Knowlagent's Inaugural Customer Conference Catalyst Confirms Call Center Industry Wants More Value from Operations; Catalyst Attendees Obtain First Preview of Next Generation Solution

Business Wire, June 9, 2005

ATLANTA -- Knowlagent (R), the only solutions provider that guarantees rapid revenue growth from the customer service channel, recently held its first annual customer conference in Tampa, Fla., a southeastern hub for call centers. The three-day conference, headlined by U.S. Winter Olympian and five-time gold medalist Bonnie Blair, included the premiere of a new study conducted by Beagle Research Group on the feasibility of driving sales from the service center.

Other highlights included presentations by Knowlagent customers in the telecom, financial, healthcare and consumer goods industries; a site visit to one of the top performing call centers in the nation; as well as hands-on demonstrations of Knowlagent's new r8 solution.

"We've heard our customers loud and clear as they have expressed their need for help in fine-tuning their operations to deliver more results in the face of today's demanding business environment and the changing role of the call center," said Rusty Gordon, chief executive officer of Knowlagent. "In the volume-based business world of the past, it was enough to only focus on metrics like handle time. But now the ultimate customer - our customer's customer - expects more individual attention, while companies are charging call centers with the dual task of keeping the customers happy and generating revenue."

Continued Gordon, "It's not an easy transformation, but Catalyst helped our customers to envision what success looks like by bringing them together with their peers who have already encountered this challenge and, with our help, achieved amazing results in improving customer loyalty and generating sustainable revenue fast. With the introduction of Knowlagent r8, we are certain call centers can provide even greater value to the overall business."

Of particular interest at the conference was the presentation of a new study, conducted by Denis Pombriant, founder and managing principal of Beagle Research Group, which focused on the efforts of innovative organizations to instill a sales culture in a traditional, service-focused call center. According to the research, many large organizations seeking new ways to boost revenues are at the beginning of a process that, for many, will result in more profitable customer-to-call center interactions by adding a sales dimension to the service center.

However, the report provides this caution to companies adapting their call centers to include a sales focus: without accurately analyzing and planning for challenges ahead, companies could experience the same failures and disillusionment that were generated by early CRM initiatives. (The executive white paper summarizing the findings is available for free download at www.beagleresearch.com.)

"Share the Present. See the Future." was the theme for this year's Catalyst conference as thought leaders in various industries presented the specific challenges they are facing in their business, how they are solving them, and their specific goals for the future. One company in the financial sector showcased how it realized double digit growth using the Knowlagent solution during a six-week pilot, while Knowlagent customer Coca-Cola Enterprises invited guests to witness first-hand how it is generating $2.2 million in revenue per day during a visit to its Customer Development Center.

Knowlagent also provided conference attendees with their first look at the innovations included in the new release of the company's patented and award-winning software solution. The solution, r8, enables companies to effectively leverage current investments in people, process and technology to meet the most pressing challenges that impact the attainment of revenue goals and customer satisfaction results, which are often the two most cited key initiatives associated with call centers.

Now available, Knowlagent r8 is designed to further assist companies in achieving extraordinary value from their service channel. The innovations include role-based consoles for the agent, the supervisor and the manager, as well as real-time performance and agent alignment technology. Baked into the new solution are proven value-based best practices to help companies meet and sustain their business goals.

About Knowlagent

Knowlagent helps innovative companies create rapid and sustainable revenue growth from the service environment. The Knowlagent solution allows customers to generate exceptional sales growth in the service environment, leveraging current investments in service personnel and technologies, and without disrupting critical service levels. Knowlagent is the foundation of sales and service excellence every day for Fortune 500 companies in the financial services, retail, telecommunications and healthcare industries. For more information, call 888-566-9457 or visit www.knowlagent.com.