“Zero-install” call management
Office Depot wanted to improve the productivity of its seven North American call centers by beefing up responsiveness without overhauling the call management process. The office supply company also wanted the solution to meet its "zero-install" requirement and to integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
Office Depot chose a KnowNow-enabled solution from eLoyalty--an Internet-based, publish-subscribe system that shaves seconds from each customer call. The solution consolidates all the information about a caller--a process previously done manually by the agent--and delivers it instantly into the browser on the agent's desktop. Instead of rushing to collect customer information each time a call comes in, agents instantly receive a snapshot view when a new call comes in.
The solution, according to KnowNow, is said to have helped Office Depot reduce average call times by 30 to 45 seconds, speed order entry and improve customer service.
"We wanted to streamline the process that call center agents follow for taking orders," says Mike Kirschner, VP of IT for Office Depot. "By eliminating as many—if not all—manual steps as possible, we could accelerate the ordering process and save everyone time. At the same time, we wanted to reduce IT support and administration costs. One requirement was a zero-install solution—one that didn't require installation on every agent desktop."
After evaluating their options, Kirschner and the IT team chose a proposal from eLoyalty, a CRM services and solutions company, that involved an event-driven order entry application using KnowNow's event management Internet middleware.
"With its ability to deliver real-time information in the form of screen pops to call center agents' desks, the KnowNow solution can shave up to 45 seconds from each call," says Kirschner. "That translates directly to reduced hold times, streamlined order entry and high responsiveness to customers.