Handling business operations

This topic explains how the Avaya IR system supports TechCare's handling of trouble tickets.

Opening trouble tickets

Previously:

Before TechCare added the Avaya IR systems, customers called an 800 number and pressed 1 to open a trouble ticket. The call was routed to an agent, who took information from the customer, accessed and reviewed the customer's account, discussed the problem with the customer, and scheduled a technician visit, if necessary.

With the Avaya IR systems:

Customers still call the 800 number, are welcomed, and press 1 to open a trouble ticket. However, call handling is automated after these initial actions, and an agent is involved only when necessary. Callers may communicate through TouchTone or by speaking their responses, which are interpreted by speech recognition. The voice response application drives the interactions:

• Recorded speech prompts ask callers to provide their account numbers, which the application uses to retrieve configuration and contact information from a data base.
• Callers are asked to select from a brief list that describes typical problems. Subsequent actions depend on their choices and on their account information:

- Callers who have Internet-related problems and have TechCare's customer as their Internet Service Provider (information gleaned from the account) are put in queue for an agent. Callers with Internet-related problems who have another ISP hear a recorded message advising them to contact their ISP for assistance.

- For callers who indicate that their systems are not operating, the application checks a database for technician availability and plays recorded speech that identifies the next available service time. Callers accept the proposed time by pressing 1 or saying, "yes" or by requesting further options. Once a service call is scheduled, the voice response application sends the data to the service application for scheduling of the call and provides the caller with a trouble ticket number.

- Callers who report installation problems with hardware or software purchased from TechCare's customer choose to leave a message or be put in queue for an agent. If callers want to leave a message, they can do so in the voice response application's mailbox. Because the voice response application interacts with Avaya Interaction Center's EDU data base, messages can be accessed or included in future transactions by Avaya Interaction Center.

- Callers who report less-serious problems are offered the choice of IVR assistance or talking to an agent only if they are gold or platinum level customers. Customers below the gold or platinum level may listen to Frequently Asked Questions, visit the support page of the website, or leave a message for a technician to return their call within 24 hours.

Checking trouble ticket status

Previously:

Before TechCare added the Avaya IR systems, customers called an 800 number and pressed 2 to check trouble ticket status. The call was routed to an agent, who looked up the trouble ticket on a service management application, provided the customer with an update, and escalated the problem, if necessary.

With the Avaya IR systems:

Customers still call the 800 number and press 2 to check trouble ticket status. Then, the voice response application drives the interactions:

• Recorded speech prompts callers to provide their trouble ticket numbers, which the application uses to retrieve status information from a data base. Status information is provided by the Proxy Text to Speech (PTTS) feature. For instance, the caller may hear that a replacement part was shipped, and will arrive in two days.
• If the Avaya IR system receives information from the Interaction Center EDU data base indicating that service time lines are at risk, or if the ticket is closed but the customer has further questions, the call is routed to an agent. When the agent takes the call, information on the customer account from the common EDU data base is displayed through Avaya Interaction Center.

Closing trouble tickets

Previously:

Before TechCare added the Avaya IR systems, technicians who had resolved problems called an 800 number and pressed 2 to be routed to an agent. The technician provided information, and the agent located and closed the trouble ticket in the service application. Then, the agent sent a fax or email message to the person who initiated the ticket to confirm that the ticket was closed.

With the Avaya IR systems:

Technicians still call the 800 number when a problem is resolved. Now, they respond to prompts by entering 3 to close a trouble ticket. They then enter the trouble ticket number, hear the number read back, and press the pound sign (#) to confirm. Data is sent to the service application, and the trouble ticket is closed. The technician chooses that either a fax or an email confirming the closing of the trouble ticket be sent automatically. The choice is based on customer preference. TechCare uses Avaya Interaction Center to initiate the fax or email. Avaya Interaction Center uses information in the EDU data base to generate the email or fax. Faxes may be held and sent during less busy periods.

Benefits

Using the Avaya IR systems to handle trouble tickets has provided these benefits to TechCare:

• Agents find that they can focus more on solving problems, rather than searching through systems for information.
• Agents like not having to close out trouble tickets for technicians. Technicians appreciate not having to wait on hold for an agent to take their call.
• Customers like being able to avoid waiting in queue by getting answers to their questions through Frequently Asked Questions or by leaving a message requesting a call back.
• Almost 30% of callers are able to get the information they need without talking to an agent, reducing call handling costs considerably.
• The return on investment (ROI) for each hour of the Avaya IR system operations in each of TechCare's call centers is $1,953.00. The breakdown is as follows:
• Both TechCare centers handle an average of 1400 calls an hour. With the Avaya IR systems, 420 of these calls do not require support from an agent.
• Calls handled by TechCare's Avaya IR systems cost $.43 on average, while the average cost of an agent-assisted call is $5.08. The cost saving for each call handled by an Avaya IR system is $4.65.

420 (calls/hour handled by an Avaya IR system ) x $4.65 = $1,953.00 (reduction in call handling costs with the Avaya IR system)

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