Merchants SA, part of local IT giant Dimension Data, have announced the launch of a revolutionary call centre concept called the i-Media Centre, which is a fully equipped facility operated by a team of highly skilled and qualified customer management experts and features Mult-i-Media technology.
According to Adam Craker, managing director of Merchants SA, the Sandton-based i-Media Centre is the culmination of 19 years of experience in setting up and managing outsourced call centres in the UK and Europe. "We have taken the best that Internet and telephone technology has to offer, ranging from a state-of-the-art telephone management platform, a computer telephony integration system and resource management and reporting tools, and built a facility that is a world leader."
Customers around the world are increasing their use of direct channels, including telephone, Internet and now, WAP cell phones, to transact with their bank, buy their shopping and organise their free time. Business leaders in South Africa have concluded that this trend is here to stay and that a major shift in customer behaviour is taking place.
Craker says, "The take up of these direct channels that we term 'Interactive-Media` or i-Media, is prolific and all indications are that South Africa is well positioned to catch up with trends in Europe and the USA."
South African business has already invested considerably in building call centres to serve the increasing population of phone and Internet conversant customers. However, much of this effort is characterised by high capex spend, poorly skilled management and a service standard that is woefully short of expectation.
Says Craker: "Our research in the Merchants Annual Benchmarking report indicates that call centres under 50 seats cannot be sustainably managed on a cost and quality effective basis. In addition to this, the research also shows that many call centres in South Africa above 50 seats are not operating to best practice cost and quality performance measures. In both of these situations, there is real justification for exploring the opportunities and benefits of a call centre outsourced relationship."
Outsourcing means that an organisation can concentrate on their core business rather than spend time on resources and capex to develop in-house competency to recruit, train and manage customer management staff. Neither do they have to undertake the costly exercise of keeping up with the latest technologies. It also provides flexibility. There are occasions when an organisation can^1t accurately forecast future customer service demand - particularly when entering a new market sector.
"Merchants," Craker explains, "is uniquely positioned to provide our clients with speed to market, capex avoidance, access to a customer-focused team of highly skilled agents, a purpose-built facility with the latest technology, and minimal operational concerns."
According to Craker, many South African business leaders are dubious about the benefits of outsourcing customer management due in large part to the poor record of the industry in South Africa. "We are the first international specialist company in call centre outsourcing to enter South Africa. This makes us the vanguard of a significant change in perceptions about outsourcing customer management as South African companies recognise the benefits being achieved by Merchants^1 international clients in overseas markets."
Merchants places particular emphasis on the training, coaching and motivation of agents. The training has short-term objectives in mind, but far more emphasis is placed on on-going development of Merchants^1 staff. "Nineteen years of experience," says Craker, "has also strengthened our ability to effectively train our staff and we do not use the 'sheep dip` method to process our agents. We take training beyond just learning how to answer the phone. It is critical that our agents assume the culture of the client and understand their role in our clients^1 success."
Merchants also has a knowledge exchange programme where local and international personnel share skills and best practice - with over a dozen key personnel seconded from the United Kingdom to accelerate the establishment of the business. Says Craker, "We have the motto 'borrow with pride` when it comes to utilising our international experience. In fact we have already started to return the favour with some of our new learnings."
Merchants` proposition is already making waves with contracts agreed and under development with Vodacom World On-line, the Internet Service provider, FNB, Momentum Administration Services, Healthbridge and Discovery Health. In addition, Dimension Data has taken the decision to lead by example by consolidating their call centre activities from various business units (about 50 seats) into the Merchants i-Media Centre.
"The i-Media Centre," says Craker, "is the epitome of how to integrate skilled and motivated people with state-of-the-art technology."
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