Tech Helps Manage Call Volume And Customer Relationships

One answer for a small-to-midsize agency or broker is Smart Telecom's QSD-2005 2.1 automatic call distributor application system. The company, based in Ottawa, Canada, has introduced a reporting software product that allows small officesfrom five to 100 CSRsto monitor their current incoming call volume and adjust staffing or call durations to meet the demand.

Robert Koblovsky, chief executive officer for Smart Telecom, said the product allows something that has not been available beforeup-to-the-minute reporting of inbound telephone activity at a "reasonable price."

While there are packages on the market today for these purposes, he said, they are large call center reporting products shoehorned to fit the small market.

The cost for Smart Telecom's product can start at under $4,500, whereas most similar products have a starting price of $25,000, noted Mark Thompson, Smart Telecom's product manager.

He pointed out that one of the benefits of the product is on-demand reporting. Many reporting systems can give historical data, but QSD 2005 gives an instant snapshot of what is happening.

This is achieved through technology that gives a manager current data on the number of calls waiting in queue. It allows the manager to alert CSRs to a build-up in calls and to advise them when the situation becomes critical. Action can be taken to shorten calls or augment staffing. This can be done through data sent to a CSR's computer, or via wall-mounted systems informing CSRs of call levels.

According to Smart Telecom's executives, the ability to answers calls in a timely manner affects the customer's perception and satisfaction with the business.

"On a real-time basis, if you are unaware of things that are going on in your call center, it is difficult to react to your callers," said Mr. Koblovsky. "If part of your strategy is to build a good, strong relationship link with your customer, the last thing you want to do is aggravate them and throw them into voice mail or not get a timely response to them. It's about providing the best level of service to your customer."

He also noted that having this system enables the agency to balance the level of service against cost, by ensuring the agency has the right number of CSRs to handle the demand.

"Imagine walking into your local bank and seeing all the tellers have blindfolds on and there is a line building up, and the manager has a blindfold on," Mr. Thompson explained. "That is in fact what you are doing if you operate an ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) [center]. You have no idea of knowing how many people are getting frustrated because they waited too long to talk to an agent."

At Access General Insurance, a writer of automobile insurance through independent agents, Patrick Latimore, director of customer service, explained that Smart Telecom's system allows its service center to deal quickly with call volumes and service both customers and agents who need answers.

The company's CSR staff can manage themselves with the volume of calls coming in, he said, because they have the information they need to deal with the influx in real time. The center uses between 50 and 75 CSRs to handle its business, he said. And the information they get is invaluable, he noted, to keeping the customer satisfied.

Mr. Latimore said that having worked in a huge call center that numbered 800 service representatives, Smart Telecom's package gives his smaller center the same ability to react quickly to call volume increases by getting to customers' calls quickly and reducing abandoned calls (customers who hang-up while waiting).

"You want to answer 90 to 95 percent of your calls in 30 to 60 seconds," noted Mr. Latimore. "People don't want to be left waiting. Ideally, the abandonment rate should be between 3 to 5 percent."

The advantage to keeping this rate low is not only in customer satisfaction, he noted, but also to keep the overall call volume low. Abandoned calls lead to the recycling of calls, which leads to greater call volume and greater customer dissatisfaction.

"You cut down on the call rate by cutting down on abandonment, and it keeps the call rate manageable," he pointed out. "This keeps the system running efficiently."

Mr. Latimore pointed out that there were two reasons for picking Smart Telecom's product. First, there was a willingness on the part of the provider to tailor its package to Access Insurance's business needs at a reasonable price. Second, the return on the investment is that the center is able to operate with 30 percent less staffing through gains in efficiency. This is something, he added, that even agencies can take advantage of in their operations.

Another advantages, Mr. Thompson pointed out, is that the product is easy to learn. Installation does not require the purchase of massive equipment and can be completed within two hours. It is also scalable, allowing the system to grow as the business grows.

"At the end of day, it's all about satisfying all the good customer requirements in the shortest amount of time possible and not making customers wait," Mr. Koblovsky observed. "Without any reporting, you are really flying by the seat of your pants. You can get away with that for a while, but how do you know you are providing the best level of service to your customer and in the most cost effective way?"

Additional information about Smart Telecom is available at www.SmartTelecom.ca.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, February 18, 2005. Copyright 2005 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.