Report Shows Increase in Cloud Use at Call Centers by 2013; More Focus on Enterprise Scheduling

June 19, 2012 - PRLog -- Scottsdale, AZ – A prediction from Gartner Research and increased interest from call centers and customer service departments for Appointment-Plus enterprise scheduling software both solidify the notion that more and more corporations, enterprise-level organizations and large businesses are turning to Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud technology for their Business Process Management (BPM) procedures.

According to Gartner Research, 75 percent of call centers will incorporate cloud technology processes in their operations by 2013. This stat highlights the increasing need for cloud-based solutions for call-center service providers such as West Corp., Convergys, Sitel Worldwide and TeleTech Holdings.

Among the cloud applications being leveraged by many call centers and customer service departments is online scheduling software, which has boosted the enthusiasm for booking solutions offered by Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com). The leader in enterprise scheduling software provides a better alternative to their current BPM procedures through online customer self-scheduling of support/technical appointment calls, inquiries and callbacks.

“Call centers and customer service departments play an integral role at corporations, enterprises and large businesses worldwide, but they can also be difficult to properly and effectively manage,” says Bob La Loggia, CEO of Appointment-Plus. “Our online enterprise scheduler is the perfect solution to improve this important operational component.”

When implemented at call centers and customer service departments, Appointment-Plus enterprise scheduler ncan have an immediate and positive impact in how inbound customer calls are managed. The enterprise scheduling system allows the self-scheduling of less urgent and in-depth inquiry appointments beforehand, thereby increasing agent utilization—a huge factor in reducing the overall cost of support—through callbacks during otherwise non-productive times. The company simply steers customers to a “Book Now” button placed on a Web page or supplies them with a URL back to their scheduler. The customer then selects a day or time for their callback and instantly schedules it.

Additionally, the system’s automated e-mail and text message reminders helps decrease the number of “no-shows” who missed their scheduled appointment calls, which furthers adds to the center’s or department’s efficiency.

A leader in enterprise scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus serves the unique needs of enterprise-level organizations, corporations and large and medium-sized businesses through its Scheduling Cloud™ Enterprise Solution, which provides such unmatched services as:

• Application programming interface (API) functionality and Web services that allow for seamless integration with existing software systems.
• A highly scalable system that allows organizations to easily accommodate increases in workload, users and growth across numerous locations.
• The most configurable scheduling software system available.
• 24-hour support from its headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Dedicated business and support contacts.
• “Turnkey”, existing solutions that are instantly ready to go live.
• Custom graphic user interface (GUI) development.   

In addition to its premier functionality, features, services and customer support, Appointment-Plus also provides the scheduling industry’s most complete collection of plug-ins, integrations and modules to help businesses operate more efficiently and effectively. Among the items featured in its Marketplace are syncs with QuickBooks, Google Calendar and e-marketing service providers Constant Contact, iContact, MailChimp and Vertical Response.

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About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com) is the worldwide leader in online scheduling solutions for growing businesses, enterprises, higher education, government and logistics.  With over 15 million end-users and 85 million appointments booked since its inception in 2001, Appointment-Plus is one of the fastest growing cloud-based services in the world. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., organizations ranging in size from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses use Appointment-Plus to book an average of three million appointments monthly.