Parature, a provider of Web-based customer support software, is now accepting entries for its third annual Legend Maker award for excellence in customer service and support.

Companies using Parature’s (News - Alert) customer support software are encouraged to submit a notable story or anecdote about a “great customer experience” delivered by their service team.

Winners will be announced at Parature’s ParaFest '10 user conference to be held May 4–6, 2010 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

Parature customers can nominate their organizations on the ParaFest ’10 website. Just fill out the online form (found here) and click “Nominate Now.”

During ParaFest ’10 the Parature Professional Services team will offer hands-on training sessions. In addition attendees can attend a variety of sessions focusing on best practices led by Parature customers and other industry experts.

Attendees will have also have opportunities network with their peers, as well as Parature executives and staff.

The event will also feature the ParaFest Zone – where attendees can meet with Parature experts and partners, experience new product features and learn tips and techniques on how to further strengthen their investment in Parature’s customer support software.

Parature is a leading provider of customer support software delivered via the software-as-a-service model. It provides customer-centric businesses with Web portals that are seamlessly integrated with their Web sites which their customers can use for a variety of self-service options. These Web portals – which are fully customizable – deliver features such as knowledge bases (FAQs) where customers can get answers to their basic questions without having to wait on hold to speak with a live call center agent.

Customers can also launch or access forums where they can start discussions with other customers about a company’s products or services. They can also be given the option to open up a chat session with a customer service rep. Or they can download documentation – such as a user’s guide or schematic – directly from the portal via a download module.

The system also allows customers to create their own service tickets. So, for example, if a customer can’t get an answer to their question using the other “channels,” available through the portal, they can open up a ticket by clicking on a ticket icon – and issue a ticket to a CSR (News - Alert), who will pick up that ticket based on skills based routing.

Perhaps most important this system captures all customer data and packages it into a wide range of reports so that it can be analyzed for the purpose of driving strategic business decisions.

As such, Parature’s customer support software enables organizations to better and more efficiently serve, support, engage with and retain customers in today’s Web world.