We offer a full range of eBusiness/eService consulting services that includes the development of comprehensive strategies to integrate electronic commerce technology, processes, and methodologies into traditional call centers.
Multi-Channel Call Center/e-Business Assessment, Strategies & Design
eBusiness/eService Consulting ServiceseBusiness/eService Consulting Services
We are a vendor-neutral consulting firm, providing independent advice and expertise to help you assess your current technology and organizational infrastructure to design the most effective Web-enabled strategy and tactics to enable you to meet your electronic commerce business goals.
Truly integrated multi-channel access represents a whole new way of interacting with customers. We can help you define and implement a phased Web-Enabled/TeleWeb sales and service model – one that expands customer access and at the same time integrates effectively with your call/contact center – in a manner that will meet the unique requirements of your business and your budget constraints.
In addition to technology recommendations and selection, we have the expertise to define process changes needed; develop Web-based Quality Standards and templates; and identify skill and staffing requirements, and develop the training needed.
Our Consulting Approach
Developing a Web-enabled contact center is complex – involving people, process and technology. We provide the guidance you need in considering the impacts of the major technology influences involved in successfully integrating Web-Enabled technology. The result is a successful migration from call center to customer contact center for multi-channel access.
Defining the Business Requirements
This is an absolutely essential first step – so that an off-the-shelf solution may be identified that matches the client’s business requirements very closely.
The right choice of a Web-enabled tool suite/technology application will mean a seamless integration with the rest of the call center technology applications and eliminate all but the essential customization that is invariably involved.
Defining CRM Integration Requirements
This is a critical consideration because long term the goal is to automatically “append” customer contacts to the customer’s file – without human intervention.
Starting with the CRM solution means that future integration directly to the customer database is much easier and more robust. The CRM consideration is important because it facilitates the automatic posting of emails and other electronic correspondence directly to the customer’s account. This approach facilitates handling of electronic contacts once the volume grows substantially.
Typically, healthy ROI’s can be developed on the labor savings aspect alone – not to mention the cost/benefits savings by reducing error rates and lost communications associated with manual handling and posting of electronic correspondence.
Defining ACD/PBX Telephony Integration Requirements
Identifying a Web-enabled tool suite that easily integrates with the current ACD/PBX platform is also important.
Over the next several years, customer segmentation will extend to channel access across most businesses. Multi-channel segmentation means that customers will be identified for priority treatment in a “channel-agnostic” environment. That is, premier customers who come in on an electronic channel (email, chat, call me buttons) can be handled ahead of non-premier customers who call on the phone.
This may sound radical for the traditional call centre, but it is coming and the best centres are looking for ways to handle their best customers with timely access, with the most proficient and skilled agents – regardless of channel – without overstaffing.
The ACD/PBX platform becomes a very important factor since the multi-channel ACD will perform the same functions as the traditional ACD, that is, prioritizing, routing, and reporting on customer contacts. Electronic contacts in the eService world will be treated just like calls for the purpose of prioritizing, routing, reporting, and tracking. Skills-based routing becomes an important consideration in a Web-based multi-channel contact centre.
There are numerous technology vendors offering e-Mail Response Management Systems (ERMS) and Web-Tool Suites – many with outstanding functionality. However, most have preferred ACD/PBX partners and as such the choice of Web-enabled technology should carefully consider the current ACD/PBX platform and future requirements. We can help you sort through the hype and ensure the right choice is made.