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eConvergent Announces Second Annual Online Customer Satisfaction ContesteCRM Business Solution Provider Calls for Nominations for the Best and Worst Internet Holiday Shopping ExperiencePLEASANTON, Calif. – November 14, 2000 – eConvergent, the world’s leading Business Solution Provider (BSP) for e-business customer interaction, today announced its second annual contest to determine the best and worst customer service experiences on the Internet this coming holiday season. Consumers who have had good or bad experiences with e-businesses are encouraged to email their stories of two hundred words or less to contest@econvergent.com before December 31, 2000. Winners will be notified by email on January 8, 2001 and the winning entries will be posted on the eConvergent Website at http://www.econvergent.com The top three winners in each category, best and worst, will receive $250 gift certificates redeemable at one of the winning e-business Websites in the best category."We had an overwhelming response to our first annual Customer Satisfaction Contest last year and anticipate even more responses this season," said Clyde Foster, eConvergent’s president and CEO. "With the expected increase in online sales this holiday season, along with the April dot.com shake-out, we are predicting the click-and-mortar companies will be in the spotlight this season. Last year, many companies were not prepared for high traffic and customer service demands on their Websites. As a result, consumers were left frustrated by many time-consuming delays, incorrect information and problems with orders. This year’s contest will help determine whether companies learned from last year’s experiences and are better prepared to meet their customer's demands this holiday season." Foster sited an example of a mainstream etailer that has proactively raised the bar this year for e-business; SmarterKids.com. "SmarterKids.com had an extremely successful holiday season last year, delivering 99% of our orders on time with a minimal return rate," said SmarterKids.com’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, Al Noyes. "We were one of the few etailers commended for handling such a large volume of orders flawlessly, increasing our customer satisfaction. With the holidays quickly approaching again, and online shopping revenues expected to double, SmarterKids.com is prepared to not only meet, but exceed our service levels from last year." Gartner Group reports this year’s online holiday sales are expected to reach $19.5B, an 85 percent increase over 1999 holiday online sales. Deloitte and Touche finds that 24/7 shopping availability and not having to worry about pesky sales associates hovering, are among the top reasons consumers like shopping online for holiday gifts. Although concerns of poor order fulfillment, privacy issues and bad customer service still linger from last year’s online holiday experiences, a recent survey by AT&T indicates that 97% of online holiday shoppers plan to be back on the web looking for gifts again this Christmas. "The 2000 holiday season will be a make-or-break season for many online retailers," said Kathleen Earley, president of AT&T Data and Internet Service, in an eCommerce Times article E-Shoppers Undaunted by Holiday Snafus. "Last year proved to be a training ground for companies. This year, even more consumers will be online, and their expectations are high, so businesses have to gear up. If they don't, they'll be shut out." About eConvergent eConvergent helps e-businesses and large enterprises establish and build lifelong customer relationships. The company is the leading Business Solution Provider (BSP) for customer interaction that helps companies create customer satisfaction. eMerge™, the company's flagship outsourced service for managing customer interaction, provides companies with the information and tools they need to effectively manage customer relationships through the phone, Web, chat, email and fax. eConvergent’s BSP approach enables companies to purchase results, not technology. The company can be reached at (925) 931-2500, 1-888-CRM-FAST, info@econvergent.com or on the Web at http://www.econvergent.com eConvergent, CRMS, Converge*, eCIOS* and eMerge are trademarks of eConvergent, Inc. Other company and product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. *Patent pending. Editorial Contact: Tish Wagner Bairey & Bedford PR 770-725-0585 tish@b2pr.com top of page |
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