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March 13, 2006
Talisma Making an Impact in the CIM Arena
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
For an area that has traditionally focused on internal data to produce an inside view of the customer, customer relationship management or CRM has come a long way through the integration of the management of customer interactions. By providing customers with more power in the management of their accounts, organizations are realizing that they can more positively connect with customers.
One company that tends to stand out in the area of customer relationships is Talisma Corporation, which specializes in interaction management (CIM). Talisma recently introduced the Talisma CIM 7.0 that promises to fully integrate multiple communications channels, including email, chat, Web Self-service and phone with an intelligent knowledgebase, robust business process functionality and third party data.
Just about every piece written on CRM discusses the integration of the different communication channels. But, how does it function for the organization implementing such a solution and of what benefit is it to the customer?
Frustration can arise for both the customer and the agent handling the customer’s call when information is incorrect or lacking, especially if the customer has called on the same issue in the past. The agent is either limited in his or her ability to solve the problem or it takes longer than the acceptable resolution time. The customer is left feeling like the company does not appreciate his or her business and may even be inclined to look elsewhere for service.
This scenario is unhealthy for any organization and if the agents in the call centers are not provided with the proper tools to serve customers, the organization can suffer from loss of customers and skilled agents.
The Talisma CIM 7.0 offers the full interoperability between internal customer data and agent/customer interactions. The solution is designed to provide the agent with a full view into the customer history, the customer’s current situation and quick access to the tools necessary for easy resolution. The customer has the option to seek self service through the Web site, email a question or call to talk directly to an agent.
So, how does this translate into the real contact center? I talked with Scott Johnson, VP of client services at eSignal, an online provider of financial and business information based in Hayward, California. eSignal focused on the goal of providing the best customer support without increasing costs while allowing customers to choose their preferred method of interaction. How is this working?
In 1998, when eSignal first purchased the NetAgent app, a product now marketed by Talisma, 90 percent of inquiries from customers were phone based while 5 percent were emails and the other 5 percent were letters or faxes. Those figures have shifted to 50 percent phone, 30 percent chat and 20 percent email with very few faxes and letters.
The ease of use of the Talisma products, their reliability and scalability were definitely designed with a call center in mind, according to Johnson. Customers like the choices eSignal can now provide with phone and chat. By linking NetAgent off one of the menu trees customers can pop-up chat within the product, making it easy to use while trading.
eSignal also proactively invites people into a sales chat from its marketing sites and now heavily relies on the chat channel to chose new business each month. This is a powerful tool for growth.
The impact that the Talsima products have had for eSignal alone lay proof that the demand for CIM is increasing. Talisma has led the way in the CIM arena and few direct competitors are currently on the horizon. It is unlikely that it will remain this way for long as customer relationship management, the importance of integration into internal data and managing customer interactions continues to gain momentum.
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