The document discusses how putting the customer first on every call can improve customer service and business outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of first call resolution, where a customer's needs are addressed in one call. Advanced cloud-based solutions can enable first call resolution through features like skills-based routing, call distribution, CRM integration, and call monitoring without large investments. Providing excellent customer service in this way can increase customer satisfaction, retention, and spending.

1. Putting The Customer First On Every Call
White Paper • December 2011

2. Have you asked your customers lately what kind of service they get when dealing with your
business? Is their perception the same as yours? Studies show that 80% of your peers think
they are offering great customer service, while only 20% of their customers believe that is true!
The good news is that people are willing to spend more with companies that deliver great customer
service - a recent survey by Ovum says in fact 10% more! Some of this gain comes at the expense
of the competition, which itself isn’t standing still. In fact, the customer’s perception of what
constitutes great customer service continues to go up: what was pretty good last year is likely not
good enough going forward.
This paper will address how you can use an advanced communication solution to improve your
customer service, and consequently 1. improve customer retention; 2. expand to new customer
segments; and 3. provide world-class customer support.
First Call Resolution — The Key To Customer Service
Most businesses interact with their customers over three distinct channels: face-to-face, over the
phone and through the web. A decade ago, some predicted that the web would totally replace
face-to-face and phone interactions. But this is far from reality. With the explosion in mobility and IP
telephony, phone interactions at all stages of a product life cycles are as important as ever whether
to discuss a sale, query delivery or resolve problems.
Think about it. You yourself hate being put on hold, succumbing you to music on hold, or shuffled
from one agent to another, or having to place numerous calls, as you try to get your personal or
business needs addressed. Your customers are no different!
The key is to provide fast, consistent, efficient responses to your customer requests. Your customers
should reach someone who can address his or her needs on the first try or solve a problem on the
first call. This is called first call resolution. This is not an idle day dream, but a realistic opportunity
which you can realize without major investments and accompanying risks.
To learn more, please visit fonality.com or call 877- FONALITY

3. You may be under the mistaken impression that what you need to do is follow large corporations,
who have deep pockets to implement sophisticated call centers with dedicated agents. But for a
small or medium business like yours, there is a better way to enhance customer service without
emptying your wallets.
With efficient skill-based routing and find-me/follow me services, the customer’s call is quickly and
efficiently delivered to the employee, wherever he/she may be, who can best serve the customer.
This might be the sales person, a help desk agent, someone in your accounting group or even an
executive. Some of these employees may not always be at their desks next to their wired phones.
Find-me/follow me services allow employees to be reachable with a single number, whether they are
at their desks, or away from their desks with their laptops, tablets or smart phones.
With software interfaces to customer relationship management applications (e.g. salesforce), you
can make sure that your employees have the customer’s service and buying history in front of
them whenever the customer calls. Screen pops with the calling customer’s profile are provided to
personalize the customer’s experience, and allow you to quickly differentiate between high-value
repeat customers and first-time potential customers.
Advanced cloud-based business telephony solutions can deliver these capabilities in a highly
efficient fashion, without the need to invest in complex contact center technologies. These deliver
the flexibility you need to deliver on the promise of first call resolution, in a business world that is
highly mobile supported by a broad range of devices. These in turn decrease customer wait times,
lower the abandoned call rates, and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
To learn more, please visit fonality.com or call 877- FONALITY

4. Table: What features can my business benefit from?
Feature Description Benefits
Skills-based Routing Direct the call to the agent whose Increase customer satisfaction by
skills match the customer’s needs quickly engaging the agent who can
serve them most effectively
Automated Call Distribution Seamlessly access customers’ Increase productivity and avoid wait
historical information when they call times
in, or be alerted through screen pops
CRM Integration Allow the caller to self-direct to the Increase customer satisfaction with
appropriate agent to meet their needs detailed customer information at your
fingertips
Multiple Auto Attendants View graphical reports on every Customers can get to their
detail of your call queues, such as destination faster, reducing wait time
abandoned calls, completed calls, and frustration
hold time, average call length, agent
productivity, and more
Powerful Call Metrics Monitor calls, join the call, or speak Learn more about your call
to the agent during the call in whisper processes, so that you can be more
mode knowledgeable about how to improve
the effectiveness of your business
Call Monitor, Barge and Monitor calls, join the call, Monitor your agents in real-time and
Whisper or speak to the agent during the call assist them to fulfill customer needs
in whisper mode
The Bottom-Line Is Your Top-Line
If you have a cloud-based advanced business communications solution, enhanced customer service
is at hand, with incremental investments. First call resolution will become a reality by putting the
customer first on every call. You will be able to eliminate unnecessary delays in delivering products,
services and support to your customers. You will also be able to accelerate exception handling
associated with a customer problem, a shortfall in needed inventory, or a billing error. First call
resolution recognizes that time is money. Realizing first call resolution solutions across your business
will go a long way to delight your customers, therefore maximizing revenue opportunities.
To learn more, please visit fonality.com or call 877- FONALITY

5. Fonality, Moving Your Business Forward
Fonality is North America’s fastest growing business communications company and
a leading provider of cloud-based VoIP and Unified Communications solutions for small
and mid-size businesses. With a unique software model approach, Fonality provides all
the features of legacy providers without the cost or complexity.
Founded in 2004, Fonality has delivered more than two billion phone calls across the cloud
while enabling more than one million users of open-standards based communications
software. Investors include Intel Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Azure Capital
Partners. Visit www.fonality.com for more information or call 877-FONALITY.
5601 Granite Parkway, Suite 500 • Plano TX 75024
1-877-FONALITY • fonality.com