Call Center Industry News

September 2009

Telescan Introduces Live Video Monitoring

At this year's ATSI Convention, Telescan introduced new live video monitoring.  An addition to Telescan's popular Spectrum Messenger, this innovation allows managers to monitor up to six locations at the same time.  Using either a local LAN or remotely, Spectrum video monitoring allows call centers to monitor any location anywhere in the world, as long as there is a Web camera and Internet access. 

Telescan's Spectrum Messenger is a desktop-to-desktop real-time communications tool that is platform independent and has a full range of creative options.  It is compatible with any Windows platform and will operate on any TCP/IP-based local area network using IBM-compatible hardware.  The new live video monitoring component gives call centers another tool to manage more effectively and efficiently.  For instance, video monitoring can be used to monitor remote agents to ensure HIPAA compliance. 

Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales, said, "The new Spectrum Messenger video monitoring is an example of how Telescan has adapted and evolved our products around industry needs.  We are continuing to work on more new products with real-world application that will make life easier for our industry."

For more information, contact Telescan at 800-770-7662, or Patty at 314-616-2445 or patty@telescan.net.

Professional Teledata Announces PInnacle Enhancements

Professional Teledata announced the availability of enhancements for PInnacle customers with eQueue switches and all PInnacle Freedom customers.  The ACD Monitor program shows complete details for all calls in the ACD queue including DNIS, ANI, client name and ID, and the current stage of call handling (such as preannounce, ring, delay announce, or music-on-hold); agent information shows the agent mode (such as talking or working).

"These enhancements are helpful in measuring key performance indicators and providing tools for managing the call queues," stated Alan Hartmann, vice president of Professional Teledata.  "In addition, these changes drive the newly announced real-time traffic statistics package."

The ACD updates enable improved tracking of inbound traffic via the recently released real-time traffic statistics package, providing traffic data based on ACD route, time of day, day of week, client ID, or agent ID.

"This feature has been available since early 2009 for PInnacle customers with Millennium switches, and we have been working to make it available for the balance of our users.  We've designed this to be compatible with the ATSI Industry Standard Certification Workbook," added Hartmann.

Contact Karen Black at 800-344-9944 x112 for more information.

Amtelco's Contact-Based Architecture Eases Scripting and Dispatching

Amtelco's Infinity Intelligent Series (IS) offers call scripting with Contact-Based Architecture (CBA), designed to meet the needs of today's call center clients who demand fewer errors with more sophisticated call-flow scripting, message processing, and contact-based dispatching.

Contact-Based Architecture presents dispatch steps that are specific to the selected contact.  The dispatch steps are presented in the order defined in each contact's status schedule.  As dispatch steps are executed, dispositions are automatically saved, documenting the results of the step and allowing follow-up actions.  CBA guides agents through the entire call process, greatly reducing mistakes while gathering information by automatically:

• checking spelling
• verifying that phone numbers and other fields are entered correctly
• performing automated case conversion
• performing date and time calculations
• filling in city and state with the entry of a postal code
• connecting to external databases and websites

For more information about Amtelco's Contact-Based Architecture, contact Amtelco at 800-356-9148 or send an e-mail to info@amtelco.com.

TASterix's "Openness Policy" Grants Source Code Access

TASterix, a provider of Asterisk-based telemessaging and call center solutions, has granted source code accessibility to VoiceNation, a provider of Virtual PBX solutions.  Jay Reeder, founder and CEO of VoiceNation, stated, "We chose TASterix due to the affordability and incredible flexibility of their solution.  Our internal call center was up and running within thirty days due to TASterix's commonsense approach.  With access to TASterix's source code, our internal development team (with over twenty years of experience) can now help support and create advanced features in conjunction with TASterix's development staff."

Vince McGlone, CEO of TASterix, stated, "TASterix's openness policy is in line with the fact that our industry is heading directly into a new technology shift, and we are proud to be pioneers pushing the industry.  Asterisk-based telephony has been called ‘disruptive,' since it has practically turned all proprietary cost models upside down in every industry Asterisk has infiltrated.  Now that we offer a source code license, the cost of development and speed of enhancements cannot be matched by any other vendor."

ATA Will Be "Answering the Call" In New Orleans

The ATA's (American Teleservices Association) 2009 Convention & Expo will "Answer the Call" this year in New Orleans on October 4-7.  Contact center professionals will convene to understand best-practice strategies for economic recovery, learn how to respond to the changing face of customer communication, and hear about pressing legal issues regarding call center operations and management.

"The 2009 theme, ‘Answering the Call,' is really about understanding how to maximize the value of every contact with each and every customer or prospect," said Tim Searcy, ATA CEO. 

United States Senator David Vitter (Louisiana) will open the conference as a special guest speaker, and keynote presenter Joe Gilliam's address is "How to Create a Positive Culture in the Service Industry."  In addition, the breakout sessions will offer specific implementation strategies, and numerous exhibitors will display emerging technologies. 

Attendees can network during the ATA Expo, attend on-site and off-site networking events, and join the fun during the ATA-Political Action Committee event and the Annual ATA Awards Gala and Casino Night festivities.  The Call Centers Care initiative will work at a Habitat for Humanity service project at the convention's conclusion. 

Telescan Rescues Funeral Home Clients

Any telemessaging business that serves funeral home clients knows how time-consuming it is to update obituaries and memorials; it is also costly for clients.  Telescan has introduced a new software program, Spectrum Funeral Home Manager, that will change that.  The new software allows funeral homes' staff to login and edit their message, adding necessary information on services and memorials.  This will reduce errors and make the call information more accurate by allowing funeral home staff to key in the pertinent information. 

"This program was developed to allow Telescan users to offer improved services to their funeral home customers, while also reducing the cost to these customers," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales.  "We are always listening to our users and developing new products that help their businesses and their clients.  This is one example of a product that came from our users' ‘wish list.'"

For more information, contact Telescan at 800-770-7662, or Patty at 314-616-2445 or patty@telescan.net.

Amtelco Introduces IS Appointment Scheduling

At the recent ATSI convention in Pittsburgh, Amtelco demonstrated the Infinity Intelligent Series (IS) appointment-scheduling module, which offers call centers the ability to host appointment schedules for their clients.  IS appointment scheduling offers a call center the ability to purchase the package and run it on their premises, run IS appointment scheduling as a Web module using any platform, and integrate it with Amtelco's scripted IS messaging or CMI Diamond contact management database.

Amtelco is excited about this new advancement to the Infinity Intelligent Series.  Kevin Beale, Amtelco's software development director stated, "IS appointment scheduling builds on our already strong IS on-call scheduling platform.  It was a natural progression for us to add appointment scheduling to our IS toolkit.  With the combination of on-call scheduling, appointment scheduling, a Web interface, Microsoft Outlook integration, and automated confirmations and reminders, we feel we now have a complete scheduling package that we can offer to our current customers as well as customers running other [vendor's] equipment.  We would love the opportunity to work with anyone looking for new scheduling opportunities."

For more information about appointment scheduling, contact Amtelco at 800-356-9148 or email info@amtelco.com.

OKS-Ameridial Changes Name to Ameridial

Ameridial, Inc. is now the new name for OKS-Ameridial Worldwide, Inc.  The name change reflects their new shareholding structure and expanded focus on delivering sales and service solutions for clients, while building upon their twenty-two years of experience and financial stability.  Company officials emphasize that Ameridial was not bought by another company; the same people and service levels that customers have come to know will remain in place.

"It is with great pride, humility, and gratitude to our customers, employees, and partners that Ameridial Inc., will end its current fiscal year (June 30, 2009) with strong sales and profitability," said chairman Jim McGeorge.  "As we embark on FY 2010, our commitment is to build on this momentum by delivering results that contribute to advancing our client's business in today's challenging environment."

Ameridial is a provider of contact center services that includes inbound customer care and targeted outbound solutions.  With over twenty years of experience in the U.S., Ameridial handles over 100 million calls per year.

Cosmopolitan Medical Communications Awarded Gold Call Center Certification

Association of Teleservices International (ATSI) announced that Cosmopolitan Medical Communications has requalified for the Gold 24/7 Call Center Certification Award.  The certification indicates that Cosmopolitan Medical Communications has met or exceeded high standards in the following areas: business practices, life safety, operations (including normal and emergency procedures), and personnel hiring, training, and ongoing evaluations through a peer review program focusing on a 99.9 percent annual run time.

 "I believe awards and outside recognition simply demonstrate the extra effort we put into our company philosophy which has been acknowledged by our various awards - including ‘Best Places to Work,' three continuous years of receiving the ATSI Award of Excellence, and the Alfred P. Sloan for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility," said Margo Weiss, president of Cosmopolitan.  

ASTAA Contracts with Jan Lee from Communications Seminar

The Atlantic States Telephone Answering Association has secured the services of Jan Lee of PaceLine Communications for its fall conference on October 14-16, 2009, at the Loews Philadelphia.  The conference will center on services and leadership through more effective communication. 

The primary focus will be on learning the process of communication, recognizing leadership strengths and weaknesses, and implementing specific motivational strategies.  The goal of the workshop is to teach individuals to be effective leaders by learning to relate to people on a one-on-one basis by employing individualistic strategies for motivation and learning how to relate to people individually, thereby reducing miscommunication (unproductive behavior) and increasing client and CSR satisfaction.

For more information, contact Dan L'Heureux Dan@CallConsult.net. 

Air Pacific Outsources Telephone Reservations Services

Air Pacific and Pacific Sun will outsource their telephone reservations services to Mindpearl, an independently owned global contact center specialist, effective November 1, 2009.

Air Pacific's current telephone reservations centers in New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji will close, and all reservations calls from those countries will be routed to Mindpearl's 24/7 call center in Suva.  Subsequently, calls from other points in the South Pacific will also cutover.  In 2010, when the current North American call center contract expires, calls from North America will be routed to Mindpearl in Fiji.

The new call center will provide Air Pacific and Pacific Sun customers 24/7 access to making new reservations, ticket purchases, queries on travel, and alterations to bookings.  This will provide greatly enhanced service levels for customers in Fiji and improved services across all Air Pacific destinations.  Currently, call center services are limited from 8:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Answer 1 Earns Recertification After Exceeding Expectations

Answer 1 Communications has become a leader in the teleservices industry under the guidance of company president Mary Jones.  Jones and Answer 1 met sixty requirements in areas including business practices, training, and emergency procedures before receiving the 24/7 Gold Certification.  "I am so very proud of our entire staff for the recent top score for the Award of Distinction from our association," said Jones.  "Our experience and complete dedication to customer service, along with meeting the criteria for Gold Site Certification, has made us one of the leaders in this industry."

Answer 1, based in Phoenix, Arizona, has provided bilingual live telemessaging services, remote receptionist service, order taking, help desk, and other communication services for over thirty years and has been the recipient for six consecutive years of the ATSI Award of Excellence and the ATSI Award of Distinction.  Answer 1 also received four CAM-X awards.

Amtelco Now on Facebook and Twitter

Amtelco has joined the world of social media with a new presence on Facebook and Twitter.  These online forums provide regularly updated sources of articles, newsletters, new product releases, and call center industry news.  Communicate with other call centers by signing up as an Amtelco Facebook fan, post recommendations, exchange ideas, or share success stories.  Keep informed of what's important to the call center industry. 

For more information, contact Amtelco at 800-356-9148 or send an email to info@amtelco.com.