Call USRobotics Tech Support using Skype

Some pretty cool news from USRobotics that lets you use Skype to directly call their Customer Support infrastructure. This saves USRobotics the cost of the toll-free number and it enables customers to get into the support queue much easier. Considering the "newness" factor of web call through, most call centers will assign a higher priority to inbound VoIP calls or IM sessions. So if you are impatient and want to skip lengthy on-hold times, using Skype could be the answer.

It will be interesting to see if/when a big boy like Microsoft offers web call through for their tech support. I was just on a 5 hour call with Microsoft technical support on Friday troubleshooting 'Microsoft Exchange Server 2003' and AUTD + ActiveSync for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. It wasn't looking too good for the Microsoft technician after 5 hours of no success, but we finally got it working. All this so Rich Tehrani can sync his Verizon VX6700 Windows Mobile 5.0 device while travelling. A whopping 5 hours on the phone with Microsoft tech support with no food, no water, and no pee break deserves a raise, don't you think?

It was an 800 number, but at say $0.01/minute, the call cost Microsoft $3. But they're still ahead since they charge $245/incident. Still, if they used VoIP, the call would have been free. Imagine the thousands of inbound tech support calls Microsoft gets. VoIP could save them millions.

Anyway, here's the news from USRobotics:

This allows USRobotics customers to call Customer Support via the popular Skype Internet communications software, instead of using their landline telephones.

"Support through Skype gives our customers one more way to get in touch with our technical support agents. Customer and technical support is now offered via the phone, through email, and now via Skype," says Mary Galbavy, Director of Customer Support. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our customers' experience and this is another way we've found to do that within our support organization. The satisfaction of our customers is key to our service delivery choices."

The ability to place a Skype call to USRobotics technical support eliminates the charges typically associated with such a call in Europe. Placing a call to USRobotics technical support via the integrated Skype calling button on USRobotics' Support Web site is free and can be used by anyone using the Skype software. This method of access allows our customers to contact us directly via their computers while leaving their landline telephone available for use.

USRobotics' Call Centers now allow Skype calls to be directed into the call queue for handling by the first available agent. Users experience the same support from the same technicians they would receive using a standard telephone.

"Setting up the infrastructure to accept Skype calls has been easy for us," says Galbavy. "It not only allows us to talk to our customers via this growing method of communication, but it cuts down on the costs associated with incoming support calls, and increases our overall customer satisfaction."