Business intelligence in the raw

Cincinnati Bell calls it Call Analysis. U S West calls it Call Reports. Call it what you will, but OneLink's TeleSmart service is giving some service providers another weapon in the battle to retain customers.

TeleSmart is a visual reporting tool that converts raw customer call data into business intelligence.

"We utilize [the Advance Intelligence Network] as a capture mechanism for triggers on a subscriber's line for incoming call data, such as dialed number, time, date and status," said Greg Mohn, vice president of business development for One-Link.

Once call data is captured - typically at a carrier's service control point (SCP) - it may be massaged or sent directly to OneLink for processing and geocoding for map-ped presentation.

Cincinnati Bell created a custom software tool that correlates captured data from the SCP with ZIP code information using a relational database. It then ships the data to OneLink over its virtual private network, said Tim Beck, Cincinnati Bell system architect on the Call Analysis project.

TeleSmart then creates visual reports that carriers can privately brand and offer as a value-added service. "Call Analysis is an essential support offering for Cincinnati Bell and other [local exchange carriers]," said Debbie Detmer, Cincinnati Bell market manager for Call Analysis. The reports help customers track missed calls and busy signals, evaluate advertising and geographically identify a customer base. It also can identify non-business issues, such as personal calls.

OneLink has its own call center and provides branded customer support for TeleSmart.

Cincinnati Bell and U S West target the automotive, communications, health care, real estate, banking and travel industries, among others. Subscribers have access to approximately 80 pre-formatted reports in chart, graph or map form. Carriers and OneLink presumed that most customers would use the reports intermittently but have seen otherwise.

"We thought we would have `positive churn,' where customers would use it as needed, but were pleasantly surprised how many customers kept it. There is half the churn we expected," said Eric Pflum, senior product developer for U S West.

Sixty percent of Call Analysis customers receive weekly reports while 40% get them monthly. Cincinnati Bell offers reports ranging from a basic package that tracks peg counts for inbound and outbound calls to the Software Gold package, a Windows-based application that lets customers view more robust reports from their own Web sites.

OneLink soon will announce the availability of a Web-based application that drives customers to a carrier's Web site. "It's a two-tiered approach for both the carrier and the customer," Mohn said.

U S West agrees. Pflum sees two primary applications for TeleSmart that benefit both the carrier and its customer: productivity and marketing. The productivity application can help U S West customers run their businesses more efficiently. Some customers have changed staffing requirements based on call volume while others have changed their hours based on missed calls. One plastic surgeon moved his operation closer to where his phone inquiries were originating.

"The marketing application is a real, untapped resource that lets me know who my customers are, who my biggest potential customers are and, more important, how that customer is being treated. I see nothing but an upside to this product," Pflum said.

U S West offers a two-tiered price structure for Call Reports. Tier one is $25 per month for 1000 calls, and 3cents for each additional call. Tier two costs $58 per month for 2500 calls, and 2.5cents for each additional call. Once customers subscribe, U S West can start collecting data within two days, Pflum said.