http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,15359308%5E15302%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

Untangling crossed lines
Jennifer Foreshew
MAY 24, 2005

MANAGEMENT at SIMplus Mobile became concerned when they found much of
the work of its 95-seat Sydney call centre was redirecting inquiries.

"We picked up a number of areas where calls were being transferred in
different parts of the centre, so mainstream customer service would
transfer a call to credit or billing," SIMplus Mobile managing director
Keir Preedy says.
"At one point, 15 per cent of all of our calls were those kinds of
transfers."

SIMplus Mobile found customers who wanted the credit or billing service
were coming through the wrong route.

They were calling a general customer service number rather than a
credit inquiries number.

That affected the agents' ability to meet service level agreements and
contributed to an 8 per cent call abandonment rate.

"They were getting to a customer service representative who had to then
transfer them to another queue to wait to speak to a credit
representative," Preedy says.

"If we could take out that double-handling it would reduce delays."

The company invested almost $130,000 in Concerto Software's Advanced
Intelligent Router, whose installation costs were 20 per cent lower
than those of other options.

The system enabled SIMplus Mobile to intelligently route customer
inquiries to specific areas for automated or agent-assisted first-call
service.

"Once they put in their mobile number, we can identify them, and route
them automatically to the service that we know they need," Preedy says.

When a caller who has been barred from the service calls in, the
technology automatically transfers them to an interactive recorded
message that explains why they have been cut off and provides them with
the option of making an immediate payment over the phone.

If the customer has selected the wrong menu option prior to keying in
their mobile number, the intelligent call routing capabilities ensure
the call will be transferred to the correct queue.

SIMplus Mobile is one of the largest mobile service providers on the
Optus Australia network.

It was rebranded SIMplus Mobile in May last year, after Optus bought it
from RSL COM in 2001.

The company, which has 200 staff, including 30 technology people,
provides mobile services and handsets to an extensive customer base
across the country, recruited through its partner network of about 150
dealers.

It focuses on ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese in its dealer base and some
product offerings.

Since installing the technology, the company's customer service levels
now average 80 per cent, an increase of up to 20 per cent on previous
levels.

Its call abandonment rate is down 75 per cent.

By routing credit-related calls into an automated system, SIMplus
achieved payback on its investment in five months, mainly by reducing
the volume of calls going through call centre staff.

It is expected to reach a three-year return on investment of 200 per
cent, based on progressive forecasts, Preedy says.

The application reduced customer churn rates, he says.

Exit surveys showed poor customer service was ranked as one of the top
three reasons people left their service provider. "Being able to answer
most of our calls in a very short space of time is a big
differentiator," Preedy says.

"We want to use technology as much as possible to help us do that
rather than put extra agents on the site."

The system was installed in September 2004 and required only a simple
software upgrade by Concerto Software's technicians.

Installation was easier because SIMplus Mobile was a user of Concerto
Spectrum ACD.

Preedy says the system allows the option of introducing features such
as tiers of customer service or recognition of customers who prefer
speaking Cantonese or Mandarin.

This report appears on australianIT.com.au.