals, providing instant visibility and feedback to coaches and floor managers. By tying the detailed skills capabilities of agents with sophisticated planning and forecasting, the client has attained a forecast accuracy rate of 95 percent, week-to-week, with fit to schedule averaging 85 percent. Overall scheduling performance has exceeded expectations in 8 of 12 months. "We can now adjust our schedules to meet the needs of the business, as well as the employees," said the client. InfoCision Management Corp. Digital Phone Consumer Prospecting www.infocision.com More than 24 years of managing customer relationships has made InfoCision the ideal CRM partner for the client, a large cable company. InfoCision's Communicators were the mature, intelligent, professionally trained telephone agents that the client required and InfoCision's quality assurance system assured consistency in performance as well as a platform for continuous improvement. In the first phase of the campaign to win customers to cable Internet Internet access via the cable companies. There are two kinds of service. One uses a cable modem to connect to a computer, and the other uses an enhanced cable box that provides Internet access directly at the TV. and digital phone service, InfoCision called on the client's "expanded basic" customers. These were households that had a basic cable package consisting of fewer than 100 channels and with no premium movie channels, sports packages A sports package is a set of cosmetic and functional enhancements to a vehicle, sold and priced as a unit. In an SUV or light truck this may include special racks or tiedowns for transport of off road recreational vehicles and other equipment. , cable Internet connection or other digital packages. In the second phase, InfoCision contacted customers who already had digital cable service and offered them cable Internet and digital phone service. On all goals set for the program: cost per sale, sales per hour and response rate, InfoCision exceeded the client's expectations. Because of this program's success, InfoCision has partnered with the client on its outbound prospecting, win-back sales, survey and welcome calls, inbound sales retention and customer service. Inter-Tel, Incorporated Inter-Tel Axxess Converged Communications System In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment (DTE) usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole. www.inter-tel.com After evaluating products from a number of vendors, the client, a grocery merchandising and warehousing company, chose Inter-Tel to supply its new communications solution. Inter-Tel offered the technology the company was looking for--including advanced voice over IP solutions and powerful IP-powered applications--to help improve its business processes. Another deciding factor was the scalability, flexibility and compatibility of Inter-Tel's technologies. The client liked the fact that it could take advantage of emerging products and applications when its business dictated, and not be forced into using undesirable or unnecessary technology because of technical constraints CONSTRAINTS - A language for solving constraints using value inference. ["CONSTRAINTS: A Language for Expressing Almost-Hierarchical Descriptions", G.J. Sussman et al, Artif Intell 14(1):1-39 (Aug 1980)]. often imposed by other vendor solutions. "In the past," said the client, "installing the pricing application usually translated into a full day at the customer site to configure See configuration. (software) configure - A program by Richard Stallman to discover properties of the current platform and to set up make to compile and install gcc. Cygnus configure was a similar system developed by K. the software and train the staff. It was a very expensive and laborious la·bo·ri·ous adj. 1. Marked by or requiring long, hard work: spent many laborious hours on the project. 2. Hard-working; industrious. process. With Inter-Tel Remote Support, we're able to install the application, train the employees and answer any questions in a fraction of the time. From an efficiency and cost perspective, this application has paid for itself many times over." LivePerson Timpani timpani: see kettledrum. timpani or kettledrums Large bowl-shaped drums with pedal mechanisms for altering their pitch by changing the membrane's tension. The timpani are the principal orchestral percussion instruments. Sales & Marketing www.liveperson.com The client, a pure online retailer focused on outdoor gear, initially implemented LivePerson's click-to-chat technology in 2002, and discovered that numerous chat interactions resulted in sales and improved customer satisfaction ratings. An established industry innovator and early adopter of live chat, the online retailer recognized that chat could also serve as a valuable tool to improve conversion rates; however, the existing solution was designed to satisfy customer service requirements and lacked the capabilities to serve as a major sales catalyst. To maximize revenue and leverage the unique expertise of its employees, the client again turned to LivePerson to transform the chat deployment on the organization's family of Web sites from a pure customer service application to a proactive sales solution affecting bottom-line results. In addition to equipping e·quip tr.v. e·quipped, e·quip·ping, e·quips 1. a. To supply with necessities such as tools or provisions. b. the client with intelligent technology to proactively engage and consult with qualified customers online, LivePerson supplied comprehensive training to ensure that personnel assigned to the chat channel would take full advantage of their new online engagement and interaction tools. Post-implementation, the conversion rate for chatters grew to 10 times greater than self-service channel conversions. If you are interested in purchasing reprints of this article (in either print or PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. format), please visit Reprint reprint An individually bound copy of an article in a journal or science communication Management Services online at www.reprintbuyer.com or contact a representative via e-mail at tmcnet@reprintbuyer.com or by phone at 800-290-5460. For information and subscriptions, visit www.TMCnet.com or call 203-852-6800. EDITOR'S NOTE Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : Because of the very large volume of award applications we received, the CRM Excellence Award winners will be presented in two parts, to be continued This article is about the Elton John box set. For the plot device commonly featuring the phrase "To be continued", see Cliffhanger. To Be Continued next month in the June 2006 issue of Customer Inter@ction Solutions. |
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