Customer service is key from kiosks to call center - Insurance Holdings of America using Davox's Sixth Sense - Product Information

Communications News, August, 1999

Top-quality customer service is vital to every executive expecting to do business next month, let alone in the new millennium. Key partnerships could set a company--especially small to mid-sized--apart from the competition. Every service detail must be explored, including how to save customers' time. That's why the Beverly, Mass.-based Insurance Holdings of America (IHA) first established innovative kiosks in selected Sam's Clubs around the Northeast, then around the country. IHA's strategic partnership with the renowned retail king gives insurance-purchasing decision-makers the ability to investigate and purchase various insurance options during shopping trips. With the kiosks in place, IHA turned to Davox Corp. of Westford, Mass., when it came time to implement an 80-seat call center, located in upstate New York, to handle insurance inquiries from members who choose to call the company directly. IHA uses the technology of Davox's Sixth Sense inbound call-handling product. When calls come into the center, a member's telephone number is instantly matched with customer records contained in the IHA/Sam's Club database. The member information and appropriate IHA software application are then "popped" to the benefit specialist's computer screen for immediate actions.

When the kiosk insurance-vending system is fully implemented, IHA's CIO James Barry expects the call center to handle between 65,000-130,000 calls monthly compared to the current 3,200. And Sixth Sense shaved an average of 10 minutes off every call. Quick, efficient, and comprehensive customer service is vital when answering consumer questions via telephone, as well as at the point of sale. Davox technology can help IHA cut costs and/or handle more incoming business via the insurance company's kiosk-vending initiative.

Circle 253 for more information from Davox Corp.