BellSouth Turns to Support.com for Customer Support
BellSouth Monday signed Support.com to provide the Fortune 100 telecom's 620,500 DSL customers with online self-help via a dedicated Web site.
BellSouth will implement Support.com's new Broadband Resolution Suite to reduce customer phone calls to its support centers while simultaneously improving its overall customer service, the company said.
“For us we want to give customers as many tools as possible … to help them have quick and easy resolution [of problems] on their own if they like,” said BellSouth spokesman David Blumenthal. “This is part of an ongoing processes we've put in place to continuously improve customer service. We've been recognized as one of the best in broadband customer service and this is a way to keep that going.”
The newly launched site, Support.fastaccess.com, is aimed at residential and commercial users of BellSouth's broadband service. In order to use the site, customers will have to download a software suite of enablement tools from Support.com. Otherwise, access is limited to the site's homepage.
According to Support.com, its new Broadband Resolution Suite, released in December 2001, is designed to provide a highly personalized support solution that can pinpoint high-speed Internet subscriber problems and solve them automatically. The Broadband Resolution Suite is also designed to allow integration with service providers' CRM solutions and help-desk ticketing systems to create a more automated problem resolution process. This gives customer support representatives access to more detailed information to resolve problems with less subscriber interaction.
The site supplies BellSouth FastAccess DSL subscribers answers to common questions, while also providing point-and-click self-service tools, the company said. Customers will be able to troubleshoot issues, get answers to ‘How-To' questions, and download software to enhance their service.
“Support.fastaccess.com underscores our commitment to delivering superior on-line support resources, while making our internal support processes more streamlined and effective,” said Scott Peters, vice president of BellSouth Broadband & Internet services. “Support.com's technology is the engine that helps power support.fastaccess.com, giving us flexibility and speed in meeting customer service requirements now and in the future.”
Monday's announcement comes just two weeks after Support.com announced its biggest contract to date, under which IBM will use Support.com's solutions to transition support for customers and employees to the Net.
In December 2001, leading CRM software developer Siebel Systems also announced it would implement Support.com's Resolution Suite software.
Major broadband service providers Cox Communications and Charter Communications, also signed agreements to use Support.com's new Broadband Resolution Suite in recent weeks, said Joi Deaser, a Support.com spokeswoman.
According to Deaser, the reason customers buy Support.com's solution is to improve their customer communications without having to add customer service representatives. Companies such GE, Proctor & Gamble, and Bank of America also use Support.com's solutions in house to enhance their communications with employees and suppliers.
