Provide customer helpProvide SupportOffer Advise Manage customer accounts; e.g. pay bills Call Centre Functions

This is a computer that is part of the network that is used to provide telephone integration; i.e. it joins the telephone system to the network The telephony server also links the phone lines to the internet Hardware – Telephony Server

A telephony technology in which someone uses a touch-tone telephone to interact with a database to acquire information from or enter data into the database. For example, banks and credit card companies use IVR systems so that their customers can receive up-to-date account information IVR interactive voice response

Technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be integrated or co- ordinated. As contact channels have expanded from voice to include , web, and fax, the definition of CTI has expanded to include the integration of all customer contact channels (voice, , web, fax, etc.) with computer systems. CTI Computer telephony integration

CTI functions  Call information display  Automatic dialling and computer controlled dialing (fast dial, preview, and predictive dial.)  Phone control. (answer, hang up, hold, conference, etc.)  Coordinated phone and data transfers between two parties  Call centre phone control. (logging on; after-call work notification)  Advanced functions such as call routing, reporting functions, automation of desktop activities, and multi-channel blending of phone, , and web requests  Agent state control (for example, after-call work for a set duration, then automatic change to the ready state)  Call control for Quality Monitoring/call recording software.

Utility Companies – Help, Advice, Open new accounts, complaints, report problems, emergency call, pay bills Mail Order – the same as utilities but will allow orders to be placed IT Supplier – they might add technical support in addition to the above Typical Users of CALL CENTRES

Locating Call Centres Abroad Many companies based in the UK and USA now locate their call centres abroad due to:  Cheaper Labour Costs  More flexible Labour Markets  Cheaper overheads Discussion points include:  Loss of domestic jobs  Language barriers my exist  Dialects can be hard to understand  Poor lines often restrict efficiency

Describe how cti software is used to provide software services for a call centre Homework Question End of Presentation End of Presentation