A View Of The Industry Through ICCM's Window

Customer Inter@ction Solutions, Sep 2004 by Tehrani, Rich

The enhanced integration of having inbound and outbound systems so closely tied together allows a company to do things that can improve business and sales. For example, if a customer is slated to receive an outbound call and subsequently calls in to ask a question, the system can tell the agent what to ask the caller (based on the substance of the planned outbound call). The inbound agent can take the call, answer the question the customer asks and then proceed to upsell the customer in the manner of the planned outbound call. The results of this call can automatically be put into the campaign manager, allowing the system to retain an accurate record of the conversation. The best part about this interaction is that the customer need not be bothered again with another phone call.

The above technology is currently dubbed "customer interaction data warehouse," and it works with virtually all ACDs on the market. The goal, Concerto informed me, is not to overwhelm you with data and analytics but to present only the most relevant and important data for analysis.

The New Headset On The Block

Headset technology is getting better and better as more competition enters the market. All headsets are not created equal, and a slight increase in sound quality can increase productivity levels and reduce long-distance phone bills, as TSRs and customers need no longer repeat themselves. In some ways, headset technology needs to improve just to compensate for the quality of consumer voice calls that can be degraded if they are occurring over cellular networks or over VoIP.

Sennheiser (www.sennheiser.com) is a company that has been in the headset business for decades. In fact the founder, Dr, Sennheiser, still runs the company, ensuring the highest standards of quality.

In 2003, the company decided to expand its product portfolio beyond consumer audio and into gaming and contact centers. As German engineered headsets, they are not priced at the low end of the market spectrum, but the company believes it has better quality product than its lower-priced competitors. Sennheiser s CC series is the premium line and features padded headbands, ultra noise-canceling and well engineered comfort in a light form factor. The SH series also has noise-canceling functionality and is more price competitive. The headsets have Kevlar-coated booms and a Teflon-coated ring in the housing to keep the boom from wearing out after extended use.

Other features include dynamic volume control, preset sound level setting and a call quality feature that allows users to hone in on human voice if the call quality is poor (such as a cell phone call). I asked why this feature can't be turned on all the time and was told that it distorts the voice a bit, so it's best used only when needed,

A wireless headset is on the way, and it will differ from similar models from GN Netcom (www.gnnetcom.com) and Plantronics (www. plantronics.com) in that it will have two battery belt packs that will allow one to be charged while the other drains. The new models will use the 2.4 GHz frequency (like GN Netcom) and will, according to Sennheiser, have a farther range than either Plantronics or GN Netcom models. Look for model number DW88 and a list price of $399.