SoftQuest's CRM/HelpDesk application is a robust customer-centric provisioning and support service-based solution. It manages end users' information including billing, fault ticketing, support request logs, loyalty schemes, service subscription and provisioning. Combined with BillQuest, this presents a state-of-the-art online real-time Customer Care and Billing (CCB) application suite.

SoftQuest's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and HelpDesk application can be used to by companies of all sizes to manage their customers at all stages of the customer life-cycle. From the pre-customer stage where your customer is still a potential lead, though signup and service subscription, to customer self management, loyalty schemes and help desk capabilities. Your customers will be able to access the information they need and your staff will have the information at hand needed to track your customers account, service and ticketing information.

Pre-Customer, Signup and Service Subscription

The CRM/HelpDesk Leads Management modules allows a large database of potential customers to be loaded into the CRM database allowing Sales and Marketing staff access to a pool of potential customers. Lead data (name, phone numbers addresses etc) can be either entered manually or loaded in bulk from a file purchased from a 3rd party. All details of conversations with a potential customer can be stored against the lead entry. Individual salespeople can also take 'ownership' of a lead and the lead can be set to only be accessible by the owning sales person. The Lead database can be searched and filtered by any number of criteria such as name, address, postcode etc. Reminders can also be set regarding future customer contact.

Customer signup through your company's website is easy with SoftQuest's CRM. Customers simply enter their details and select the products/services they require. Payment can be made prior or after the receipt of products/services. SoftQuest's CRM also has ISP and VoIP provisioning capabilities allowing the immediate automatic provisioning of services upon customer signup where applicable. (VoIP provisioning capabilities requires SoftQuest's Vgate VoIP Gateway application.)

Customer Self Management and Loyalty Schemes

Once customers have signed up they can be given access to the Customer CRM Portal. This portal allows customers to self manage their accounts. They can update their user details, payment options and details and view general information relating to the service that they have subscribed to, as well as make credit card payments online and view their current and past statements. Customer's are also able to signup to additional services through the Customer CRM Portal. The Customer CRM Portal can be configured so that only particular menu items are available to the customer based on the customer class and the types of services they are subscribed to.

Customers can also report faults online, automatically raising help desk tickets and with the addition of Vgate can also make direct VoIP calls to help desk via their computer from the Customer Portal - automatically bringing up the customer's account information for the help desk operator receiving the call.

SoftQuest's CRM with BillQuest also supports loyalty schemes, allowing customers to earn points for products/services purchased. These points can be redeemed for catalogue items, used to pay for products/service, or even redeemed for cash. The loyalty scheme is completely configurable and can support multiple types of points as well as point thresholds, so that certain catalogue items only become available once the customer has reached a certain threshold of points.

HelpDesk and Fault Ticketing

SoftQuest's CRM/HelpDesk application allows help desk staff to be able to access customer account and ticketing information easily and quickly. Staff can also logon via the Customer CRM Portal to a user's account so that they can see exactly what the customer is seeing. Customers can also raise tickets and track their progress from the Customer CRM Portal.

In conjunction with Vgate additional help desk functionality is made available. For example if a customer calls the help desk from a non-silent number or by using the VoIP 'Call-Me' functionality from the Customer CRM Portal, the customer's account information can be automatically presented to the help desk operator when they take the call.

Tickets can be prioritised, escalated and assigned to particular staff members or departments for action. The SoftQuest CRM/HelpDesk application can also be configured to raise alerts if customer faults are not addressed within a particular time frame, based on the customer's class, service and QoS agreements.

ISP and VoIP Functions and Provisioning

When combined with SoftQuest's Vgate -Virtual VoIP Gateway and SoftSwitch application, the CRM/HelpDesk application becomes a powerful package enabling ISPs and Telcos to directly link their help desk and Customer CRM Portal to their ISP network and VoIP PBX. This means that help desk staff can monitor customer VoIP calls and connectivity, internet connectivity and bandwidth usage in real-time. Not to mention taking advantage of all the capability of Vgate as their in house PBX system, complete with Vgate's many features including IVR, ACD and call back - just to name a few.

Customer Care and Billing CCB

BillQuest with SoftQuest's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application form the comprehensive Customer Care and Billing package (CCB).

CRM/HelpDesk Features

• Comprehensive reporting
• Criteria based mass emailing
• Customer billing management
• Customer/User registration and profile management
• Help desk ticketing
• Task scheduling
• Dealer management
• Customer care functionality
• Management of comprehensive marketing campaigns
• Web self-care functionality
• Customer retention tools, management of loyalty schemes
• Management of outbound contact campaigns
• Central repository of customer data
• Work flow capabilities - automatic distribution, tracking and logging of tasks
• Fault and complaint management
• Web self-care and self-activation
• Order management - prioritisation of orders
• Tiered rating and automatic suspension
• Service activation / deactivation
• Reduction of customer churn and predictive analysis of customer behaviour
• Remote access
• Restriction of staff access based on staff roles
• Auditing capabilities

CRM/HelpDesk Core Modules

Customer Online Registration
	Provides end users with the ability to signup for services online. This module can be integrated to work with existing websites.




Service/Cost Setup and Management
	Enables products and services to be defined within the CRM system. It also includes the functionality of assigning cost values to these products/services.




Help Desk Ticketing
	Enables the ability to provide HelpDesk/Customer support services. CRM/HelpDesk ticketing gives help desk staff the ability to manage and monitor a customer's service performance and service history.




Customer Email API Support
	This module enables the CRM/HelpDesk application to send structured and ad hoc emails to customers based on their customer class.




Web Based Administrator Management
	Allows administration of all SoftQuest modules from a single web interface.

CRM/HelpDesk Optional Modules

Customer Portal Management
	This CRM module offers customer the ability to log into a customer profile area and perform some functions to manage their account information and services. In the Customer Portal Management area, customers can manage the subscription of their services, view their bills and call history online. Payments can also be made online through the CRM's customer portal.




Web Based Chat Application
	Gives service providers with the ability to support their CRM customers online using a live HelpDesk chat application.




Help Desk to Customer Profile Assistance API
	The Support/HelpDesk will need this module to be able to log simultaneously with the customer into their accounts to assist them in resolving their issues. This module enables the help desk staff see what the customer sees in their profile while offering assistance to them.




Customer-PPPoE IP Addressing API
	Allows help desk staff to provision and manage IP addressing to customers for a PPPoE network.




Online VoIP Registration Monitor
	For companies providing a VoIP service using Vgate, this module enables the help desk staff to view the list of SIP clients registered in real-time.




Real-time VoIP Calls Monitor
	Gives the help desk the ability to monitor ongoing calls on the Vgate Virtual VoIP Gateway. This is delivered to them in a web based report format.




Leads Management

Maintains a database of potential customers for sales and marketing purposes. This includes names, addresses, contact phone number, details of previous contacts, products that they are interested in and how interested they are in purchasing the products/services. This module also allows staff members to set reminders to contact potential customers. The Leads Management module is ideal for businesses that attract customers through telemarketing.