APRIL 2018CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM9In the end, it helps us further cultivate lifetime customer relationships which, obviously translates to helping our bottom line. Also, when it comes to the firearms industry, we have generations of customers who may want to be private about what they're purchasing and prefer to have a live conversation versus going through the website. So, when they are talking with a live person, it gives them more of a friendly conversation and peace of mind about their privacy. In the end, they're more willing to call back or do more business and make more purchases.Budget and Timeline:The previous phone system lasted us 20 plus years, so the expectations were the same from the business owners as we moved to a new solution. With Avaya we were able to choose a solution that has the flexibility and scalability to give us many years of service along with providing an ROI in two years. Ongoing maintenance was another big opportunity for long turn savings. We chose a solution that gave us the needed support but did not break the bank and impact the turn around time on the ROI.One of the moments I always remember is the phone call I got while traveling, when one of our executives asked, "How fast can we implement an end-to-end communication system?" With that said, I knew we needed to pick a solution that not only is robust and reliable but can be implemented and supported quickly. Three months later following the normal RFP process we were live with a new communication system which exceeded expectations.The Outcome: (Efficiencies, Cost Reduction, Collaboration, Data Driven Culture)With Avaya we were able to increase efficiencies, reduce costs and create a centralized collaboration tool globally. We were able to install the Avaya tool on all devices to allow employees to work from anywhere as if they were sitting in the same room. This functionality made sure there were no excuses for delaying a conversation to close out an opportunity. These tools also reduced time to resolution by 50 percent with our customer support by allowing us to manage and control seasonal spikes. We used the Avaya dashboard which we broadcasted right in front of the support team capturing the much-needed data. This data allowed us to assess trends to allow agile adjustments in workforce and support models to meet the customer demand. With the internet trend, we were able to find the right balance with our customers to create the best experience no matter what channel of communication was used. This is where we get the biggest bang on our brand on delivering world class service. Wes BeighleyChoosing the Right Solution:The sales force and customer service were number one on our list. We needed a solution offering the needed functionality to perform our best with sales, customer service, and reporting. We have a big sales team in the field in each state and needed to support them with tools that allowed them to take phone calls anywhere and at anytime for recording sales orders. Lastly, from a financial and technology standpoint, we wanted something that would allow us to stay within our budget and not wind up giving us any surprises. Also, it had to map with our overall long-term strategy when it came to long-term maintenance, return on investment and total cost of ownership standpoint.The Solution:We make decisions based upon data that is in front of us. With the reporting options and other functionality that Avaya brings to the table, we're now able to capture more information, learn more about our customers, and provide them with solutions for their specific needs. That's big.
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