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Press Releases |
| IKON (UK) Deploy A Mobile Communication Solution To Enhance Effectiveness Of UK Field Technicians |
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London, October 2004:
IKON launches the ‘In Touch’ project, a
PDA-based mobile communications solution to over 400 Field Technicians. With
approximately 40,000 UK customers on contracted service agreements, IKON
decided to exceed customer service demands, create efficiency in the field, and
improve billing cycles, by introducing a mobile communication solution for UK
Technicians. The two phase implementation will be completed by the end of 2004,
at which point IKON’s 600+ UK technicians will have all the information they
require in the field, including locally stored data on parts, products,
customer information, technical white papers, and troubleshooting.
"In Touch" is a wireless communications initiative which will enable IKON to
deliver superior customer service by improving flexibility and responsiveness
nationally. For many years traditional communication technologies including
mobile phones and pagers have been used by IKON Technicians working across the
country, but the limited amount of information these technologies can supply to
Technicians in the field has reduced their effectiveness," explains Marco Pezzani,
National Director, Customer Service for IKON UK. "The ‘In Touch’ removes this
communication barrier allowing our Technicians to access vital information and
communicate with IKON more effectively via a PDA. Our customers are already
seeing an improvement in service, which means that the ‘In Touch’ project is
helping us realise our field service goals."
IKON receives around 2,500 customer requests a day for on-site maintenance. By
making technicians virtually self-sufficient in the field and providing all the
information they need to their hand-held device, the ‘In Touch’ project has led
to a reduction in call centre traffic of 39.8 per cent, freeing up call centre
agents to handle customer calls.
With such a large and technology diverse
customer base, the number one priority for IKON Service is to deploy the right
resources at the right time. Through the "In Touch" project, IKON
Technicians are able to access all information regarding outstanding faults
logged by customers, allocate themselves to calls based on their locations,
give an accurate expected time of arrival and access historical service records
for a customer's device along with detailed technical resource files - keeping
them "In Touch" with their customers and enabling them to respond
faster and with the necessary information to ensure that the problem is
resolved first time, every time.
"IKON is unique in the market place and
the significant investment in the "In Touch" project represents
another evolution in IKON’s Customer Service operation, offering a truly unique
approach to service delivery. With the resources to support customers
nationwide and across an incredibly wide range of technologies, IKON is leading
the way - innovating to achieve service excellence!" – Marco Pezzani.
The key benefits that IKON’s investment in PDA technology will bring
their customers are:
- Improved
response times as field engineers can manage outstanding calls themselves,
minimising their travel time between calls as they know the local
geography.
- More
accurate ETA's for customers as engineers can provide this information on
a real-time basis from their start position when they accept a call.
- Reduced
downtime for users as remote access to symptom and resolution information,
and other technical information on their PDAs helps engineers diagnose and
resolve faults quicker and more accurately.
- Improved
diagnosis of faults on-site and first time fixes as a result of engineers
having access to historical performance information. Recurring faults will
be identified quickly and without repeating previously unsuccessful
methods.
- Customers
can receive electronic confirmation of the fault when the engineer
completes the service visit.
- Customer
satisfaction surveys during every service call ensure consistent and proactive
service levels.
Notes to Editors:
IKON integrates imaging systems and services that help businesses manage document workflow and increase
efficiency. As the world’s largest independent distribution channel for copier
and printer technologies, IKON offers best-in-class systems from leading
manufacturers such as Canon, Ricoh and HP and service support through its team
of 7,000 service professionals worldwide. IKON also represents the industry’s
broadest portfolio of document management services: outsourcing and
professional services, on-site copy and mailroom management, fleet management,
off-site digital printing solutions, and customised workflow and imaging application.
IKON Office Solutions
IKON House,
30 Cowcross Street,
London
EC1N 6DQ
020 7253 4545
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