transferred from one extension to another. Now BTC is hoping to remove such frustration, writes Ahmed ElAmin The Bermuda Telephone Co. Ltd. (BTC) is going after additional revenue by setting up a call centre to handle telephone operations for other companies.

Initially, however, BTC will provide the service for itself, consolidating most enquiries to the company under one number.

Call Centre head Jennifer Stultz said all customer enquiries, including billing and installation for residential and single line business telephone service would be handled by the call centre.

Instead of being transferred to different departments the call centre operator who answers the telephone will be authorised to handle the enquiry. Customers simply have to dial 811 instead of one of several numbers when trying to get information or order services.

Larger businesses with multiple lines will deal with the company through a personal account representative.

The company is attempting to cut down on the need for customers to come into its main building on Victoria Street. Mrs. Stultz said about 75 percent of the company's customers did their business with BTC by telephone. The one number will help to cut down on the frustration of trying to find the right person to handle an enquiry.

Some staff will be kept at the Victoria Street location to handle customers who want to come in and deal with a BTC representative. The rest of the staff form sales and service, and billing enquiry departments will be transferred to the company's building near the main bus terminal in Hamilton.

Initially the call centre will have a staff of 18. More will be added when BTC extends call centre services to other businesses sometime by the end of this year.

The call centre will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Plans are for it to become a 24-hour operation.

Mrs. Stultz said BTC would be targeting companies that want to outsource their telephone answering operations. There are thousands of similar call service operations in North America.

"Research has shown that prompt and efficient service provided by telephone leads to high customer satisfaction while being transferred from one extension to another, or put on hold for long lengths of time, has the exact opposite effect,'' she said.

A call centre provides one point of contact for the customer to call a business. In most cases customers won't even know they're not calling the company directly.

BTC operators answering the call will immediately know what business is being called and will answer as directed. They will have access by computer to the company's database and will be able to provide the customer with the appropriate services.

Mrs. Stultz said scheduling for garage and medical operations, hotel reservations, catalogue ordering, and delivery services could all be handled by call centre operations.

AT YOUR SERVICE -- Call centre head Jennifer Stultz