Barnes Motor & Parts Co. Improves Customer Experience With Toshiba Strata CIX Phone Systems

MISSION: Network 16 Locations over IP

Pat Stallings, IT manager for Barnes Motor & Parts Co., specified a system that would:

• Effectively handle the 7,000 monthly incoming calls;
• Improve customer service in stores and at the call center;
• Improve call center efficiency, including improved call routing capabilities;
• Deliver cost savings wherever possible, including reducing long distance;
• Utilize four-digit dialing to reduce long distance between the 16 locations;
• Improve internal communication between locations; and
• Provide 24/7 reliability.

Stallings turned to One Call Communications of Wilson, North Carolina, an Authorized Toshiba Dealer. One Call has been an Authorized Toshiba Dealer for more than seven years. Bill Reed, vice president and general manager of One Call, recommended Toshiba’s Strata® CIX™ IP business telephone system for the Barnes headquarters offices and its 15 stores. According to Reed, he recommended the Toshiba system for its unbeatable reliability, robust feature set and ease of use.

Solution: Toshiba Strata CIX Exceeds Chain’s Goals
Installed by One Call Communications, Barnes Motor & Parts Co. has a Toshiba business telephone system that consists of:

• Strata CIX670 business telephone system at the Barnes headquarters and warehouse location;
• Strata CIX40 business telephone systems at the 15 Napa Auto Parts retail stores;
• Strata ACD Call Center solution;
• Strata MicroMAS with Auto Attendant and Centralized Voice Mail;
• Network eManager® for remote management of all systems; and
• More than 100 Toshiba telephones at the 16 locations.

All 16 Strata CIX systems are networked together over IP using Toshiba’s Strata Net.

Result #1: 16 Locations Seamlessly Networked
Using Toshiba’s Strata Net, One Call Communications networked the Barnes headquarters’ Strata CIX670 with the Strata CIX40 business telephone systems at all 15 stores. Using Strata Net over IP helps save on networking costs and provides unbeatable network reliability. Store employees use four-digit dialing for intra-store calls, eliminating long distance costs. Store employees can also transfer calls to other stores or the warehouse quickly and easily, helping facilitate stock checks. Centralized voice mail provides the headquarters and all 15 stores with voice mail for improved communication. As well, conference calling allows for telephone meetings to be held quickly and easily, reducing travel time and costs.

Result #2: Improved Call Center Efficiencies
Barnes has three call center groups: Retail Parts (for consumers), Commercial Parts and Paint. Using IVR, consumer customers can direct themselves to the right call center representative or a store. For Commercial Parts and Paint, each customer has his or her own call center representative. Customers can dial their contacts directly, or they can go through the main number via the Auto Attendant.

Having direct dial numbers makes it faster for the customer to reach his or her representative, who is familiar with the customer’s order history, needs, and any urgent projects. Using Toshiba Strata ACD, the Barnes call center has improved its call routing, internal efficiency and customer service. By adding Auto Attendant, Barnes was also able to reassign its receptionist to another valued job, thus saving one person’s salary. More than 7,000 calls go through the Barnes telephone system every month, and the Toshiba system helps them efficiently take care of every customer.

Result #3: Improved Internal and External Store Communication
By giving commercial customers direct dial numbers to their assigned call center representatives, Barnes has improved the overall customer service experience. By adding Auto Attendant, consumer customers can now quickly and easily be routed to the right call center agent. No call ever goes unanswered, since calls are automatically rolled over to the nearest store if employees are busy.

Customers can now also call the stores at their convenience after hours and leave voice messages to be returned the next business day. No matter when they call, customers always get through. Internal communication has also improved with the addition of four-digit dialing between the locations.

Bottom Line: Reduced Costs and Fast Return on Investment
The new Toshiba Strata CIX telephone systems have helped Barnes meet its communications objectives while reducing costs.

Barnes’ savings includes:

• Eliminated long distance costs for calls between the stores by networking all 16 locations over IP;
• Reduced costs by using PRI rather than copper trunks; and
• Reduced salary costs by using Auto Attendant and reassigning the receptionist to another valued position.

Overall, these cost savings will help pay for the 16 Strata CIX systems with a fast return on investment.

For an Authorized Toshiba Dealer, Visit: www.telecom.toshiba.com