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RepairNow.com Selects Inference k-Commerce™ Support for Web Self-Service
New Online Home Repair Site Employs k-Commerce Web for Interactive Do-It-Yourself Problem Solving
NOVATO, Calif. (October 25, 1999)- Inference Corp. (NASDAQ: INFR), a leading provider of software and services for customer relationship management and e-Commerce, announced today that RepairNow.com, a new online home repair infomediary, has chosen k-Commerce Web to provide do-it-yourself solutions to customers seeking help with home appliance repair problems. The RepairNow.com site was launched on September 29th to provide consumers with an interactive resource to find product information, fix-it-yourself guides and qualified repair professionals in their area."The mission of RepairNow.com is to become a premier online resource for anyone who needs help solving home repair problems," said Fred Schaufeld, chairman, president and chief executive officer of RepairNow.com, Inc. "An important part of our strategy is to help people answer their own questions, before they call a repairman. k-Commerce Web gives our customers access to professional solutions that can save them time and money."
RepairNow.com makes finding a repair solution quick and easy. Upon entering the web site, the visitor is presented with a house displaying the areas most likely in need of repair including the kitchen, bathroom, garage, yards, etc. The visitor begins by clicking on the room of the house where the product or service need is found. From there, RepairNow.com identifies the exact problem. Consumers can then enter their zip code to find a repair professional in their area or choose the "Help me fix it myself" option using the k-Commerce Web powered Product AssistSM to try and fix the problem on their own. Product Assist uses Inference's k-Commerce Web product to offer a simple, interactive and educational resource to help consumers identify and even solve simple problems on their own. For consumers with more complex problems, Product Assist often arms the consumer and the repair professional with a repair diagnosis that can create realistic expectations before repairs begin.
k-Commerce Web uses patented technology and XML to determine the context of customer requests through a series of relevant questions and match them with solutions contained in the k-Commerce Knowledge Base. This conversational access responds to customers with additional questions until the correct answers are found. "RepairNow.com is a wonderful example of the enormous benefits the Internet deliver to consumers," said Charles Jepson, chief executive officer of Inference Corporation. "Fast, accurate online customer service is the critical advantage for companies competing for consumers online. k-Commerce provides our customers with that competitive edge."
About RepairNow.com
RepairNow.com is the brainchild of Fred Schaufeld, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive officer of N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc., the parent company of National Electronics Warranty (NEW), the leading independent provider of service contracts for consumer products. NEW provided product protection and information service coverage to more than 85 million consumers in 1998, the same year that Ernst & Young recognized Schaufeld as Entrepreneur of the Year in the Greater Washington D.C. area for the services industry. In connection with its administration of buyer protection programs, NEW maintains and employs a network of over 12,000 service providers, which was used as the starting point for the development of the service provider database developed by RepairNow.com. Product Assist, is a robust, proprietary, case-based reasoning tool originally developed by NEW to assist customer service representatives in the administration of extended warranty contracts and has been adapted by RepairNow.com to provide interactive trouble-shooting for the online consumer. RepairNow.com currently has full-service capabilities in the Baltimore, Maryland and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. The web site currently lists basic information for service providers nationwide with full-service capabilities later this year. About Inference Corporation Inference Corporation (NASDAQ: INFR) is a leading provider of software and services for customer relationship management and e-Commerce. Inference’s k-Commerce product family leverages a company’s knowledge, integrating personalized, one-to-one, sales, service and support across the Web and the Contact Center. Inference helps companies raise customer care to the next level while taking e-commerce beyond the transaction.
Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area, with international headquarters near London, England, Inference supports its customers from offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific through a global professional services organization. For further information, contact Inference at 415-893-7200, send an e-mail to info@inference.com or visit www.inference.com.
The Inference logo, k-Commerce and the k-Commerce logo are trademarks of Inference Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Product Assist and RepairNow.com are the trademarks of RepairNow.com, Inc.
Editorial Contact:
Carrie Cassee
Inference Corporation
415-893-7208
carrie.cassee@inference.com
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