| Special
to the Oakland Business Review:
OAKLAND, Calif. –
Quicker than regular e-mail and cheaper than a phone call, companies
are now using Instant Messaging (IM) to communicate with their clients
to discuss projects, proposals, or simply give advice. E-agency,
an Oakland-based marketing communications firm, has been using AOL’s
Instant Messenger (AIM) internally for more than a year. However,
they are now using the same technology as well as Live Advisor to
maximize customer satisfaction.
"The emphasis these days is on customer service," said
David Dunn, President & CEO of e-agency, Inc. "And the
companies that will prosper in this economy are those who offer
exceptional service with quick response times. It doesn’t
get much quicker than this." Dunn noted that in the last year,
while using IM internally, productivity has increased as employees
communicate quickly and efficiently with each other.
Michele Conner, e-agency’s Creative
Services Director, has experienced the benefits in using AIM with
her clients. "We were working with Universal Music, one of
the nation’s largest record companies, which is based in Los
Angeles and I needed to coordinate with our Los Angeles office as
well as with the client’s project team. Our communications
were almost entirely by AIM," said Conner. "Throughout
the entire project, we were able to discuss changes, get approvals,
and generally talk about the progress of the project instantaneously.
Without AIM, we may have experienced delays in the project by sending
e-mails or leaving voice messages. AIM made it possible to get the
job done quickly and less expensively."
e-agency has also installed a program called
Live Advisor on its Web site, enabling clients to click a button
and be connected instantly with one of e-agency’s staff. Whether
they have questions about Web design, public relations, or the myriad
of communications services e-agency provides, they can get answers
to their questions right away.
Companies nationwide profess their dedication
to customer service, but how many of them give you instant access
to your account manager? How many vendors are available at the click
of a mouse? When was the last time you were looking for something
and found it immediately? No on-hold music, no listening to a menu
that changes frequently, no endless transfers that often result
in a disconnection. Simply type your inquiry and get your answer.
As employers are cutting back, often in the
customer service arena, they would be wise to use the new technologies
available. Services like Yahoo, MSN or AOL’s Instant Messenger
(AIM) are free. They require the user to download an application
to his/her machine; register for a username and password; and typically,
they are used primarily between people who have already established
a relationship. The user knows whom he/she is contacting.
On the other hand, Live Advisor links a user,
anonymously, from a Web site. There is no download necessary; no
registration required; and, this system is used to contact a company
or department for general information. The only cost associated
with Live Advisor is that of the company who puts the link on its
Web site for customers to use.Two very different applications with
very similar goals – to improve communications with the customer.
E-agency employees will actually have their
IM address printed on their business cards and listed on the company’s
Web site to ensure that clients can access them instantly.
_______________________________
E-agency is an Oakland-based interactive
marketing communications firm specializing in advertising, public
relations, strategic marketing consulting, response marketing, graphic
design, and a complete range of more than 40 Internet services,
including Web site design, e-mail marketing, Web advertising and
site marketing. Additional clients include Oakland International
Airport, Safeway, the Shorenstein Company and KaiserAir. E-agency
hosts more than 250 Web sites and has clients in 23 U.S. states
and eight countries.
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