Internet Call Center
It seems counter-intuitive to think of Internet customer service being entwined with call center services because they have vastly different origins and platforms. However, a growing trend in the call center industry is to have the agents also handle online text chat customer service interactions and customer service e-mails. Sometimes operators go online and use the exact same system that customers can use for self-service when placing orders. This is an actually an ideal hybrid operating model since it gives the customer choices, allows customers to interact with the company regardless of what type of technology they have at home, and means the company only needs to develop and maintain one software system.
This web-based operating model will also be useful if a company with an in-house call-center later decides to outsource those functions. It will not be necessary for the new call center to build any software to handle the calls or put any infrastructure in place that would allow new agents to access the company's databases.
Some call centers utilize their phone operators as e-mail customer service reps as well. This works out efficiently on low volume call days since it gives the agents something to do during their downtime. Obviously, it is a little problematic on days when the queue is backed up for hours. Things can get really complicated when a customer who has not received an answer from an e-mail then calls the 800 number and fails to mention the previous e-mail. Two reps working on the same problem may come to different conclusions which can be embarrassing for the company and confusing or frustrating for the customer.
Another Internet based service that might be stationed in a call center is called chat bot technology. This is an automated system that responds with text messages based an analysis of what the customer types. Chat bots are touted as having amazing accuracy by those selling them, but customer service advocates see them as an affront to decent personal service. Semi-automated chat bot systems also exist. In those cases, a person reads the message, but presses a button on the keyboard to send a canned response.
There are also automated and semi-automated voice responders too. They work the same way. In one, the computer uses speech recognition software to decipher a customer's questions and plays what it thinks is the appropriate response. In other cases, an operator will listen to the person's question and then hit a button on the computer which will play a canned response such as providing the fax number or mailing address.
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