Colorado Utility Improves Customer Service with Qwest Call Center Technology

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Colorado Springs Utilities recently adopted a hosted call center solution from Qwest (NYSE: Q) that allows the organization to improve how it delivers key services, including meter-reading appointments, account review and service call status.

For the Colorado Springs-based provider of electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services, Qwest Contact Center Solutions allows it to deliver a personalized customer experience while lowering costs.

KEY FACTS

• Qwest partnered with Contact Solutions, Inc. to deliver an integrated, cost-effective call center environment that combines network-based, hosted interactive voice response (IVR), intelligent call routing, multi-channel call distribution, multimedia contact management, network-to-desktop computer telephony integration, customer relationship management integration and consolidated reporting.
• The system directs callers to the appropriate customer service agent using hosted-services technology. This multi-channel environment creates a flexible way to handle call flow and is powered with on-demand scale and capacity to economically address call-volume spikes. The combination of capabilities lets Colorado Springs Utilities tailor its outbound and inbound messaging, depending on business needs and changing customer preferences.
• The menu of self-service options reduces wait times by giving Colorado Springs Utilities’ agents a more complete customer view. With visibility to data across channels, agents can pull up customer records, and review and track account activity.
• Qwest's professional services team also worked with Colorado Springs Utilities to make Qwest Contact Center Solutions part of the organization’s business continuity and disaster recovery planning with three site redundancy. Because Qwest Contact Center Solutions offer the flexibility to direct callers to agents at work or at alternate locations, businesses such as Colorado Springs Utilities can remain up and running in the event of an emergency.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

Blake Wetzel, vice president, Qwest Business Partner Program:
“Qwest Contact Center Solutions expand the communications channels between businesses and their customers. By integrating the phone, the fax and the Web, customers can interact how they want, when they want, using the technology they want. By partnering with Contact Solutions, Qwest delivered a best-in-class solution that resulted in improved customer satisfaction for Colorado Springs Utilities.”

Kate Bannister, Customer Service Center Manager, Colorado Springs Utilities:
“Our new IVR is a springboard for options to increase customer satisfaction. The implementation of this product will help streamline interactions with our customers. We are very excited about the doors that this new IVR will open for both our customer service and collections processes. We appreciate the help and guidance we received from Qwest and Contact Solutions, Inc. in putting together these new options. They have been quick and responsive with questions and direction. Overall, this is a great win for our organization and our customers.”

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

• Video: Qwest Contact Center Solutions
• Webinar: A proactive approach to mitigating a disaster
• Web site: Contact Center Solutions for business
• Video: Why Do Business With Qwest?

About Qwest Business

Qwest Business is a choice of 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies, offering a comprehensive portfolio of data and voice networking communications solutions to enterprises, government agencies and educational institutions of all sizes. The Qwest network backbone covers the entire continental United States and has one of the largest fiber footprints in the U.S., capable of supporting 40 Gbps data transmission rates now and 100 Gbps soon. Go to Qwest.com/business to see why enterprises coast-to-coast rely on Qwest for first-class communications solutions and to learn more about Qwest’s commitment to perfecting the customer experience.

The marks that comprise the Qwest logo are registered trademarks of Qwest Communications International Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries.