Industry News

July/August 2007

New Postal Rates Hits Connections with a 41 Percent Increase

The new USPS rates hit Connections Magazine hard, with a 41 percent increase.  To address this, Connections Magazine is carefully scrutinizing each copy that is mailed.  Every deserving, qualified person should continue to receive a copy.  However, a diligent quest is underway to identify and remove duplicate and obsolete mailings.

• Let Connections know of extra copies that your company no longer needs.
• If the address label contains incorrect information, please update it.
• If you are personally receiving multiple copies at different locations, please wean yourself down to one copy and cancel the rest.
• Check your mailing label.  If it says "Please Renew," Connections Magazine definitely needs to hear from you if your subscription is to continue.

All these items (subscription renewals, changes, updates, as well as new subscription requests) can be accomplished online at www.connectionsmagazine.com/subscribe.

ATA Supports Obama Comments on Telemarketing Fraud

The American Teleservices Association (ATA) responded to comments made by Senator Barack Obama concerning telemarketing fraud.  Senator Obama said that, while telemarketing and electronic commerce "represent important ways for many seniors to participate in the economy as merchants and consumers," he is concerned about whether the enforcement actions of the Federal Trade Commission are sufficient to prevent fraud targeting the elderly. 

As a nonprofit trade association dedicated to teleservices (call centers, users of telemarketing, suppliers, and consultants of call center services), ATA believes the issues of fraud enforcement must be examined more universally and not focused solely on telephone business practices.  Tim Searcy, chief executive officer of the ATA, commented that "fraud is fraud regardless of the channel the criminal uses…direct mail, email, advertising, person-to-person, etc.  This issue is far larger than the teleservices industry."

ATA has taken its own measures toward self-regulation and enforcement of fraudulent activities within teleservices.  Recently, ATA released its first draft of contact center self-regulatory standards.  Once finalized, ATA and the Federal Trade Commission will likely determine the appropriate enforcement structure for the new standards.

For more information about ATA's self-regulatory standards, please visit www.bryancave.com/ata-sro.

Amtelco Innovates with Timesaving "Push-to-Talk" Feature

Amtelco announced the new Infinity Push-to-Talk feature, which gives agents fast access to overhead paging or radio connections.  This eliminates the need for staff to move to a specific location to access security radios or mobile dispatch radios, saving time and increasing efficiency.  To activate the connection, operators press and hold a key on the keyboard, which remains active until the button is released.  Agents see a visual indication on the screen that they are currently connected to the overhead paging system or to the radio.  The Push-to-Talk button can be assigned to any function key on a standard keyboard or any key on the Infinity KB163 keyboard.

"The new Infinity Push-to-Talk feature makes it possible for our customers to offer overhead paging or multichannel radio communications to their clients, as well as providing an instant communication link with security personnel and staff throughout their client's businesses in urgent situations," stated Tom Curtin, president of Amtelco.

For more information on Amtelco's Infinity system, contact Amtelco at 800-356-9148 or info@amtelco.com.

Professional Teledata Launches New Versions of PInnacle and PI2000

Professional Teledata officially released PInnacle Telemessaging System 2.1 and PI2000 Inbound Call Processing Program 6.1 at the sixty-third annual ATSI Conference and Expo.  "We've put a tremendous amount of energy and effort into improving our products and are proud to have implemented a variety of new enhancements, many from our customers' wish lists," said Allen Kalik, president of Professional Teledata as he addressed many attendees at the conference.

"In this release we were able to introduce forty-five product specific enhancements to the systems, a true testament to the dedication our team has to making PInnacle the strongest product in the industry," added Jim Graham, vice president of development.  The newest releases of the PInnacle and PI2000 systems span a wide spectrum of enhancements and new features including: improved account setup, advanced reporting of statistical data, catalog features and functions, and many more.  As is standard with the PI2000 and PInnacle purchases, the new releases have been made available at no charge to all users as part of their standard support agreement. 

For more information, visit the company online at www.professionalteledata.com or contact Karen Black (800) 344-9944 x112 or kblack@proteledata.com.

Telescan Expands Customer Service

Telescan has recently added Michelle (Chelle) Conway to their customer service department.  In addition to her customer service responsibilities, Chelle will coordinate new installations to insure the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Chelle comes to Telescan with an extensive background in the telecommunications industry.  She has worked as a project coordinator for several telecommunication companies and has WAN and LAN experience in programming languages applicable to voice and data communications, as well as personal computers.

"The addition of Chelle demonstrates Telescan's continued commitment to provide the best customer service in the industry," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "As our sales levels continue to break records, we will continue to add service people."

To find out more about Telescan, call 800-770-7662 or visit their new Web site, www.telescan.net.

Chuck Boyce to Represent XLScheduler in North America

XLScheduler announced their new representative, Chuck Boyce, who, besides Allan Fromm, will represent XLScheduler in North America.  Chuck is a strong advocate for the industry and has worked to educate telecom carriers on the unique challenges call center managers face.  Chuck has been working with XLScheduler since one of the first installations in North America.

XLScheduler has experienced increasing success over the last couple of years, and the number of customer installations has more than doubled.  More than 100 installations of XLScheduler provide effective work schedules for thousands of employees in North America and Scandinavia.  In order to better focus on this product, the time has now come to launch XLScheduler as a company of its own.  On May 1st, 2007, XLScheduler AB was formed with Annika Heaver as president and ten employees.  Hans Wilhelmsson, the owner and previous president, will still be involved in sales, marketing, and development for both ExcelSpecialisten XLS AB and XLScheduler AB.

For more information, contact Chuck Boyce at 888-563-0040 or cboyce@btpartners.net.

Professional Teledata Hires Marketing Professional

 To increase market share and to ensure long-term growth for the company, Professional Teledata has hired Diana Holland of Outstanding Marketing Solutions to develop and implement the company's marketing strategy.  "We are excited to have Ms. Holland on our team," said Allen Kalik, president of Professional Teledata.  "She brings a refreshing level of energy and enthusiasm to the table, and we are confident that her marketing background will assist us in meeting our long-term goals.  We've always been so focused on developing the products that we have sometimes struggled with letting our audience really know the strengths and value that our product lineup holds.  Ms. Holland will guide our marketing team with those goals in mind."

Holland's firm, Outstanding Marketing Solutions, specializes in strategic marketing planning and implementation of marketing goals through effective advertising methods.  "I'm proud to be the newest member of the Professional Teledata team.  I am so impressed by the products that the company offers.  Their focus truly is on developing the best products for the industry, and that makes my job so much more rewarding," said Holland.

For more information, visit www.professionalteledata.com or contact Karen Black at 800-344-9944 x112 or kblack@proteledata.com.

eTelecare to Add 3,000 Employees in New Center

eTelecare Global Solutions, a provider of business process outsourcing (BPO), announced it will invest in its sixth delivery center in the Philippines.  The new center, located in the Annex@Shaw facility in Mandaluyon City, Metro Manila, will open in the third quarter of 2007 and employ more than 3,000 employees when fully deployed.

Funding for the new center comes from eTelecare's recently completed initial public offering (IPO) of American Depository Shares.  eTelecare is the first Philippine-incorporated business process outsourcing company and the second Filipino company overall to trade on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

"Our successful U.S. IPO affirms that the Philippines is one of the top outsourcing delivery locations in the world, and that there is strong market demand for a high-quality multi-shore provider such as eTelecare," said John Harris, eTelecare president and chief executive officer.

Founded in 1999, eTelecare provides technical support, customer service, sales, and customer retention from both onshore and offshore locations.  Additional information is available at www.etelecare.com.

CAM-X CSR & Supervisor Certification a Success

 CAM-X announced a 100 percent success rate for those delegates who participated in the recent CSR and Supervisor Certification exam held in conjunction with the annual Call Centre Coaching Clinic in Calgary, AB in April 2007 and Huntsville, ON in May 2007.

Participants spent two days taking part in a range of modules calculated to address the varied methods of enhancing analysis of services.  In addition, delegates participated in various role-playing and case study components along with a host of other events designed to inspire, educate, and motivate all call center workers.

Once the delegates had completed the intensive and innovative training-review modules, they applied their expertise to the CSR/Supervisor exam where every participant passed.  "This is a new Member Service initiative and we are extremely pleased with the preparation and dedication from each of the delegates," said Michael Leibowitz, CAM-X president. 

CAM-X executive director, Linda Osip, in conjunction with the board of directors, would like to extend their mutual congratulations to all the participants whose efforts and commitment enhance the reputation of call centers everywhere.

CAM-X (www.camx.ca) is a Canadian-based trade association for the call management industry.

Medcom Call Center Earns Recertification

The Association of Teleservices International (ATSI) announced that MedCom Professional Services has received the Gold 24/7 Call Center Certification Award for the seventh year in a row.  "MedCom was the first call center to be certified under this program in 2001," said Beth Cooper after completing the on-site inspection.  She noted that "Medcom has passed the certification review an unprecedented three times, including during a major platform change."

The certification, which requires a physical inspection every three years, indicates that MedCom has met or exceeded high standards in the following areas: business practices, life safety, operations (including normal and emergency procedures), personnel hiring, training, and ongoing evaluations through a peer review program focusing on 99.9 percent annual run time.

 MedCom (www.med-com.com) is located in Levittown, PA.  ATSI (www.atsi.org) is an international trade association for the teleservices business.

Business and Professional Exchange Recertifies with PInnacle System

Business & Professional Exchange, Inc. (BPE) has requalified for the ATSI (Association of Teleservices International) Gold 24/7 Call Center Certification Award; it is the first PInnacle system to be awarded.  The certification indicates that BPE, Inc. has met or exceeded the high standards set for call center site certification.

Business & Professional Exchange, located in Beverly, MA, operates a twenty-six-position call center employing fifty agents.  The company was founded in 1977.

For more information about Business & Professional Exchange, Inc., visit www.bpeinc.com.  PInnacle is produced by Proteledata (www.professionalteledata.com); ATSI (www.atsi.org) is an international trade association for the teleservices industry.

Most Consumers Only Give Hospitals One Chance to Gain Their Business

An analysis of more than 300,000 healthcare calls found that 75 percent of callers who don't get through on the first try will not call back.  A new white paper from The Beryl Institute, "It's Not Just a Call, It's a Customer," explores reasons callers hang up before completing the call, lost revenue as a result of those abandoned attempts, and ways to decrease the number of callers who can't get through.

Hospitals have many points at which they can encounter consumers and leave a positive impression.  While many have taken measures to improve customer service during face-to-face interactions, phone calls often are not given as high a priority.  The paper delves into the value of reducing the number of callers that don't get through on the first try and demonstrates the impact these callers have on the bottom line.  "There's a misconception that patients are more patient because they're likely calling about something quite personal – their health," said Paul Spiegelman, executive director of The Beryl Institute.  "But our analysis shows just the opposite."

A free copy of the paper is available from www.theberylinstitute.net.

Televerde Receives ISO 9001:2000 Certification

Televerde, a provider of outsourced business-to-business customer acquisition solutions and actionable market intelligence, announced that it has achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification.  Televerde is one of a very few solution outsourcers to earn this certification.  Accepted internationally by the national standards bodies of 157 countries, the ISO 9001:2000 certification recognizes that Televerde met or exceeded a series of strict requirements guiding how the company performs, manages, and ensures quality services.

"Because we focus on technology clients, many of which are ISO certified, obtaining ISO certification is a best-practices standard that allows us to understand and anticipate their needs and gain a deeper understanding of their customers and competition," said Jim Hooker, president and chief executive officer of Televerde.  "It is a natural step given our focus on total customer service.  We strive to set the bar on great performance, followed by a sustained drive to exceed it." 

Televerde is a provider of actionable market intelligence, customer acquisition solutions, and qualified sales leads for high-tech companies in the business-to-business marketing arena.  For more information, call 888-925-7526, visit www.televerde.com, or contact info@televerde.com.