Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) August 13, 2012
CallFire’s recent release of textable local phone numbers is changing the way business phone numbers work. These ten digit long codes, allow for both call forwarding for voice and the power to send and receive text messages.
The business application of “textable” long codes are nearly limitless. CallFire’s CEO, Dinesh Ravishanker says, “long code text messaging fundamentally changes the way that businesses communicate with their clients. Now a business can create automated responses to customer inquiries based on keywords and customer input, creating an automated customer support channel.”
In order to help businesses understand the implications of these new virtual numbers, CallFire has designed an intensive best practice guide to help businesses in creating scalable call center solutions. Here is an excerpt from the article:
In December of 2011, the US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act was introduced to Congress. The bill would refuse federal grant or federal loan programs to companies that have offshore call center operations. It would also require that offshore call center employees would reveal their location to US consumers and provide them the option to be transferred to a domestic call center.
While the emergence of this bill is indicative of the controversy surrounding offshoring as a business practice, it is clear that companies would not outsource their call center operations if it were not for the low overhead costs of doing so. With emerging technologies, however, onshore call centers can be more affordable and can even be more responsive to customer’s needs.
One such technology is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology. While IVR software has been around for some time, innovative applications of the technology have transformed the way business operations communicate. Hosted IVRs allow companies to create dynamic phone trees that transfer calls to an unlimited final forwarding numbers and build interesting call logic to process calls.
Companies of all sizes have already leveraged such technology to create dynamic domestic call center apparatuses. Jet Blue, for example, has taken the idea of “home sourcing” to a new level by routing inbound customer support calls to 1500 stay at home mothers to manage the company’s call-in reservation system. Their home sourcing strategy helps the company avoid expensive call center facility costs.
Without a centralized call center, Jet Blue is still able to maintain the highest customer satisfaction results in the industry. In addition to the improved support experience, the reduced per capita investment makes the at-home call center model both replicable and highly desirable.
With “textable” long code virtual numbers, the same local or toll free number that allows businesses to create advanced phone trees to connect to clients and remote agents can also be responsive to customer inquiries through rapid text message responses. With customizable automatic responses, companies can respond to support issues without ever having to speak to a client.
Companies plagued with long customer support queues, for example, can expedite support responses with quick and customizable text messages. With SMS text enabled long codes, a business can provide the caller the option of receiving a step by step instructions via text message, much like the following:
Automated Hold Message: Sorry to keep you on hold, all of our agents are currently unavailable. Press 1, if you would like to receive step-by-step instructions via text message.
The customer could then receive step-by-step text message instructions directly from the customer support line that they initially called into.
In addition to providing responses to to incoming support calls, text enabled long code DID numbers can reduce a company’s support call volume by providing a “textable” alternative to a company’s support line. With text enabled long codes, a company has the ability to be more responsive to customer care needs while reducing costs.
For more information, visit http://www.callfire.com or call 877.897.FIRE.
About CallFire: CallFire is a Text and Voice platform that helps businesses reach customers, drive revenue and increase sales. We make telephone messaging simple. CallFire products include Business Text Messaging, Voice Broadcast, Toll Free Numbers, Local Phone Numbers, Call Tracking, IVR, Power Dialing for agents and more. Call analytics enable our 50,000 users to reach customers more often using text marketing, virtual receptionist, autodialers and mobile messaging. To learn more about how to Grow your Business, visit http://www.CallFire.com.
