Call centres have been integrated with telesales campaigns to tap into potential sales leads and record their progress to customer status. The onset of the world wide web introduced a new media to attract even more customers on a global scale. With leads coming in via this mechanism it made sense to also provide support to existing customers over the web. A web based support service has become an essential tool to save re-keying information from emails or web based forms into the helpdesk or insisting customers revert back to telephone support. 

Telephone support is fraught with problems of providing enough resource both in the form of telephony equipment and services and personnel to man the telephones.  Demands can be very unpredictable and obtaining the right balance of resources to meet peak demands invariably means providing over capacity and having costly idle resources much of the time. 

An interactive support centre over the web is an efficient solution to the problem.

As the helpdesk becomes a central repository of customer communications, Sales Representatives and Account Managers need access to it to get the latest information about their customers. A web browser interface means they can do this at any time and from anywhere with Internet or remote dial up access.

Engineers out on the field can also access their support call logs, update the system with information about the work they have completed and obtain their next job with out having to return to base. 

Customer Relationship Management

The Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM's) form a central repository of all  customer information. The aim of these systems is to provide access to all members of staff that interact with customers so that all communications are recorded and accessible. This can be far reaching and most personnel need this level of access. Non web based systems  require installation on all the client (internal staff)  machines. 

The level of sophistication of these systems is extensive. Functionality takes time to develop and any well established system is bound to be non web based. As few have realised the potential of the web interface for this service, it is no wonder then the the industry is flagging in the dynamics of today's market.

The costs of implementation can be astronomical and far beyond the reach of most Business Development Departments budgets. Ongoing support and additional user licenses can cripple the budget year after year.

The onset of the world wide web has generated much debate in the industry and it is probably one of the most written about software services. Companies have failed through massive investment and an inability to deliver. Whilst the need is there the technology is prohibitively expensive and inflexible.

When reviewing your requirements and seeking budget approvals it is worth looking at customer support helpdesks as a viable alternative. Ask your self what is the critical functionality and what are you trying to achieve. A system that holds basic information about the customer, it's contacts, the products provided or enquired upon and also allows diarised follow up's, attachments of all customer related documentation and  access to this information from a browser, may well satisfy the immediate need. If it provides a web interface for customer enquires and support with links to all relevant documentation then you have the tools to realise the sales potential from new and existing customers.

As web based application developments progress they will overlap with traditional CRM system even more over time. By installing a customer support system now getting established with an open and forward thinking company  you can influence developments and achieve your ultimate goal.