| The call center plays a significant role in the development and retention of customer relationships in all industries. As organizations become more complicated, one's ability to get personal service and satisfaction has become more difficult. Technology and its use to process a customer's phone call to a call center are changing the quality of communication. The customer often experiences a combination of touch-tones, transferred calls and frustration. In a typical call center, loyalty and focus is usually centered on the customer and failure to provide good customer service results in lost revenues and customers.;This study explored the effectiveness of inbound call centers, in particular at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Within this study, several categories affecting call center effectiveness were explored including automated call handling technologies, corporate cultures and attitudes, management styles and outside forces. Factors used as criteria to determine the effectiveness of the call center included the mission statement, customer focus groups, participant observation, and personal experience. The mission statement used was specially written for the call center and reflects corporate attitudes and perceptions from the company to the customer. Through the use of four customer focus groups combined with participant observation and personal experience, an ethnographic analysis was conducted to discover how customer relationships were being impacted.;The study found that the PNC Bank call center was effectively utilized in handling their customers. |
