Marcom recently installed a HiPath solution into a Housing Association with two sites linked by a data connection.

The problem

To replace an ageing and troublesome multiplexor system with new IP technology to share the bandwidth between sites for voice and data.

The Solution

• 2 x HiPath
• Voicemail system
• Call Centre
• Call Recording
• Siemens telephone handsets
• Direct Dial In (DDI)

The solution was 2 x HiPath 3700's, with 100 plus users on the main site and 48 users on the second site. Both sites use the one-voicemail system and people can ring between sites by dialling the extension number.

A call centre was set up at the remote site with 10 agents and a supervisor, to answer incoming calls for the repairs and maintenance side of the business. The Callview solution, from Swan solutions, allowed them to pop the caller's details from a database held at the main site. Tenants had a freephone 0800 number to call the repairs centre.

Callers who rang the main site were given a message and asked to press 1 if it was a repairs call or hold. If they pressed 1 this would send them down the link between the systems and answered by the repairs centre.

Other callers, who did not have a repair query, were transferred into a call centre at the main site with another 10 agents. Again, callers were recognised and their details popped up on screen when the call was answered.

Each site had a wallboard to let them know how many calls were answered, how many calls were waiting and how many had been lost.

Call recording was implemented at both sites to enable the conversation to be referred to again for training and to protect against abusive callers.

Siemens telephone handsets also formed part of the solution. The handsets purchased were "display based". This enabled users to navigate the system easily.

Direct dial numbers allowed the amount of calls answered by reception to drop, as people could contact staff members directly. If they were not available, the voicemail was able to take a message.

The solution has enabled the Housing Association to answer more calls by not having to ask for the callers details. It has improved service offerings, by seeing how they were responding and acting accordingly. It has also enabled large volumes of calls to be handled during peak times, such as Monday mornings.

The client is now able to prove to external bodies how well they were answering calls against their targets.

Once the project had been signed off a maintenance contract was issued and the client is now supported via our help desk.