ICMI's Customer Management Insight - December 2007 - (Page 44) EXPERT’S ANGLE Accountability This brings us to the final requirement, which is accountability. As with any other critical business function, the appointment scheduling process between the call center and the business must be measurable — not only to benchmark success for the organization, but to ensure that no business opportunities are being left on the table due to underutilization of resources. A technology solution must be able to report on, and track, the appointment from end to end, including the specifics of when and where an appointment was scheduled, confirmations issued through email, integration with billing systems when the appointment is complete, and tracking back through the process to record cancellations for trending purposes. This level of reporting is one of the key drivers for many organizations to implement appointment scheduling as an overlay to walk-in business. When done effectively, it creates a quantifiable understanding of demand by day of the week, season or month; highlights how well resources are utilized; and enables business interactions to be spread over a larger and more predictable period of time. It also assists in smoothing out the peaks and valleys in demand, eliminating lost business due to long wait times or less than optimal deployment of resources. IT’S A WIN-WIN SOLUTION existing technology solutions optimized for appointment scheduling, the call center can be armed with the tools to book more appointments, add value by capturing information before the appointment, provide a positive first impression, accelerate the transaction of business and improve the overall customer experience. • The call center remains a critical component in the drive for improved efficiency and satisfaction in customer relations. By leveraging MARCO PETERSON is Founder and Chairman of TimeTrade Systems Inc. www.timetrade.com FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! ICMI Publications is having its biggest sale ever! You trust ICMI Publications to deliver useful, wellwritten materials. Now get access to the wealth of knowledge ICMI offers at unheard of prices! Driving Peak Sales Performance in Call Centers Discover and unlock the “hidden opportunities” for additional revenue that are currently residing in your call center. REGULAR PRICE $39.95 Just It’s Crazy! On Sale for $15.98 Up to Act now, this sale won’t last forever— take advantage and order today! Browse the ICMI Publications sale for yourself: 60% OFF! DISCOUNTS CANNOT BE COMBINED www.icmi.com/publications icmi’s insight www.icmi.com | DECEMBER 2007 44 http://www.timetrade.com http://www.icmi.com/publications http://www.icmi.com
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