CRM Software integrates interaction management capabilities.

Press Release Summary:



ClickContact helps service organizations improve customer service by facilitating better communication. Once appointment is booked, online (self-service) or by phone, program lets service organization send customers automatic notifications to keep in touch regarding expected time of arrival of technician to service location. Additional functionality lets customers reschedule or cancel, as often as needed, appointments that are no longer scheduled for convenient time.



Original Press Release:



ClickSoftware Adds Customer Interaction Management Capabilities to ServiceOptimization Suite



New ClickContact Solution Drives Customer Satisfaction While Reducing Operational Costs

BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, January 13 -- ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqCM: CKSW), the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions, today announced the launch of ClickContact, a new solution for customer interaction management and the newest addition to the Company's ServiceOptimization Suite.

ClickContact offers a number of out-of-the-box features to help service organizations improve customer service by facilitating better communication with customers. Starting with appointment booking, the solution enables service organizations to offer customers the option of self-service appointment booking via the Internet, which allows customers to choose the medium by which they interact with the service organization. This puts more control over the service experience in the customer's hands from the start.

Once an appointment is booked, either online or by phone, ClickContact enables the service organization to send customers automatic notifications-including confirmations, updates, etc.-via email, text or voice messaging-and to proactively keep in touch with the customer regarding the expected time of arrival of the technician to the service location. By providing this type of communications, service organizations show they respect their customers' time. With updates provided by ClickContact, service organizations can offer their customers smaller appointment windows, and customers are no longer "chained" to the service location waiting for the service technician to arrive. The real-time updates mean that customers can do whatever they need to do away from the service location and arrive just in time to meet the technician.

In addition to appointment booking, ClickContact enables customers to reschedule or cancel appointments that are no longer scheduled for a convenient time. These appointment management capabilities enable customers to change their appointments as many times as they need to without the hassle or time cost of having to wait on hold to speak with a service representative each time.

While contributing immensely to the quality of service, ClickContact also offers efficiency gains by reducing the number of staff at contact centers.

"Offering self-service appointment booking with automatic follow-up capabilities is a highly effective way to manage the tension between keeping operating costs low and customer satisfaction high," said Hannan Carmeli, President & Chief Operating Officer at ClickSoftware. "In today's do-it-yourself culture, providing self-service capabilities is viewed as a value add by customers, while it enables the service organization to reduce its overhead costs. And we also give customers more visibility into the whole process. With ClickContact we give the service industry the real time monitoring that customers have long enjoyed in tracking the delivery of physical goods, such as Internet purchases and mail," he added.

The seamless integration with all other ClickSoftware's products offers two unique advantages over other solutions, be they purchased or home grown.

First, real time data obtained from hand held and GPS devices are automatically integrated so that the estimates for arrival time are a combination of where the technician currently is in his daily schedule, as well as last minute updates regarding his location or traffic conditions.

This enables the service organization to provide a more accurate estimated arrival time. Second, the cost of deployment and on-going cost of ownership is greatly reduced since all products are built on the same databases and software infra-structure. This is true whether a company is looking to deploy another out-of-the-box solution or build a solution internally.

While dramatically improving the customer experience, and reducing staff at contact centers, ClickContact also helps a service organization cut down on the number of customer "no-shows" that require a costly second visit to the client location to complete a work order.

"There are many reasons why a customer would not be at the service location when the field technician arrives," said Carmeli, "but they all result in the same thing-the need for a second visit. This repeat visit comes at a cost to the service organization, and these costs add up quickly. By facilitating better communication between the customer and the service organization before the time of service, customers are happier, more informed about the upcoming visit and more likely to be present at the service location. Costly customer no-shows, therefore, can be greatly reduced."

The last component of the ClickContact offering is the ability to automatically send customer satisfaction surveys immediately following service in order to gain important performance feedback while it is still fresh in the customer's mind. By soliciting immediate feedback, service organizations are more likely to get the information they need to fine tune service offerings and improve technician performance, both drivers of customer satisfaction.

"The importance of customer satisfaction cannot be overstated, as it can have significant top-line implications for an organization," Carmeli said. "Every component of ClickContact is geared toward enhancing the customer experience in order to both improve retention rates and attract new customers. The satisfaction surveys close the loop on communications toward this end. From appointment booking to post-service feedback, ClickContact provides value at every step in the service lifecycle."

About ClickSoftware

ClickSoftware is the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions that create business value for service operations through higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Combining educational, implementation and support services with best practices and its industry-leading solutions, ClickSoftware drives service decision making across all levels of the organization. From proactive customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to real-time decision making, incorporating scheduling, mobility and location-based services, ClickSoftware helps service organizations get the most out of their resources. With over 100 customers across a variety of industries and geographies, and strong partnerships with leading platform and system integration partners ClickSoftware is uniquely positioned to deliver superb business performance to any organization. The company is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. and Israel, with offices in Europe, and Asia Pacific.

For more information about ClickSoftware, please call (781) 272-5903 or (888) 438-3308, or visit www.clicksoftware.com.

Contacts:
Joanna Giannotti
ClickSoftware, Inc.
+1-781-272-5903 x2235
joanna.giannotti@clicksoftware.com

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