Contact Information: Media Relations Jonathan Varman 908 953 6432 jvarman@avaya.com
Avaya Introduces New Customer Service Solutions for Retailers at 2009 National Retail Federation Event
Avaya In-Store Connect Keeps Retail Employees Connected for Superior Customer Service; Avaya Video Assist Lets Store Customers Communicate via Video With Off-Site Experts
| Source: Avaya Inc.
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 12, 2009) - NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION CONFERENCE AND EXPO
-- Avaya Inc. will introduce and demonstrate new customer service solutions
for retailers at this week's 2009 National Retail
Federation (NRF) Annual Convention and Expo. The solutions -- Avaya
In-Store Connect and Avaya Video Assist -- will showcase the innovative
ways contact center and unified communications
technologies are used to improve customer service experiences and employee
productivity in any store environment.
Avaya is the global leader in unified communications(1) (UC) and contact
center markets(2). The company recently made investments to expand its
professional services practice to deliver customized solutions for the
retail industry, developed by experts with hands-on experience in the
retail market. Avaya's portfolio of retail solutions will be available for
demonstrations at the NRF show in Avaya booth #765.
The new Avaya In-Store Connect solution provides enhanced voice- and
text-based communications customized for workers in "in-store"
environments. The solution is comprised of technologies from Avaya,
Motorola and Indyme Solutions. It includes Avaya's Communication Manager IP telephony solution, phones and
custom applications; Motorola's CA50 VoIP-enabled wireless scanner; and
Indyme's paging, escalation and reporting technologies.
Avaya In-Store Connect provides retailers a more efficient way for its
retail associates to collaborate and address customer needs. Through a
combination of IP phones in various locations (i.e., fitting rooms,
check-out registers) and mobile devices used by workers, retail employees
can communicate quickly via text messages and phone calls. Workers
on-the-move in a store can use the Motorola CA50 to send or receive
important text messages customized to a store's needs. This eliminates the
need for workers to use headsets, walkie-talkies, separate Wi-Fi phones and
pagers in the store -- reducing the costs associated with deploying and
managing multiple communications devices for employees. It also reduces
overhead paging and excess chatter among workers, creating a more pleasant
store environment for customers.
Avaya In-Store Connect can be designed for any retail environment. For
example, dressing room attendants in an apparel store can use custom menu
options on their CA50 to request help for a customer who needs a different
size or color item. In a grocery store, customized device buttons let
workers exchange messages such as "Clean Up" in a specific aisle or "Price
Check."
Other features help ensure effective employee collaboration during
high-traffic times. If a store cashier is overwhelmed by many shoppers at
the checkout line, he can press a button on his station's IP desk phone to
send a message to on-site co-workers for assistance. An alerted co-worker
then walks over and acknowledges he has arrived by cancelling the alert. If
the request does not get cancelled within a set amount of time, Indyme's
technology will escalate the request to a store manager.
All of these interactions can be compiled in a report, which a supervisor
uses to receive data on how well customers are served, as well as
information on in-store traffic trends. This helps retailers determine
future staffing needs for certain times of the day.
Avaya Video Solutions Enable Fast Customer Connections to Product Experts
Avaya Video Assist is an in-store, IP video-based customer service solution
that can connect customers to off-site experts using video conferencing,
and helps customers get technical assistance on a specific product. This is
handy if an off-site specialist is required to deliver more in-depth
product information or support than an on-site retail associate can
deliver, or if in-store staff is not available to help a customer.
This solution builds upon prior Avaya innovations in video kiosk technology
to enhance customer experiences. Customers visiting a store simply go to
the Video Assist kiosk, place their product in a cradle in front of the
camera, and then communicate via 2-way video with a live agent. The agent
can also push instructions, video clips, photos or diagrams to the customer
for reading and printing -- and even send a store map to direct a customer
to a product's location. Promotional information can be relayed during or
after the interaction, based on the product discussed.
The solution is made possible using an Avaya Communication Manager platform
and IP Softphone application, along with contact center applications
including Avaya Call Center and Call Management System. At this year's NRF
show, Avaya will be showing how similar capabilities can be used in a video
kiosk developed by HP Labs, which demonstrates the expanded service options
possible in a retail kiosk solution.
"In these challenging economic times, the retailers who will succeed are
those who can differentiate themselves by delivering a unique and positive
customer experience, and do so in a cost-effective way," said Greg
Billings, vice president, Avaya Global Professional Services. "Working with
valued partners, Avaya is using its strengths in unified communications and
contact centers to deliver new, innovative ways for retailers to help
ensure their in-store customers always have access to the right experts,
and can get fast, informed answers to their questions."
The 98th annual National Retail Federation Annual Convention and Expo is
held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY from January
11 - 14, 2009. Avaya will be located in Booth #765. Indyme Solutions
(www.indyme.com) and Motorola (www.motorola.com) will be showcasing
solutions in Avaya's booth as well.
About Avaya
Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company
provides unified communications, contact centers, and related
services directly and through its channel
partners to leading businesses and organizations around the
world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art
communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and
competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.
(1) Dell'Oro Group Enterprise Telephony Report, 2008
(2) Gartner Market Share report, Contact Centers, Worldwide 2007. Drew
Kraus. June 2008