Internet Integrated Call Center

Current ACD and CTI Applications Are Living in the Past

The purpose of this paper is to explain the evolution of customer support services being driven by Internet based technologies. We describe the goals, current methodologies, new services and then an approach on how to get there.

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Introduction
Consumers want to participate in fixing their problems or ordering services and see the results quickly. Would you wait a month for your next statement to see that a credit has been applied? Do you have to wait, or should you be able to see the credit appear in your online statement within seconds of an agent telling you that it has been made?

The enhancement of well established Internet communications technologies allow this and other applications to become reality for you and your customers. Netscape’s Net2Phoneâ along with other similar voice transmission software, combined with "push" URL technology can work together, allowing a call center agent to share data with a client: - just as is now common with a (local) supervisor in the call center.

How does it work? Clients "push a button" on a WEB page to connect to an agent. Each button has characteristics that direct the connection to the properly trained and skilled agent. The agent can instantly start talking to the customer and sharing screens while discussing the customers needs. The agent can walk them through screens and processes. If desired, a video camera on the agent’s workstation allows the customer to see the agent. Likewise, customers with cameras could be made visible to agents, at the customer’s discretion.

56k modem connections will support simultaneous voice and data connections. ISDN, DSL, cable modem and other fast communications technologies will allow the addition of video to the connections.

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Current Call Center Methodologies
Almost all call centers currently rely on standard Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) telephony technologies that have no awareness of the Internet and outside data communications services. In these systems, the closest thing to an integrated data connection is in the local computer integrated telephony (CTI) system. CTI applications maintain a database with mapping of an agent’s skills, their current telephone number and workstation ID. On receiving a call, the ACD system queries the CTI database then ‘tells’ centralized on-line applications about the incoming call and where it is sending a call so that the application may automatically "pop" the appropriate screen for the agent.

CTI also supports sharing of information between agents and supervisors. When a call transfer or conference request is executed on the telephone/ACD system, the station number(s) for the other party(s) is sent to the central system which then must decide if the agent transferring the call has an on-line session in progress. If so, it will then translate the new station number(s) to workstation ID’s and send the same screen information to the additional party(s) being added to the call. In this case the central application must know that the agent is on a certain screen and then simultaneously coordinate populating multiple workstation screens

As a result of the complexity of the CTI integration between the central applications and the ACD system, only phones on the ACD system and workstations directly connected to the central application can share sessions.

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Internet Integrated Call Center Operations
This expensive approach, which relies on dedicated single purpose hardware and software, is on its way to obsolescence. Rapidly evolving standards, wrapped around the Internet’s TCP/IP protocol, now allow companies to move away from this tightly coupled environment where all of the telephone equipment and every workstation must to be centrally connected and controlled. The H.323 Standard is the one that supports this new way of doing business

The old way requires hardwired systems with fixed addresses for phones and workstations that can be directly mapped. Agent logins require that the telephone number, workstation ID and skill set be mapped into the application database. In the new way of handling calls, telephones are essentially eliminated and only the workstation IP address and agent skill set needs to be mapped. Moreover, the agent can be located anywhere that there is an acceptable Internet connection

If a customer who is connected to the WEB site wishes to speak to someone about his or her account balance or to check on current interest rates, they will have ‘buttons’ to click on their screen for each potential service. When clicked, the user’s screen along with his current IP address are sent to the host system which sends the screen and address to the appropriate agent and at the same time establishes a voice connection between the two PC’s.

The agent and the customer can now discuss the information, and, as either one changes an item on the screen, the same change will occur on the other screen. The standard also allows for conferencing so that supervisors or other clients can be added, again, regardless of location

This capability can be used in other ways for training (multiple personnel in multiple locations), help desk, remote service, sales and support.

Users with a 56k Modem, microphone and speakers can make use of this shared voice and data capability. As DSL and cable modem use expands at the residential level, H.323 based one-way or two-way video can be added.

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Steps On The Path To Change
While the approach may appear complicated it actually reduces difficulties by eliminating the need for control of the workstations, telephone and video connections. How do you implement or even try out the concept? Do it slowly with one simple application and one ‘button’ on your WEB page.

Using a single and simple application should be the start. An application that uses a single-screen would be logical. That way the conversation can be started and either party can change the single screen. Interest rates by state or filling out an online application would be two obvious alternatives. Many more choices exist.

Before converting other applications, however, it would be more effective to evaluate the lost revenues on your WEB site to find out where people are abandoning their "shopping carts". Adding a voice connection at that point should increase sales and also point out any errors in the WEB site logic, as the callers explain their problems.

Once new revenue opportunities are in hand, then cost reductions through the conversion of current support services can be pursued. Those issues that have the highest call demand and are also accessible through your WEB page would be the first targets.

The ultimate objective is to move all sales and support applications to this access method; even removing the traditional ACD systems over time. Eventually the ACD systems can be replaced by network connected telephony servers that will provide the same ACD functionality but use the H323 standard to make connections for those who choose not to use the Internet.