Skills necessary to up sales

The contact centre sector is currently seeking customer service staff with 'sales through service' skills, according to Francesca Randle, director at contact centre management recruitment specialist Cactus Search, reports Recruiter.

Randle told Recruiter: “Pure inbound customer service skills are not hard to find, but they are not necessarily what clients are looking for.

Its 'sales through service' skills and experience which are the most valuable and important skills in the market currently as many clients want to see a better use of their telephony channels to create revenue as well as provide excellent customer service.”

Vodafone Spain has introduced a tariff plan for hearing impaired users in partnership with national deaf people's association CNSE, reveals Telecom Paper.

The 'Signo Tarifa' plan, costing 18.50 euros a month, allows users to communicate through sign language via mobile phones. Movilman.es reports that the plan includes e-mail, instant messaging apps, Internet browsing, 350 SMS and free on-Net video calls.

Various handsets can be used, including BlackBerry and Nokia. Vodafone also offers an e-mail based contact centre service for disabled customers.

BSA, an Australian communications and technical services company, has revealed that it has selected Sydney-based ICT consulting and solutions provider, Tecala, to deploy the Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software suite, Customer Interaction Centre (CIC), says CFO World.

The decision to select Tecala and the CIC solution follows a comprehensive market review by BSA to invest in all in one contact centre automation functionality for the company's Sydney Olympic Park 120-seat contact centre, which will open later this month.

CIC will replace BSA's existing, aging Avaya PABX and Verint voice recording system and will improve the quality of support which it provides in managing 1 600 contractors who perform more than 120 000 jobs each month.