Title:

Call Centers - A Backgrounder

Word Count:

521

Summary:

The call center business has become one of the fastest booming industries today. In the era of customer-oriented services, the provision for accessible support is now a priority. With many companies trying to cope up with their customers’ needs and demands, the concept of the call center was born.

A call center normally operates with all its agents (or customer service representatives) in one central location. It is equipped to handle a large amount of transactions between...

Keywords:

business, call centers, internet, online business

Article Body:

The call center business has become one of the fastest booming industries today. In the era of customer-oriented services, the provision for accessible support is now a priority. With many companies trying to cope up with their customers’ needs and demands, the concept of the call center was born.

A call center normally operates with all its agents (or customer service representatives) in one central location. It is equipped to handle a large amount of transactions between customers and the call center agents. Transactions may be carried out through a variety of media. The telephone is the foremost form of communication in call centers today. However, transactions are also carried out via email and the live chat through the Internet.

Call centers offer a wide range of services. The first thought that comes to mind for many is support - product information, technical support, and all sorts of after sales services. However, call centers can offer more than that. They also deal with marketing and sales. Telemarketing is an aggressive form of selling your product and can yield very good results. Call centers cater to businesses which aim to increase their sales as well as provide customer services. One example would be credit card companies.

While aiming to provide information and assistance to customers, they can also increase their revenue through sales spiels given by their agents. Another service that can be dealt with by a call center is debt collection. Credit bureaus also make use of call centers to provide information on a person’s credit rating. In effect, basically anything that has to do with your customers can be done through call centers.

What is the typical set up in a call center? The term call center brings up images of wide open work spaces, with small workstations containing a computer, headset, and telephone dialer. The practice is increasingly turning to the linking of data and voice in one pathway. This integration makes for more efficient work practices and is called Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). Individual agents are normally managed by a floor supervisor who also takes calls when the need arises.

Setting up a call center requires certain technology to be applied. There is a wide range of available technologies for call centers today. More often than not, different types of technologies are combined in order to achieve the most effective and efficient set up. The Computer Telephony Integration has already been mentioned is one of the trends in the business today. In fact, CTI is used to combine most applications used in call centers - voice, email, fax, and web. CTI provides many functions such as caller ID, on screen dialing, on screen phone controls (conference calls, hang up, hold, etc.), and agent status control (whether agent is available for calls or not).

With all these advances in technology and developments in consumer-oriented practices, the call center has emerged as an ideal solution for many companies. The call center provides standardized service to customers and helps cut the cost. In addition to that, the separate entity of the call center subtracts from the actual operational considerations of the company.

Title:

Who was it that Invented Electricity

Word Count:

311

Summary:

Electricity is a naturally occurring form of energy found in nature, and human beings did not invent it. Natural forms of electricity are found in lightning and in all electro-chemical impulses within living beings. For instance, the heartbeat is controlled by a micro-impulse of electricity. All forms of thought are electro-chemical impulses traveling within the neural network in the brain.

Keywords:

Invented Electricity

Article Body:

Electricity is a naturally occurring form of energy found in nature, and human beings did not invent it. Natural forms of electricity are found in lightning and in all electro-chemical impulses within living beings. For instance, the heartbeat is controlled by a micro-impulse of electricity. All forms of thought are electro-chemical impulses traveling within the neural network in the brain.

Human beings only ‘discovered’ the existence of electricity and found ways and means of using it for constructive purposes. Westerners seemed to know around 600 B.C that amber can be charged with static electricity by rubbing it. But it was not until William Gilbert, the father of modern electricity appeared on the scene in 1600 A.D that much progress was made. He discovered the electrical properties of many substances, and it was he who coined the term ‘electricity’ from the Greek word for amber.

While advances by early pioneers were mainly experimental in nature, Henry Cavendish and Charles Coulomb began quantifying the results through mathematical equations. By the mid 1700’s a crude form of battery was invented. This enabled to standardize all forms of electrical experiments. Later Ohm and Kirchhoff used batteries to power various electric circuits and discovered the Ohm’s Law and Kirchhoff’s Law of electric currents respectively.

It was Hans Christian Oersted who discovered that a wire carrying an electric current was surrounded by a magnetic field. D.F. Arago developed on it and invented the electro-magnet. André Marie Ampère developed mathematical equations for electromagnetic laws. Michael Faraday invented the electric motor as well as the generator. Within half a century, engineers were able to construct power plants that could supply electricity to the consumer. All of these inventors and other unnamed ones contributed towards the discovery of the laws of electricity and electromagnetism and invented ingenious means of using it for the benefit of mankind.

Title:

Better Online Communication Makes Business Sense

Word Count:

561

Summary:

How you communicate with your online customers will make or break your company. What are you doing to improve your customer relations?

Keywords:

customer, relations, communication, online, email, tech support, business

Article Body:

Many companies are now doing the majority or even all their business online and foregoing the “Brick and Mortar” storefront. It is easy to see why that trend has happened. For one thing, the cost of setting up such a business is relatively inexpensive and easy. There is no need to pay for the overhead of a physical building. Also, the cost of maintaining a Web site is minimal. Moreover, the Internet provides a convenient and efficient way of marketing products. As more and more people are spending time on the Internet, the market of online customers continues to grow.

But when businesses shift from face-to-face customers to anonymous online customers, there is a loss of personal connection and trust. All the online spamming and scamming hasn’t helped the matter at all. That has eroded the trust in E-commerce and the credibility of many companies. How are you gaining and maintaining customer trust? What are you doing as an online vendor to communicate to your customers?

In an online world, business just doesn’t stop after hours and on weekends. What are you doing to answer your customer’s questions? Here are a few things that you can do to improve communication with your customers:

1. Offer a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and online product support information. This is an excellent way of answering basic questions that may otherwise flood your support email. For example, our voice-changing product, MorphVOX, has a FAQ on the common issues that customers may come across. We also have provided detailed online documentation on topics that users may want to explore more. This takes care of roughly 95% of the questions people may have.

2. Add a support email link on your Web site for issues that can’t be resolved by the Web support. At Screaming Bee, we try to answer our customer questions within one business day. More often, we’ll answer questions within an hour of receiving the email. I believe that we have gained many loyal customers because of our aggressive efforts to meet needs in a timely manner.

3. Provide a message board or forum for customers to voice their opinions, add comments, and interact with each other. Remember that people are social creatures and like to be heard. This also helps to build up a community of users that are empowered and have a say in the products and services that you provide.

4. Write a personal email to each customer. Have you followed up on your customers after they have made a purchase of your products or services? This is essential, not only from the perspective of getting feedback on how to improve your offerings, but more importantly, maintaining the trusting, long-term relationship with your customer. Send them an email within 3-4 weeks of the first purchase. In this way their experience with your products and services is fresh in their mind. Remember, a customer who is ignored is a customer who is lost.

Spending time and effort on better communication with your customers will pay off. Your company will rise and fall not on the customers you gain, but on the customers that you don’t lose. Loyal customers will be the ones that give you the best testimonials. They also provide you with the richest, organic, word-of-mouth marketing. Remember that every happy customer is a testament of your company’s success.

Title:

Proxy Lists

Word Count:

181

Summary:

A proxy list is a list of all the working proxy websites. A proxy website is a website which lets you surf anonymously and it allows you to access the websites which have been blocked by a content filter.

Keywords:

Proxy Lists

Article Body:

A proxy list is a list of all the working proxy websites. A proxy website is a website which lets you surf anonymously and it allows you to access the websites which have been blocked by a content filter.

How does this work –

A proxy website allows you to enter the URL of the website which you wish to surf and once you’ve entered the URL, the proxy website displays the target website in a special window. In this way, your real IP address, location are not revealed to the website and you can access it even if it is blocked by the network administrator. You can interact with the website in real-time just like the way you would have interacted with it if it was not blocked on your network.

The only known problem associated with the proxy websites is that they’ve a small life as other websites block the proxy websites to avoid anonymous surfing. So, it’s important to maintain a regularly updated proxy list in order to get the information about the working proxy websites.

Title:

Gift Baskets - a nie way to say thankyou

Word Count:

332

Summary:

Gift baskets are a great way to say thank you, whether it’s for something personal or work-related

Keywords:

gift,basket,thankyou

Article Body:

Gift baskets are a great way to say thank you, whether it’s for something personal or work-related. You buy a basket of food, usually some kind of fresh produce, and have it sent to someone’s house with a note. It’s like sending a bunch of flowers, only less romantic and more tasty – although gift baskets can contain flowers too, if you want.

Typical things for a gift basket to contain include wines or champagne, cheeses, chocolates, fruit, and relishes or spreads such as chutney and marmalade. They can be surprisingly inexpensive at the lower end of the market, yet always make a well-appreciated and long-lasting gift.

In fact, if you’re going to get a gift basket, it is often worth going with a cheaper one. Expensive ones tend to be pretty much the same in terms of what they contain, but the presentation can be intimidating and the food can seem to many people to be ‘too nice’ for them to just eat when they want to. To avoid any awkwardness, try not to spend more on a gift basket for someone than you would on buying them flowers or chocolates – department stores sell wildly expensive baskets full of posh jams and things, but that doesn’t mean they’re good!

If you have some idea about the tastes of the person you’re sending the gift basket to, you might want to send a more specialised one. Instead of getting a mix of everything, you can get baskets that contain only a selection of wine, or a set of cheeses, or even more unusual gift baskets full of meat or fish.

As a final note, if you don’t even want to shell out for the most basic of gift baskets, don’t let that put you off. Baskets are cheap, and filling one with someone’s favourite foods is unlikely to turn out very expensive at all – but you can bet that it’ll be appreciated.

Title:

USB Headsets, the Cadillac of Headsets

Word Count:

406

Summary:

Wireless headset technology has provided us with comfort an convenience unthought of twenty years ago. Who could have predicted how utterly immersed technology would be in every facet of our lives? Our professional and personal lives are made easier by the newest technologies that come out every year.

Keywords:

wireless headsets, mobile headsets, gaming headsets, telephone accessories, blue tooth, headsets,

Article Body:

Wireless headset technology has provided us with comfort an convenience unthought of twenty years ago. Who could have predicted how utterly immersed technology would be in every facet of our lives? Our professional and personal lives are made easier by the newest technologies that come out every year.

One of the greatest improvements on wireless technology in recent years is the advent of the wireless headset. If you are looking for the most luxurious wireless headset then check out USB headsets.

USB headsets utilize the newest technologies in their models while incorporating comfort and luxury into their headset. USB headsets thinks about the extras such as plush ear pads to enhance your online experience. Let’s face it; it is easy to get lost online chatting with our friends or enjoying a game with online buddies. Plush ear pads allow you to have the most of that experience with out discomfort.

USB headsets also have the outside noise canceling function. Say goodbye to the annoyance of the person you are speaking to not being able to hear you due to outside noise on your end. These technologies will only enhance your experience whether it is listening to music, talking to your girlfriend who is overseas, or enjoying a LAN party.

USB headsets also use the latest in audio technology to give you the highest quality sound. This is great for when you are downloading your favorite tunes. The USB headsets have soft touch controls that allow you to adjust the volume and microphone quickly (this especially good for those times you need to quickly mute).

So if you are in the market for a new wireless headset and you are looking for luxury and those extras that will enhance your online experience then consider a USB headset. You can get a premium headset for about $50 with high frequency, excellent audio, plush ear pads, one year warranty, and a lot of little extras that truly make USB headsets the Cadillac of wireless headsets.

Ultimately when we are online we want to enjoy our friends, music, and relationships. We want to enjoy these things while taking a break from our life and the daily stresses we encounter. Those around us don’t always respect our down time and see our computer time as a time they can engage us in unwanted conversations and requests. A USB wireless headset will improve this annoyance while giving us cutting edge technology.

Title:

Two Way Radios : A Beginner's Guide

Word Count:

788

Summary:

A two-way radio is a device which transmits and receives voice signals through the air. They work somewhat like a telephone, but since they do not require a central network they can be used anywhere! With two way radios, two or more people can have a discussion no matter where they are -- sometimes while they are miles apart! Another common name for a two-way radio is a “walkie talkie”.

The most common type of two-way radio for regular consumers is the FRS/GMRS two-way rad...

Keywords:

two way radio, two way radios, 2 way radio, 2 way radios, walkie talkie, walkie talkies

Article Body:

A two-way radio is a device which transmits and receives voice signals through the air. They work somewhat like a telephone, but since they do not require a central network they can be used anywhere! With two way radios, two or more people can have a discussion no matter where they are -- sometimes while they are miles apart! Another common name for a two-way radio is a “walkie talkie”.

The most common type of two-way radio for regular consumers is the FRS/GMRS two-way radio. These are the radios that you typically see in the big-box stores. FRS and GMRS are the different frequency ranges, or channels, that these radios can operate on. The FRS channels are 8 though 14 and the GMRS channels are 15-22. Channels 1 through 7 are shared, and are used by both the FRS and GMRS systems.

All radios in your group will need to be set to the same channel before you can communicate. For example, if your radio is set to channel 7 it will send your voice over that channel when you talk, and it will listen for and allow you to hear other people talking on channel 7. It is always important to remember that these channels are public! Always be careful what you say over a two way radio, because you can never be sure who is listening.

When choosing a channel, privacy and range should be your primary concerns. If you are using a FRS only channel, because of government regulations your radio will only broadcast at a maximum of .5 watts of power. This wattage will typically get you between half a mile, and one mile of range. If using a GMRS channel, you can get the maximum output power and range out of your two-way radio. However, if you are using a GMRS channel, you are required by the FCC to purchase a license to operate on those frequencies.

As far as privacy goes, if you choose a channel and notice that there are others using the same channel, you should switch to a different channel to avoid confusion. Sometimes, such as at a crowed amusement park, 22 channels just aren’t enough to provide privacy. Because of this, most mid range radios and up also provide “Privacy Codes,” which break up a single channel into anywhere between 38 and 121 sub-channels. When you figure in the privacy codes, many radios offer over 1000 individual channels for you to choose from.

Some two-way radios operate on AA or AAA batteries. You will also find that many of the radios come with rechargeable battery packs and desktop chargers. If you buy a model with a rechargeable battery pack, you will get the convenience of the rechargeable batteries and plus, you will still be able to operate them with regular batteries if your battery packs happen to drain before you get them back to their chargers.

There are many good uses for a two-way radio, but they can come in especially handy on family vacations or outings. Have you ever taken a trip to an amusement park or a ski trip and somehow got separated from your friends or family? A two-way radio would have been very helpful to locate one another. How about taking more than one car on a road trip? A two-way radio would be a great means of communication between vehicles.

Another popular sport in which two-way radios can play a big part is hunting. Hunters are always in need of some sort of communications device to keep in contact with one another throughout the woods. The avid hunter can now even find two-way radios in camouflage color!

The major brands of two-way radios include Motorola, Cobra, Midland, Kenwood and Uniden. You can find radios from these manufacturers in all different ranges of output power and distance. There are all different types of features out there you can get with your two-way radios as well. Many two-way radios even support the NOAA weather channels. There are also lots of accessories you can find for your two-way radios including headsets, handheld speakers, earbud receivers, and throat mics. A lot of these you can even operate hands-free as long as they, and the radios, are VOX capable. You can now even buy car chargers for your two-way radios!

It is no doubt that two-way radios have come along way over the years. Most people have found them impossible to live without, just like cell phones! From starting out at a maximum range of about 2-5 miles, you can now find them with maximum ranges of up to 14 miles! Next time you are on the go with friends or family, make sure you’re prepared and take a two-way radio along. They may just prove to be pretty handy.