THE WHATIS.COM WORD-OF-THE-DAY September 4, 2002 virtual call center ______________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: VeriSign - The Value of Trust
Secure all your Web servers now - with a proven 5-part strategy. The FREE Server Security Guide shows you how to deploy the latest encryption and authentication techniques, deliver transparent protection with the strongest security without disrupting users, and more. Get your FREE Guide now: http://WhatIs.com/r/0,,5364,00.htm?FreeGuide ______________ TODAY'S WORD: virtual call center See our definition with hyperlinks at http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci848284,00.html A virtual call center is a call center in which the organization's representatives are geographically dispersed, rather than being situated at work stations in a building operated by the organization. Virtual call center employees may be situated in groups in a number of smaller centers, but most often they work from their own homes. This is an attractive arrangement for many employees: the hours are often flexible, and there's no dress code or commute. For the organization, the virtual call center model saves housing and equipment costs and can lead to lower employee turnover rates, which tend to be high for physical call centers. Switching to a virtual call center model can be very beneficial. One example: My Twinn (a high-end doll manufacturer) went to a virtual model in 2000. That year, 30% more inquiry calls were converted to orders, employee turnover decreased 88%, and 90% fewer calls had to be escalated (transferred to a higher-level employee), compared to 1999. For companies whose business is highly seasonal, the virtual model also means that they don't have to maintain large facilities year-round. My Twinn, for example, requires over 400 customer support employees in their busy Christmas season, but only about 25 the rest of the year. To appear professional and increase customer confidence, even bricks and mortar call centers attempt to present customers with a virtual representation of an organization's offices. The customer, dialing a customer service or technical support number, is given the impression that their call reaches a physical department within the organization, when fact, it is likely to reach a company that outsources support for several different organizations. In the case of the virtual call center the customer's impression is even more illusory, as the number is quite likely to reach the kitchen of a stay-at-home parent, or the dorm room of a university student. RELATED TERMS: virtual http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213296,00.html call center http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci211736,00.html bricks and mortar http://searchebusiness.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci533233,00.html outsource http://searchebusiness.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci212731,00.html ____________________ SELECTED LINKS: SearchCRM.com provides "Best Web Links" to more about call centers. http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/bestWebLinks/0,,sid11_tax1156,00.html CIO Magazine has more about My Twinn's experience in their article "Hello Dolly!" http://www.cio.com/archive/051501/hello.html SearchEBusininess.com provides selected links to information about "virtual enterprises." http://searchebusiness.techtarget.com/bestWebLinks/0,289521,sid19_tax282969,00.html ______________________ WHATIS DISCUSSION FORUM | Challenge #13: Choosing an HTML editor Les is at the point where he needs to invest some money in a good HTML editor. He's confused about whether to invest in a high-end product that has features he's not yet ready to use, or go with something less expensive that he might outgrow. THE CHALLENGE: What is your favorite HTML editor? Recommend an HTML editor for Les to consider purchasing. http://whatis.discussions.techtarget.com/WebX?[EMAIL PROTECTED]@.1dcfae0e/113!viewtype= ______________________ QUIZ #7 | Protocols How much do you know about IT protocols? Take our quiz and find out! http://searchsystemsmanagement.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid20_gci558485,00.html ______________________________ RECENT ADDITIONS AND UPDATES [1] Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci847453,00.html [2] Group Policy Object http://searchwindowsmanageability.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid33_gci847626,00.html [3] ACK http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci847659,00.html [4] NAK http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci847658,00.html [5] HDMI http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci847398,00.html ____________________________________________________________________ ::::::::::::::::::: WHATIS.COM CONTACTS ::::::::::::::::::: LOWELL THING, Site Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ____________________________________________________________________ MARGARET ROUSE, Assistant Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ___________________________________________________________________ :::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER ::::::::::::::::::::: Published by TechTarget (http://www.techtarget.com) TechTarget - The Most Targeted IT Media Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved. 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