Ever wish your telco or cable operator’s customer service/tech support group could reach you ─ or you them ─ via SMS? It’s not just a pipe dream anymore.
Interactive Intelligence Inc. (ININ), a unified communications package provider, is adding short message service as an additional media type to its multichannel contact center software suite, Customer Interaction Center (CIC).
The new SMS features, available by yearend, are designed to help contact centers increase customer retention and satisfaction – which represent two huge works in progress for many service providers struggling to shake the cable guy image.
The added software features, the vendor contends, enable mobile customers to use SMS to communicate with the contact center; have those SMS messages routed, recorded, and reported on the same way as other media types; and enable contact center agents to reply using SMS. Add in enabling notifications to customers via SMS and maybe customer service doesn’t have to be an oxymoron to disgruntled customers.
CIC, which already includes the ability to manage calls, faxes, e-mail, and Web chats, will now include proactive "push" features that, for instance, enable a bank to send an SMS alert when checking account funds reach a customer-selected threshold.
CIC will also include routing features that will enable customers to send SMS messages, such as a request for a hotel confirmation number and address while traveling, which would then be routed, recorded and reported on the same way as any other interaction type.
“With the evolution of mobile devices and the convenience and flexibility SMS offers as a non-intrusive, 'anywhere' type of media, companies need to start thinking about how this technology can be applied to ensure they are not only retaining existing customers, but attracting the newest generation of customer,” said Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO, Dr. Donald Brown, in prepared comments.
In addition, Interactive Intelligence said it and its partners recognize the need to provide additional consulting services to help contact centers effectively use and deploy multichannel options.
“Because the use of SMS within North American contact centers is still pretty new,” Brown added, “we'll offer best practices white papers, Webinars and other educational services to help customers realize maximum value from their deployments.”
Interactive Intelligence plans to offer the new features through the company's global channel of more than 300 resellers.
