Case Study: Catalogue Retailer Improves Call Handling

Scotts Ltd have improved their call handling performance and monitoring capabilities with help from Syntec.
Scotts Ltd is a large UK catalogue and website retailer currently operating several brands relating to gifts, kitchen and homeware.
Direct telephone sales and customer service calls are central to its business.

The challenge

Due to regulatory changes, the company needed to review its telecommunications operations.

A summary of the company’s requirements included:

• Real-time control of inbound calls
• Mid-call transfer to alternative call queues/destinations
• Menu-driven IVR applications
• Live queue management facilities
• Live queue monitor
• Call recording
• Detailed call reports – real-time and historic including geographic analysis

The solution

Call Control provides Scotts with real-time management of its call traffic and includes all the features that they required. It is integrated with Syntec’s IVR platforms so the company did not need any additional hardware at its call centres.

Mid-call transfer options are also part of the system. Agents can use a simple three-digit code to contact and transfer calls to other departments within the business (internally or externally) to quickly meet the needs of the caller.

Syntec’s Network Queue product is suited to managing live call queues. Via its network location, the system is able to queue a large number of incoming calls without the addition of further infrastructure, while their Call Record system provides a comprehensive network-based call recording and monitoring facility. No additional servers were required as all data is stored on the Syntec network and can be accessed via a web connection. For sensitive information, such as customers’ financial details, the information can also be encrypted.

The results

Scotts have seen an improvement in their customer satisfaction levels, as callers receive an immediate response even out of office hours, with time-triggered announcements and automated distribution of calls to alternative call centres based on ‘time of day’ configuration.

The number of calls presented can be exactly matched to the number of agents available at the call centre. The number of lines installed at the call centre only has to match the number of agents deployed: no further capacity is required.

Callers are immediately greeted with a welcome message and given a choice of options so that their call can be routed to the most appropriate department within the call centre.

Real-time information can be given over single or multiple queues. Queue settings can be configured to the company’s requirements for length of time and call volume before triggering alternative routing systems such as voicemail or automated messages. Information can also be controlled in real time though the Syntec call control web portal.

The system also helps the client by providing real-time queue information on screen via the web, which can also be customized.

Real-time reporting tracks both inbound and outbound traffic, incorporating permissions to protect sensitive data.

Statistics are available in real time and are updated constantly to provide comprehensive reports on geographical split of calls, missed calls, agent activity, terminating line identity and queue information.

This data is available for live and historic analysis. The options and appearance can all be customized for the company.

“Because we were so pleased with the service and the IVR functionality that Syntec offered, we were happy to share our findings with our colleagues in the catalogue and online retail industry,” said Nigel Swabey, CEO at Scotts Ltd.

For more information about Syntec, visit their website.