Storis software calls consumers with delivery time
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, December 24, 2001
PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Storis Management Systems said it is helping retailers achieve greater cost reductions and overcome difficulties associated with telling customers when to expect delivery of furniture and appliances with the introduction of Audra, the Automated Ultimate Delivery Route Assistant.
Able to handle hundreds of customers daily, Audra is a sophisticated voice processing software that instantly reads and converts delivery routing manifests into accurate computer-generated voice messages. Audra then informs consumers when to expect deliveries via an inbound and outbound call process.
Ira Bakst, executive vice president and co-founder of Storis, said the multitasking, flexible voice-processing software reduces burdensome costs and frustrating human errors.
"It responds to either customer inquiries, or will automatically call if they don't call the retailer for delivery information," he said. "Audra keeps customers well informed, while improving the efficiency of the retailer."
Bakst said Audra eliminates problems associated with employee absences or the handling of peak periods.
American Furniture Warehouse in Denver is successfully using the software, the retailer said. Delivery router Brett Kissel praised the voice-processing application, saying Audra replaced three customer service employees who are now used in more productive activities.
"I can't believe how much this software has helped us with our deliveries, and it's doing it all within the Storis operating system," said Kissel. "Not only are we doing a better job of informing customers about delivery, but now no one has to actually call anymore."
At American, salespeople tell consumers to call for delivery information on the afternoon prior to the scheduled delivery date. Kissel said that about 65% of customers do call. "For those people who don't call by 6 o'clock on the previous day, the program automatically initiates a series of calls until the customer responds or a message can be left on an answering machine," he said.
Technically, Audra reads the routing software's delivery manifest and creates a data file that activates the voice processing. Audra is networked in a companion personal computer, containing two Intel Dialogic Voice Boards with eight ports, which is able to service hundreds of customers daily. The voice-processing package contains scripts and voice recordings.
Audra provides a printable status report on all aspects of the delivery, including which customers called about their delivery and those the system informed.
Storis said the software permits users to adjust delivery times and other information related to the delivery.
As first reported in eDaily
