Telecoms technology improves customer experience

Simon Latham, European sales manager at Interalia Communications, has revealed how businesses can improve customer service through advances in telecoms technology.

Retail businesses are extremely competent in advertising their products and services via mass media operations and most large retail operations spend a significant part of their revenue providing information to potential customers to encourage them into their store.

However, unless the retail operation employs a large number of in-store staff, thereafter it often relies on static displays to give customer information regarding both the products on display and other company information that is vital in turning a small spend into a major purchase and a routine visit into a more personal event.

While the internet offers 24-hour access and is widely used by major supermarkets, not all customers can access information by this route.

Of increasing importance is the need for companies to create telephone information and helplines that offer customers an around-the-clock contact point.

By harnessing today's telecommunications technology, organisations can create sophisticated response systems that manage large volumes of enquiries and help organisations deal with each individual caller in the most effective and appropriate manner.

Today, technology is available to provide multifunction announcement platforms to enable large retail operations to maximise the potential from in-store customers by providing information and entertainment to enhance the customer's in-store experience.

This type of technology provides services to customers both in-store and via the telephone on a single, ultra-reliable, multi-port unit that connects to any existing PABX and/or PA system.

Different retail situations and operations have their own unique images and methodologies.

The following benefits, therefore, are general guidelines only as the inherent flexibility of today's announcement systems allow for infinite variations.

These can be tailored to provide individual retail operations with a system that relates to their own requirements.

Sound from different sources can be broadcast via a PA system to provide ambient music to in-store customers with different music being broadcast in different zones of the store.

Regular safety and information announcements can be gracefully blended with the background sound source to give necessary and valuable information to browsing customers.

This can vary from standard scheduled opening times and promotional messages to ad hoc announcements for those special, last-minute sales offers that can mean the difference between overstock and empty shelves.

Graphical user interfaces and Message Manager software allows staff to simply and efficiently change the announcement schedule to play pre-recorded announcements or even to record new announcements that can be undertaken with minimal training.

How often are telephone callers given the same attention as in-store browsers? Call announcement and processing systems can be connected to virtually any telephone system.

It is not necessary to scrap current technology or rebuild the entire telephone system.

Instead, businesses can simply add on the technology to increase the functionality of their existing network.

Retail operations can enhance their remote appeal.

Autoattendant provides callers with a professional and immediate answer to their call, irrespective of busy periods and staff availability.

Auto Attendant also allows callers to route themselves through to the correct department without involving the valuable time of in-store staff.

Audiotext allows callers to choose to listen to routine store information, opening times, special offers, and so on, without having staff relay repetitive information.

The caller retains the ability to select to simply and quickly transfer to an operator if there is a need for a one-to-one discussion.

Inevitably callers will be put on hold for short periods of time.

However, the days of having to listen to bland 'lift music' have now gone.

Music on Hold can be changed to Marketing on Hold to inform customers with professionally recorded messages to promote the company or products.

There are many systems available, but the best are not necessarily the most expensive and often the independent specialist companies that concentrate solely on this type of technology have the experience and products available to ensure that the outlay is rapidly rewarded.

Phone information lines can become clogged at high points of demand, resulting in lost business.

Systems, such as Interalia's, not only allow organisations to cope with changes in demand but ensure all callers get the information they require whatever the strain on resources.

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