The BAT Case: Putting Tech Support on the Fast Track

The support call center for software company Bruce-Alfred Technologies (BAT) had experienced a significant increase in call volume over the past several quarters, and customer service had declined; waiting times were long and call abandonment rates high. Outside consultants had proposed a program that would give customers the option of paying a fee to access tech support with a very short wait. The idea had the potential to solve some of the problems affecting customer relationships—and also to benefit the bottom line—but it violated one of BAT's key points of marketplace differentiation: offering free technical support for all BAT products. How could BAT improve call center performance while controlling costs?