As automation touches every aspect of business, the contact center remains no exception as the move to improve this business has been constant from the PC-based software solutions like Telemagic in the eighties, CTI in the nineties, IP communications in the last decade and now the advent of intelligent agents or bots. While automated agents are available in a number of forms, ERICA from Mobilize is designed to be something new, different and more evolved.

Consider it to be an object-oriented IVR solution allowing rapid customization of the IVR without direct programming. Their Agent Maker software is supposed to be the solution to complex development needs.

The system costs $895/month for an agent that works 24/7 – perfect for infomercial response, handling up to 20 calls an hour with the ability to burst to 40. Training cost is around $1,500 and takes about ten days.

The company says completion rates are more than 90% and obviously the cost will be far lower than live agents. On a 24-hour clock, the service works out to about $1.24 per hour. The Order Capture module is able to upsell, can record calls, handle tax calculations and handle voice talent recording. The Customer Service Module with CRM can handle real-time credit card processing, order cancellation, RMA, partial credit issuance and more.

The move to a bot-oriented world is not slowing down and Mobilize hopes their new solution will help companies lower costs while keeping customer satisfaction levels high. The service is especially suited for low-margin products such as infomercial type products but as margin compression continues to affect every industry, the company seems to have a bright future indeed.