Call_Centres_2.doc

Inbound PBX Software

By Steven Lambert

PBX stands for Private Automatic Branch Exchange. It is a telecommunications system that is now commonly linked with the growing VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) systems.

As the Information revolution rolls on, people want more from their phones and PCs. They see the business world growing and want to grow with it. Outsourced Call centres are now widely accepted for modern business, and many small and medium sized companies are looking for ways to size the moment. PBX offers one solution.

PBX began life as the private phone system, used by a company for the employees to talk to each other, and bypass the system used by the rest of the world. There could be only a few outside lines to the real world, but PBX let them talk “in-house.” But as software has come on stream to allow people to do so much more, they can now be part of the Internet and cell phones. The system has now expanded to let employees work from home or anywhere the wireless system lets them.

Now the system can provide a service so wide, a small or medium sized company can have at its fingertips the same level of applications, only once dreamt of in big business. Voicemail, Unified Messaging, CTI (PC integration), softphones, telecommuters, branch office support, call queuing, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Auto Attendant (IVR), and Unified Messaging. All are now available, thanks to the growing PBX business packages.

Many of these systems have only come about, due to the advent of digital phones, and the changing of the whole communications network, to a digital outlook. The old analogue phone system could never cope with the complexity and quality needed to send signals right across the world, as if they were in the same town. To this end, call protocols have been aligned to meet the standards. Currently Session Initiation protocol (SIP) is the most popular.

The living embodiment of the PBX system in a software form is an application called: Asterisk. Written by Mark Spencer of Gigium, this allows call centres to bring all their systems together to form a service. This will in time, form itself in a type of Operating system for call centres. The same way Unix and Windows have for the Internet.

Commercial & Customised CRM Software

By Steven Lambert

Customer Relationship Management software, is a concept designed to find out what your customer really wants. It can track and analyse as much information as possible on a customer, to form a picture of their buying and spending habits.

The joy of this type of system, is that it can bring in outside information, only when it is needed. So a small sized firm, operating from a call centre anywhere in the world, can call up information on a customer when they need it. Many outsourced firms, can provide customer and technical support, to supply data only when it is needed. This way a small firm, wanting to be competitive need only pay for the part of the service they need. They will not have to carry staff and data storage, for which, they may never find a use.

Being swift and flexible is the watchword in today’s business market, and CRM is one way of achieving it.

A customer ringing a call centre, will want to be heard and understood, as soon as they get through. With CRM the call centre operative can call up their file, from outside, within seconds, and be able to talk to the customer with confidence. If there was a technical problem, the operative can see how far it has progressed. As well as billing enquiries, they can see how far it had been resolved.

So having the data in front of them, the operative can convince the customer, that their case matters. To this end, many companies are looking to the future, and see the wealth of this information as a way of generating more sales through that same customer. If they know their buying habits, then a picture can be built up to determine what they are likely to buy next.

The customer will not feel they are being pressured into buying a product or service, as long as it fits their profile. One of the biggest problems faced by all call centres, is the turnover of staff. This is mainly due to moral, and in turn, this may be down to angry customers on the other end of the phone.

A good management team can turn this problem around, by making sure staff do not feel they are pressurising customers in directions that are alien to them. CRM offers a more realistic method of approach.

Telemarketing Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

The bedrock of Telemarketing Outsourcing is lead Generation. This is basically finding the right types of customer, and selling them a product or service which suits their needs in detail.

One of the keys to this is CRM (Customer Relationship Management). This is specialised software, which collects and correlates buying information on a customer, through their spending history. With this, you can be assured that a telemarketing campaign aimed at that area, will be successful.

To this end, Lead Generation is all important. Once a customer has shown they are interested in a certain field, and have given their consent, the information can be managed by an outsourced call centre, anywhere in the world.

Calls can be managed and handled through a PBX system. This is a very advanced software package, enabling staff to handle calls and Internet activity, tailored to any campaign the company has in mind.

To cut cost and compete on a global scale, these services can be outsourced anywhere in the world. With training and the right choice of system, a small or medium sized company can choose from a huge range of countries, where the governments are only too willing to help. An outsourced company, can call in services and data, only when it is needed, in order to become competitive.

The Data collected on a customer is all important. Many web sites have shopping carts, and many people are happy to buy from those carts. But 70% of shopping carts are abandoned long before the customer leaves the site. The sale is lost and the buying experience overshadowed. This is down to poor confidence on behalf of the buyer. The site has to be well supported with live calls put through to a human voice.

The largest areas of concern are credit cards. These are notorious for problems, and data history and activity must be monitored at all times. A customer buying from a site that refuses their credit card, will never return, spreading the bad news to their friends. So a well managed call centre, with the correct software applications, can solve this problem and win the business.

Lead Generation Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

Lead Generation Outsourcing, is the gathering of information on customer’s buying history, in order to generate sales.

Today this history is gathered from the Internet. With software packages, site traffic can be analysed to form a pattern. The strongest points of this pattern are the potential sales.

If someone has expressed an interest in a consumer area, then information can be gathered about their spending habit, and passed on to a Data Base. This Data is sold to outsourced call centres, who can put together a campaign for any company requesting its services.

In the past many of the companies gathering this type of information ground to a halt. Either the area of products or services was outside the interest of the consumer, or the Data was old and obsolete. Now lead Generation Outsourcing can gather together new and relevant information to present a true picture of the sales area.

For a company hoping to go into sales, they cannot hope to gather this amount of Data by themselves. But with the Information Revolution call centres can be outsourced anywhere in the world. So a company can specialise in gathering this information, and simply sell it. This enables a Sales company to buy in that Data, safe in the knowledge that their campaign will be successful.

If the data is up to date, then the quality of the service will win over the customers. People are happy to part with information when it comes to choosing the right product or service for them.

With the growth of survey gathering sites, a vast amount of sales information can be gathered, showing people’s preferences. These surveys can be analysed to present a very accurate picture. After all, people enter the surveys of their own free will, and some times for a reward.

In the past, Lead Generation Outsourcing, was very expensive, as big companies had to employ a vast array of staff. Today these services can be outsourced to India, the Far East, and Eastern Europe. Here they can offer high quality at a competitive price. With PXB and CRM software, these companies can gather Lead Generation Outsourcing to help business move forward.

Appointment Setting Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

Appointment Setting Outsourcing is at the sharp end of sales for the business world. This is where the future of a company can be made or broken. At its source, Data Validation, is the first important point.

It would be useless to gather and sell information on a prospective customer, if it was out of Date. The person may have moved, or their personal circumstances may have changed. So the information must be cleaned and validated.

Appointment Setting Outsourcing, can only be handled by expert sales people. Training and experience are key factors when it comes to clinching sales, and an amateur approach can not only lose sales, but damage the confidence people will have in a company for the future.

Many Appointment setting, are generated from trade shows or advertising campaigns. This is where people show they are genuinely interested in the product or service that is on offer. Once interest has been shown in any area, that information is very valuable, so must not be wasted.

In the past many small or medium sized companies would have to carry out this type of research themselves. Carrying a huge amount of Data, and top-heavy with staff. Now, thanks to the Information revolution, these services can be outsourced around the globe. Companies can specialise in gathering just that Data, and keeping it up to date.

A small company can buy in just what it wants, when it needs it. Helping them to compete in a tough market. Many lead generated by Appointment settings, can lead to nothing. There is nothing more damaging for a company than wasted time. So an Appointment setting company must prove it can turn those vague promises into genuine prospects.

To this end, only qualified and experienced companies can pull this off. As business people will only really take notice of results.

Timing is very important, when it comes to Appointment Setting Outsourcing. A Company may not be interested in branching out with new software and machinery, if they have only just started trading. In time, they may be more open to up grading to a wider system. But only an expert company can test the timing of the sales.

Market Research & Surveys Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

Market Research & Surveys Outsourcing, is driven more and more by Data based information. Many small and medium sized firms are desperate to jump on the bandwagon that has become the global revolution in commerce. Information and communication is now in the hands of anyone who wants to use it for business purposes.

Wasted leads can drag down a small company trying to compete in a tough market. So Data validation plays an important part in making sure a sales team targets only the customers who are genuinely interested in a product or service for sale.

CRM software can maintain a level of data, to ensure every prosperous lead is utilised to the full.

In the old days, it would be left to market research companies to trawl the streets, asking people questions. But now Market Research and Survey sites can ensure that the data gathered there is correct and up to date. So if a customers expresses a genuine interest in a product or service, you can be assured that a sales lead, in their direction, stands a good chance of success.

This information cannot be researched and stored by a small sales company, so they must buy in the lists from an Outsourced company. Market Research & Survey Outsourcing offers the best prospect for this.

Many of these services can now be automated. Sending out emails to test the water, a CRM programme can build a picture of the prospective sales market, very cheaply. Because these pieces of hardware can be stored anywhere in the world, the companies can operate offshore. Saving huge costs.

Of course a customer will have little confidence in a system, if they feel there is no human being at the other end, taking notice of the problems they face. So a system has to personalise and tailor is resources to meet the demand. CRM software can achieve this, and through Market Research & Survey Outsourcing the company hoping to make the sale, can see just how the market is shaping up. Sales lines or types of service will always be subject to the whims of fashion and the market. But a company using the correct Data, can foresee this.

Many Market Research & Survey Outsourcing sites, now offer rewards of prizes or money for taking the survey. Ensuring that whoever types in the information, had a vested interest in doing so.

Customer Win-Back/Sales Recovery Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

When a Database has been set up to help a company find new customers, the maintenance of that Data is all important. Sales can be generated and leads followed, but with the vast market of the Internet, customers have no reason to stay loyal to just one firm.

There are so many products and services on offer, it presents a glittering array of confusion. So it is little wonder that the winning back of lost customers is very important to modern business.

Now a small company cannot hope to manage all these services on their own, but help is at hand with outsourcing. An Outsourced company can operate anywhere in the world, at a fraction of the cost, and provide a quality service to solve the problem.

The main source of the problem, would be to identify why the customer left, or no longer uses the service. The most direct method of doing this, is simple to ask them. If their name and address is still on the Database, then mailing the customer might be the answer. In the past, a paper system, through the postal service of that country, might be expensive and unwieldy. But with the Internet and the revolution in cell phones, everything has changed.

Spam is one of the biggest worries of the modern Internet. No one likes it, and Service Providers go to a lot of trouble to wipe it out. Yahoo can even divide it into two different folders. But if a customer has expressed a wish in the past to communicate with the company, they have offered their consent. This approach is more likely to work and than a blanket mail-shot, as the customer may be still on your side.

Many companies that hold large Databases, storing the buying history of customers, will constantly maintain them. Making sure the people listed are still available, and still open to responses. There is no point in keeping old and out of date information, as this can be actually damaging to a sales campaign.

One of the best ways of double checking data is to ask the customers to fill in a survey. Many of these now have financial rewards, so customers are more than interested to participate. In these surveys, they may be asked why they left and what would induce them to return. This information can be collected and analysed by a company specialising in Customer Win-Back/Sales Recovery Outsourcing. Customers can be kept informed with a regular newsletter. Outlining the hopes and plans of the company. This was the customer feels involved and made welcome. Engaging them, as if they are stakeholders in the company itself.

Account Maintenance Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

One of the main reasons Account Maintenance is outsourced is cost. Repetitious and labour intensive activities put the management of a large Database, outside the price range of many small companies. But

with Outsourcing to an offshore company, they can compete in a global market.

Account maintenance can be either the cleaning out of old and unwanted files, or the checking of security Data. To keep records tidy and up to date, the outsourced company will constantly ask the customer for a quality report. The easiest method of doing this, is to email a survey. These can have a financial reward, to gain the customer’s trust and enthusiasm, and consequently, their consent.

Modern web sites can work with ASP and PHP programming, to collect and send via auto-responders. This mean they can run very cheaply at low maintenance, and to this end, the companies running the machinery can be Outsourced anywhere on the planet. With CRM management software, the information can be gathered and analysed to present an honest picture of the accounts.

Security can be in the form of tracing the purchase history of an account. In the credit card industry a customer can have their purchase history looked at in detail, to make sure a thief is not using their account. If the activity is outside of their normal activity, in items or the area they live, then there may be a breach of security. To this end, there must be a constant maintenance for reconciliation to take place.

Customers will only feel confident if they know a dispute will be resolved in the future. Bad publicity over uncaring companies can only work against future sales.

This represents a huge commitment and can only be maintained by a company using advanced PBX software. There must be a high level of training for any staff involved as good managers can turn a company around. Account Maintenance outsourcing can be a big hurdle to a small company, but it can be a major stumbling block if not handled properly. Business is too important now, to be left to chance. Outsourced companies have proved they can provide the right degree of quality for Account Maintenance, and with the massive boom in Industry commerce, this looks like the right way forward.

Up-Selling/Cross-Selling Programs Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

The essence of Up-Selling and Cross Selling, is to capture your market. Customers can be retained, if you can grab their attention and entertain them enough, to enquire about your products and services a little deeper.

One of the best examples of this technique is Amazon. For every page you look at, your are presented with a side bar. This tells you what similar offers are on sale. It will be worded something like: “people who purchased this book are also interested in….” But it grabs the attention and, and if the customer is honest, they have to admit that the product or service may interest them too.

The activity of customers on these types of web sites, can be gathered together to form a shopping history. This can be correlated by CRM software programmes and sold to an Outsourced company, who can use it to provide a service.

This might prove to be a problem, if the customer does not grant their consent. But by gathering the information through surveys for financial rewards, the customers can feel confident their trust has not been abused. Once the pattern of someone’s shopping habits has been correlated, you stand a good chance of predicting what they will buy next.

Information like that is priceless to a small or medium sized company, struggling in a global market. Many of these firms are Outsourced offshore, and they can offer blocks of information on customers when and how you want it. This way, they can keep the costs down, as to gather this type of information is very labour intensive.

At one time, there could be staffing problems with the level of challenge and repetition, but in countries such as India and the Philippines, they welcome the chance to bring in quality jobs. To keep a Database at a high quality of maintenance, requires a staff qualified in SQL and other programming languages. Companies successful in Up- Selling and Cross-Selling Outsourcing, can prove they have the staff motivation to offer the level service, needed to make the most of CRM programmes.

Shipment Track and trace Claims Processing Outsourcing.

By Steven Lambert

With the invention of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) it is now possible to buy an item anywhere in the world and track its progress around the globe to your home.

This is only possible because software enables anyone to track its cycle through billing to dispatch. The great leap in information technology had enabled companies to outsource these services to save costs. Here is a level of service that would have been unobtainable if not for outsourcing. A Company will now have access to a highly educated and well trained pool of staff, that can be formed into another company, and contracted to do the job.

The latest type of software to be used with Track and Trace implementations, is J2EE Architecture. This was developed through the Java 2 platform. It can be used to track the logistics of the goods in transit, and provide a series of check-points, pooled together as a Field Force Solution.

The Service Level Agreements (SLA) are the benchmark by which an Outsourced call centre is judged. They may have stipulated specific measurable metrics (SLA’s) by which they are measured. So the radio tags would be a vitally important part of that process. What is more, it may be possible for outside sources to view the activity and make their own judgements on its performance. In the past, large companies could hide behind their bulk to hide away from the public. This is no longer possible, and competition is now judged on quality of performance.

RFID is now replacing scanned codes, as a method tracking a parcel. In the past, a supplier would have to hope the person scanning the parcel was reliable enough to do the job efficiently. If they did not scan the code, no one could track the progress of the parcel. But with RFID the radio frequency itself can be tracked, cutting out the margin of error.

The RFID is formed into a TAG. Inside the Tag are the tracking device, an antenna, and a controller. Here lies a chip and a coil to form an antenna. This can actually broadcast a signal, which is usually picked up on a handheld device, but can also be tracked via a satellite. Once the signal is picked up by the reader, it will be sent to a computer to process

the data. This will be analysed by CRM software, to present a true account of where the parcel actually is.

Collections/Accounts Receivable Outsourcing

By Steven Lambert

When a company decided it wants to Outsource it’s work to save time and money, it will find it now need several levels of management and organisation. Once the accounts department is underway, there are several layers of service that are required.

Collections are a very problematic part of any accounts department. The biggest problem, is to get the payments in. They may be overdue, or the system simply has a problem. Not all bad collections are down to fraud. People may be perfectly willing to make a payment, but due to currency exchanges and bank clearance delays, it may appear as a bad debt.

A small company could not manage all these aspects on its own, so it needs the help of an Outsourced agency. This other company would liase with credit agencies and the like, to sort out any problems that might come their way. With an outsourced company, you would have a pool of highly educated and motivated group of people, trained into a team.

But if it came to collecting bad debts the Outsourced company would have to have a legal department to make a financial claim I order to begin proceedings against the customers. The money must be recovered, in order for the firm to carry on trading.

They will set out an action plan, to conform with the legal perspectives of the country or credit company they are dealing with, then inform the courts. This may involve debt recovery agencies in a third party capacity.

One important point when it comes to Collections and Accounts Outsourcing, is to keep the database up to date. People pass on, or move and even face changes in the circumstances. This changes their relationship on the Database, and a good credit analysis company can comb through them to find the true pattern behind the accounts.

Quality is an important point, when it comes to Outsourcing. A Company will be judged on how it performs the task that it faces. If people feel they have been wrongly treated, then this will create a negative image of the company. So these Outsourced accounts companies will have service agreements, by which they will be judged.

Reporting & Administrative Support Outsourcing.

By Steven Lambert

Companies that choose Outsourcing as a mean to help boost their prospects, will be looking for the administrative costs to be one of the top priorities.

Reports will need to be generated if they are to have a true picture of how their business is shaping up. Databases will need to be updated on a regular basis, and this will need a high level of skill. If the small company was to remain on its own shoes, they may never be able to afford such a level of service.

But by looking offshore to Outsource the services, they will be able to find a highly educated and skilled team of people, only too willing to help.

Once you have found a few good examples of how others have done it, this is the road to travel. Word of mouth, is one of the best tests of quality. The Service Level Agreements (SLA) are the methods of how you judge the performance of an Outsourced company. They will have metered goals, to which they have to perform, and a report will be generated on how close they came.

When you look at some of the successful examples on the world market, you can see why Report Outsourcing can work. British Petroleum Exploration (BPX) outsourced its Reporting & Administrative Support to an outsourced firm in 1991. With an $18 bn market for oil, BPX had other things to worry about. The 13,000 invoices it used to generate a

month could now be handled by Anderson Consulting. It has now halved the costs, and has now been proved so successful that other large oil companies are now using the service.

One of the keys to its success, was the flexibility the Outsourcing Company was able to present, under changing circumstances. This is the true test of skill, when it comes to the level of quality of any firm handling Administrative Support. In turn, this is down to the level expertise in how the management software applications are implemented.

An Outsourced Company will be more aware that it has to be more flexible and take more care, in order to prove itself.

VOIP Click-To-Talk

By Steven Lambert

It seems the whole call centre world is going over to VOIP software, as way of meeting the challenge of the new communication revolution. The most obvious reason, being cost. But many operators have found the VOIP system much easier to operate and maintain.

Circuit switch was always the most negative aspect of the old systems. There had to be a highly skilled team of engineers at hand in order to maintain it. So small firms could never hope to compete in a world market. Once the VOIP click-to-talk system was Outsourced, many firms found a level of skill and education more than able to implement the new system.

Call quality is the most obvious barometer of VOIP and Outsourcing. Service level agreements (SLA’s) place very demanding metrics on how a call centre performs. How many rings a call takes, and how helpful the staff actually were on the phone, can make all the difference. With VOIP click-to talk these metrics are achievable. Very advanced software is now available to test and monitor the performance of these systems. Something not available with the old fashioned systems.

One way of measuring the quality of calls was something called Jitter metrics. Calls are sent as packets of information down the line, and processed at very fast speeds. VOIP gets round this with software, that corrects any delay or distortion which may sound annoying to the caller. There may be delays between two different people speaking on calls

which could be across the globe. The delays can be cued to synchronise the call to sound like a sensible conversation.

Media Gateways can employ Jitter Buffers can compress a packet delay on the order of 50 to 150 milliseconds. Another problem area is Packet Loss Concealment (PLC). VOIP uses Codecs (coder/décor) to deal with the correct delay and loss in the system.

This is to fill in any embarrassing silences brought about by a void in the system between speakers. There is still a long way to go with the VOIP system, but with global Outsourcing, this is one of the few applications than be used with an guarantee of success.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

By Steven Lambert

We all know IVR as the telephone system that routes our calls through a layer of choices before we get to speak to a human. The popular media might deride this call system, but it has helped thousands of small companies enter the world of commerce, and created thousands of jobs.

In many cases a human being is not needed to answer a query or receive information. The future of the system will be wholly linked to the internet as information choices are nothing new when it comes to surfing a web site. People will still need the use of cell phones, as they offer so much freedom for the individual. After all, it is far easier to pick up a cell phone and retrieve information, than sit at a computer.

As technology grows, the two systems will merge. Already laptop computers are getting smaller, and with wireless systems coming on-line, they are using the same systems. But the revolution in 3G phones, has seen a massive leap in what can be offered, in such a small device. IVR can offer a touch-tone keypad selection service, to bring a very advanced method of information gathering to the customer.

IVR can interact with customers to gather information, and pass it on to a management program, such as a CRM, to analyse the Data for commercial use. It would take a huge multinational to carry out all these tasks under one roof, so many small companies get round this by Outsourcing the service to a third party.

The strength of IVR systems is their use of pre-recorded human voices, to offer a choice to the calling customer. Once this data is gathered in, the IVR system will present the information to the staff reading the Database, to make an informed choice on how they will respond. Priority to calls and the upkeep of the Database will be laid out in a method which will keep them efficient in a commercially lean world.

Historically the greatest problem with call centre staff, has been turnover. For a system to be at the beck and call of the customer it has to work 24/7, with no exceptions. For a small company to offer this service anywhere in the world, would be impossible but for Outsourced call centres. But the beauty of a semi-automated system such as IVR is that it requires so few people to be on-hand all the time.

Technical staff may be needed to make monitoring decisions on some of the larger systems, but many of these IVR services work on their own.

As companies like to build a database relation with their customers, IVR systems are even more important, for gathering information. Once a customers has been won over, a company is very reluctant to lose them. So it must keep as much up to date information on their activities as it can. There can be a moral question here, but for the fact that this information is gathered via a Survey, sometimes for cash. IVR stems are an excellent method of gathering this information.

Email Processing

By Steven Lambert

Email processing is one of the fastest growing areas of outsourcing commerce today.

With small companies offering information on everything to accounts to entertainment, via the phone and the Internet, methods of processing all this are vital.

Email processing systems can provide a far cheaper service than a phone call. Costs can be worked out for E-support at around 25 cents per customer interaction, compared to $25 for a phone call. In a world where

people are far more internet savvy than ever before, it is more likely they will find satisfaction via a web site than quarrelling on the phone.

Email Processing can offer a hierarchy of questions and solutions to a customer via a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Here customers can travel around until they feel they have had their question answered, or curiosity satisfied.

Phone enquires with IVR systems are all very well for someone stranded in the countryside with only a cell phone, but with wireless laptop services coming on stream, there is so much more to offer.

Sometimes human interaction is needed to solve more complex problems with accounts etc. For this we need customer relationship management (CRM). The sharp end of this software is the Instant Messaging systems. This will enable a customer to interact with the staff at the call centre to help solve their problems.

When it comes to making a phone call, this system can be integrated with the Voice over Protocol (VOIP) software. Email processing information may be gained from online surveys, but if this fails, or encounters a problem, then human interaction is needed. Many companies offer a toll-free line as part of their service. This is vital as a last resort if the company using the system is to retain any quality control and stick to the Service Level Agreements.

One of the most negative aspects of email processing is SPAM. Many service providers now offer security systems such as Firewalls that comb out unwanted emails. To this end, the customers must be in a good relationship with the provider of the emails, both to and from.

Fax on DemandBy Steven Lambert

Fax on Demand is a system where customers can phone a call centre and request a document to be sent to their fax printers. These can be lengthy documents such as manuals.

The beauty of this system lies in the fact that the documents can be called upon anywhere in the world at any time of day. It enables a

customer to have at hand as much information as possible at a moment’s notice.

What’s more, the information can be stored via a remote server, which can be located in an Outsourced Call Centre, anywhere in the world. This has enabled small companies to offer services otherwise only dreamt of a few years before. It provides flexibility and commercial leanness is a highly competitive world.

With CRM and VOIP systems callers can interact with a Database, to find and call up, the documents they require. Many of these documents may be research materials that have been scanned from a paper source. True to say, this service may be over taken by the PDF file sharing system of the Internet. But many documents may never be converted to PDF or Word files, and the customer may find this limiting.

Many documents may not be converted to a digital form for legal reasons, for fear they may be sold over the Internet. Having a printed version may only appeal to academic professionals, using it for research purposes. But there is a huge back-log of materials which will only ever appear on paper, and these are important for research purposes.

There are two methods of Fax on demand systems. The first method requires the caller to push their Start button to receive the fax on the same call. The second method Queues the call for delivery on a separate call, using 2 calls to complete the service. The advantage of the two-call method is that fewer fax ports are required. But the advantage of the one call system is that the caller pays for the transmission of the fax document on the entire call.

Customized Logistics & Financial Support

By Steven Lambert

With the growth of Outsourced Call centres, the range of services has grown with it.

Now a small company can have all the services at its fingertips that would once only have been available to a multinational. All the facilities of product support, telemarketing and customer care can now be outsourced to a third party to act on behalf of the small firm, towards the customer.

Also the company can have its own services taken care of. The “In House” services can drag a company down if the overheads are too big. All the aspects of accountancy such as Payroll, Invoices, banking, and Invoices can be handled by an Outsourced Company who can handle Customized Logistics & Financial Support.

These Outsourced Companies can adopt the same standards of accountancy applications used in the host country. TassBooks, Quicken, Sage and Excel are already well known in India, Eastern Europe and the Philippines.

But many small firms can now go further than that. ASP or Application Service Provision is a type of web design that enables small businesses to do so much more. By only paying a monthly rental fee, a firm can only buy in the software when they need it. This sets many companies free to compete in a lean commercial world.

The problems of security and transfer speeds have now been overcome. This has been carried out with the use of Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS). US companies spend Billions each year trying to maintain their financial systems, and this cost has to be passed onto the customer. So it makes sense to use Outsourced experts, that have the same level of education and training to meet the standards in their Service Level Agreements (SLA).

The joy of an ASP system, means that the customer can get a result on-line instantly. Giving them the impression that there is someone sitting on the other end of the line, taking an interest in their affairs. If they have a query, which cannot be solved with the Frequently Asked Questions page, then the ASP system can channel them through the network. Everyone is seen and every call is taken. Response to customers is one of the greatest challenges facing e-commerce in the future.

SMS Text Messaging

By Steven Lambert

Short Message Services (SMS) are a method of sending a text message to any mobile phone. They can be from 160 characters to 224

characters if they are using a system in 5 bit mode. The system works through the Global System for Mobiles service (GSM) to send them out.

This offers whole new horizons of business to the small company. They can be mobile and on the road, and still stay in touch with their core business activities. In the past is would have taken an army of office staff to keep a manager as well informed as this.

As the old pager system switches over to the new 3G phones, people are finding out that there is so much more available to the business world. In time it will merge with the wireless laptop systems, as phones become more advanced and computers, smaller.

The advantage of the SMS system over the old pager network, is that the phone does not have to be active or in range. But one of the most attractive advantages, is that a message can be sent from a PC. This makes the personal office a reality.

Many professionals have taken up this service. Doctors now use the SMS service to receive urgent calls on patient emergency. The central call centre can send out the SMS message, notifying the Doctor with important details on drugs, which may be difficult to convey over a normal phone call.

Logistics businesses can use the system linked in with the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. These are radio tags fitted to every parcel, for the call centre to track its cycle through the system. A driver or delivery person, can now be directed to the whereabouts of a parcel, and send back vital information on its progress. But many drivers know the system, as the method of receiving details of their next delivery address. Once, a huge amount of time and money was wasted on wrong or late deliveries, but thanks to SMS the system can flow smoothly. This is vital to support the SLA for any quality control.

As the system grows, the next generation with photo and camera capacity, can handle even more detailed information. This puts even more freedom in the hands of the individual.

Outbound Progressive & Predictive Dialling Software

By Steven Lambert

Outbound progressive & Predictive dialling software is the equipment used by a call centre to automatically phone a list of names. These can be potential customers who have expressed an interest in doing business with that company through a survey.

Years ago, a company would employ a small army of staff to laboriously ring all the people on a list, to gain a series of results. True to say, this luxury was only available to the large companies. But now, with Outsourced Call centres, even small companies can call upon this service.

The biggest problem the staff would face, was the fact that most of the calls were never answered, or they got through to an answering machine. But a Predictive dialler can screen out any unwanted calls, to simply track down the ones where people are responding. The saving in time and money here, is so vast, that no Call centre can now do without it.

Database companies will carry out a certain amount of housekeeping upon their information. An important part of this, is to screen out disconnected or dead phone numbers. If they want to sell that data as up to date and relevant to modern business, then they have to guarantee the numbers are active and responsive. The most important aspect of this is service follow-ups. Where a marketing company will be hard pressed not to lose a good customer, who could provide valuable sales in the future?

Many times a predictive caller will simply deliver a recorded message to the customer. But the customer will have been picked due to their history in the service being provided. Many times these can be competitions, where the Predictive dialler knows they are on the list because they have expressed an interest in competitions in the past, and have given their consent to receive the call.

A Predictive Dialler will work in conjunction with a Progressive one. One can call up a number, but only a Progressive Dialler can lock onto the call and follow it up with a message, once it is established the customer is actually there.