Australian web travel agents travel.com.au are leading the world with its cutting edge Internet call centre technology, which is currently under going tests. The new service is due for a 'soft' launch in January and is currently undergoing trials.
If potential customers have a microphone and speakers set up on their PC, the new call centre can offer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This enables the customer to stay on the Website, but make a telephone call to one of the telesales team at the call centre to discuss the booking further. -By talking them through their inquiries, we can resolve a clients question in real time," says Chris Ryan, E-business systems manager. He believes that by giving the clients a choice of methods to communicate they are also making on-line travel booking a viable option for the disabled.
The Web site, which can also track a customer's movements through the site operates through a traditional PABX, -we can have a cradle to grave report on every customer and how they used the site," claims Ryan. For the sales managers this means telesales staff can be closely monitored. Customer monitoring is produced by an individual tag for each part of the site, this tag also enables a customer's call to be routed to a salesperson with the relevant knowledge of that area, for example holidays in the UK.
travel.com.au believe this technology will be hugely beneficial to its business, -It will broaden our marketplace outside and within Australia. It is a matter of picking up the client and getting them to respond," says Ryan. Other benefits of the 'collaborative browsing' system is that it enables travel.com.au to push pages to the customer.
Development continues with partners Avaya, with a virtual consultant expected some time in 2001. Travel.com.au is the first operator globally to have this form of technology.
The Internet call centre was scheduled for roll out before Christmas, but a delayed card has put this back to January.
Installation of the AUD$500,000 product took three weeks and it expects to make returns on the investment very rapidly.
