| The entrepreneurial spirit lives on with the | | | | contact is handled by trained representatives |
| proliferation of small to medium sized businesses. | | | | connected to a sophisticated network of |
| Among these is the mail-order industry, a | | | | computers and telecoms switches, which is |
| commercial enterprise which first started in the | | | | available 24 hours a day. These customer service |
| late 1700's. Mail-order is described as the buying of | | | | representatives are also called agents. Service |
| goods and/or services by mail delivery, often by | | | | quality is strictly monitored based on a set of |
| selecting from a catalog that the company sends | | | | performance markers such as call handling time, |
| to their customers. These goods and services are | | | | call queue length and number of available agents. |
| sent directly to the customer at a specified | | | | One such company offering these services at an |
| location, and payments are made either prior to | | | | affordable cost is InContact24-7. At |
| the delivery or upon receipt of the item. | | | | InContact24-7, they understand the importance |
| Technological advances have revolutionized the | | | | of every call and every customer to the small |
| mail-order industry, beginning with the widespread | | | | business entrepreneur. Among the services they |
| use of the telephone as a means of receiving | | | | offer are toll free customer service, appointment |
| orders to the advent of the fax machine. Today, | | | | scheduling, order taking services, emergency |
| more companies are setting up their own | | | | response, direct response, virtual receptionist, |
| websites to attract customers worldwide. | | | | infomercials, 24 - hour help desk, conference and |
| Entrepreneurs are now doing business 24 hours a | | | | registration and interactive voice response which |
| day, seven days a week. But how can they take | | | | can be tailored to suit your specific needs. While |
| constantly take down and fulfill orders, deal with | | | | there is a high cost of maintaining one's own |
| customer comments and queries and still leave | | | | contact center, small businesses can benefit from |
| them enough time to attend to the administrative | | | | outsourcing the service to such a company at a |
| side of the business? They can do all that and | | | | set price. Client companies can also pick and |
| more by using the services of a contact center. | | | | choose which services will work best with their |
| A contact center is a centralized office | | | | business. With every customer contact, |
| administering product support and information for | | | | InContact24-7 strives to improve and retain |
| a company, usually through phone calls, faxes or | | | | relations, creating opportunities for more business. |
| emails. Its services include telemarketing sales, | | | | In the mail-order industry, more business |
| billing and debt collection. Customers go through an | | | | translates to bigger profits and better products. a |
| interactive voice response (IVR) system which is | | | | contact center will take your business where you |
| programmed with prerecorded or dynamically | | | | physically cannot, crossing the boundaries of |
| generated responses telling customers how to | | | | distance and time zones so you can do business |
| proceed, allowing the caller to choose from a set | | | | with people worldwide. Your business doesn't have |
| menu for specific customer issues. If their issue is | | | | to rest just because you do. With InContact24-7, |
| not adequately addressed by the IVR, customer | | | | it can just keep on growing. |