Larry’s View

Larry’s view on any and everything.

Customer service automation

If you do any type of shopping online or in stores that you no doubt have noticed that customer service automation is on the rise. More and more companies are automating their customer service departments to run more efficiently and to handle higher call volumes.

When you call into a company to speak with their customer service department, chances are you will go directly to a self help customer support system. This will allow you to make choices over the phone as to what your problem or concern is. After a series of questions and troubleshooting with the automated system you can then be transferred to a real person. Many companies have found that this has cut their calls down considerably.

Many times when a person calls into the customer service department of a business it is because they are having trouble with an item that was purchased. Many times all it takes is educating the customer about the product that they purchased. This helps the customer better understand how to work the product and saves them the time of having to try to explain he situation to a real person. Many customers find this a blessing and it saves them time as well as they do not have to wait on hold to resolve their issue.

The cable company even offers over the phone automated trouble shooting from their customer service department when it comes to resetting your cable box. The automated system can even reboot the system for you and it walks you through the entire process. All without having to talk to a real person. Now the customer service department is still there should you need them but with automated systems such as these, it helps to cut down on the calls that can easily be handled with some simple instructions.

Many of the customer service departments run on automated systems that are installed right on the reps desktop of his or her computer. They simply have to type in the issue that the customer is having and then the answers pop right up for them to read off to the customer. This not only saves the rep a great deal of time it also saved the company a great deal of money as they do not have to train as much for their new reps to get started. All the information and tool that they need is right at their fingertips. Customer Service Automation is changing they way we all experience customer service departments.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment

Aol automation

The AOL phone lines are normally overloaded and cause a lot of chaos and frustration amongst members but know that there is AOL automation available and you can do something about the frustrations and annoyance of having to use phone lines when millions of other people are using them. You won’t even know that anyone else is on the same service as you as there will be no more delays in the lines and you will be able to get through as quickly as you never could before. There are certain times of the year when the AOL automation lines become even more crowded and this is normally over the Christmas and New Year time when thousands more people join so they can also be part and take advantage of the offers AOL has to offer.

The most annoying part of the whole AOL automation procedure was when new users signed up to the service and they had to run a setup procedure so that they could get started and the software can identify the local access numbers would try to call. All this procedure consisted of was a quick and simple call to an 800 number and you will be all setup and could start the fun with everyone else. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it sounds as when the new users tried to make that quick and simple call, millions of others were doing the same thing therefore the lines were blocked and not everyone could get through at that certain time.

Even though AOL automation is cool and cheap, providing it gives you twenty-four hours a day access to the internet, it can also be a hassle and a waste of time, not to mention money. What most people seemed to be doing when they realized what was going on, is used that money for another service similar to AOL. Sure, they might not get all the same benefits and freebies but at least they will be getting something for the money they pay. Sometimes you might have to spend a bit more if you want something appropriate, but rather spend more on something that you know is going to work, then spending a little amount on something that is going to be a complete waste of your time.

AOL automation is a popular service that is used by millions of people. There are ways in which one can get around the annoyance of the waiting period, but finding another service to use is also an option.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment

Smart home automation

Home Automation or Smart Home Automation is something many people still feel is part of science fiction or for the incredibly wealthy. This is not entirely the case. Home automation applies to things as simple as a remote controlled lighting design, or an automatic control of just a few lights. It can however become far more extensive and inclusive, covering everything from advanced controllers or voice recognition to a complete security and convenience package applicable to even the smallest appliances in your home.

Adding home automation features to your existing home can be impressively affordable, and easy to do. A quality home automation company can facilitate some basic upgrades for less than 100 dollars, installation included. It is also not uncommon that the company is able to do a complete upgraded installation without the need to install new wires or connections. This will maximize the entire cost per item value for anyone who is considering adding such beneficial features to their home.

When examining the options for a smart home automation upgrade, keep in mind that nothing about the alteration should hinder your day-to-day activities. Instead, this should be an effective enhancement therefore, and without inconvenience in the use. For all upgrades the immediate benefits should be seen in one of these 5 areas; Lifestyle, Convenience, Entertainment Use, Home and Personal Comfort, and Security. The efficient installation company will be able to assure you this prior to completion of the project. This applies to both existing homes as well as newly constructed buildings.

One advantage to consider with this possible upgrade, is the over all security and convenience of your family and home. Regardless if this is being used to maintain the home garden, or monitor outdoor activity leading into your home or garage. Such activities can be monitored or updated from your home or a remote computer, if connected to the internet. This will facilitate unique and incredible features.

A security upgrade that many should consider is one that turns your lights on should your smoke alarm goes off. This facilitates the safe escape quickly of your entire family. Another obvious security item is one that will allow you to view a visitor from the comfort of your television, or computer.

If you or someone you love is dealing with a disability or physical challenge of any kind, home automation upgrades would be an effective application of assistance. Limited mobility individuals are able to control lights, curtains, doors, windows or appliances with either voice command or remote control. At the same time, upgrades that are able to alert needed emergency services can be reached with out the handset of a telephone.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment

Automation and aircraft accidents

There are reports from news, media, comments as well as some other sources that say there are so far 34 accidents that have occurred due to automation issues. About twenty of those accidents were reported from NTSB (National Transport Safety Boards) while the rest of the information came from other national agencies that also conducted investigations. While looking for statements, these reports were reviewed and identified with automation and aircraft accidents issues. These reports are not as new as many hoped they will be, so the number of automation and aircraft accidents may have increased since then.

The strength that was assigned to the certain statements of the accidents was identified as partial evidence in reports and was based on the closeness of the reports from the investigating board and from the other issuers. A few of the statements stated that some of the accidents had nothing to do with automation, while other had a little bit of “something” to do with automation, meaning that there was more than one reason for the accident, and 34 of the accidents occurs directly because of some automation complications. However, all 34 accidents weren’t from the same reason of automation, there is different reason the accidents occurred, but all 34 were related in some way to automation.

Many people will say that the automation and aircraft accidents had nothing to do with automation at all, but there are in fact many sources that offer the public evidence to back up their theories. It might be difficult for some to believe, but the evidence is there and can be proved. When there is proof, there is no way for anyone to get away with something if a tragedy has occurred and they are “to blame”. The person held responsible for the accident should be approached and investigated about the whole situation or else it will just happen again and again. It might not have been done on purpose, but when something like that happens more than once, there is more than enough reason to start investigating.

People might be highly experienced in certain areas but automation and aircraft accidents are not myth and do exist, meaning that it is unfortunate for the loss of people and aircrafts for a stupid mistake or an unwillingness to take certain work situations seriously. Only when people’s lives are involved and future lives are possibly in danger, is when eyes will open and by then it is too late to fix the issue.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment

Building automation

Can a building me automated? That answer is simple; yes you can do a building automation. There are more and more businesses that are jumping on the band wagon where getting automated is concerned. There are many advantages to automating such things as your lighting system as well as other areas. If you have a good building automation system in place then you can improve upon such areas as safety for your employees as well as reducing your energy costs.

A fully functional automation system can allow an operations manager to operate the entire system from one general area. You can over see all aspects of the building and you can control every system with just the touch of a button. You can network electronic devices with ease and you can save a great deal by doing so. It is possible to integrate building sub-systems that can include such things as; lighting, security, HVAC, elevators as well as safety systems. By doing this you can make a single management network that is extremely efficient.

Many people do not realize that they can have so much power over their building by simply networking their systems together to form one lean running machine. Let’s take a college campus for example. The facilities manager at a larger college campus can actually control everything there, from the water and electrical metering to whom can have access each building all from a single terminal. He or she can even find and diagnose system problems remotely.

Lighting and the irrigation systems in a building are greatly responsible for high energy costs so by device networking these systems you can have them run more efficiently which will lower your overall cost greatly. You will want to get a system that will help with these costly areas as this will help the system pay for itself in no time at all.

Now let’s take a look at building safety. If you have a campus or facility that has elevators you will want to be able to remotely diagnose problems and possibly fix them from afar as well. This is a huge benefit when running a place of business with elevators. You will also be able to grant or deny access to any part of any building on the property, thus keeping out unwanted solicitors and possible break-in and robberies. If an alarm goes off the facilities manager can easily see what the problem is and if there is a need to dispatch for help such as fire rescue or even the police.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment

Library automation

If you have been to the library recently then you will have notices that you no longer have to look through the index cards to find a book to check out. There are computers located throughout most libraries to assist you with finding the book you desire. You can do a search of the surrounding libraries as well if your book is not at the one you want.

Checking out a library book it totally different then what is was years ago. Once you have picked out the books that you want you can then proceed to the check out where they now scan your library card then scan the books. You no longer have to get a card placed in each book that has the date due stamped on it. You simply get a receipt with the book titles on it and their due dates.

Libraries have certainly come along way with the automation. Libraries have always been high on the paper they use but with new systems in place this is no longer a problem. Libraries have to be precise when they loan a book. They need to know who has it and when it will be returned. It is not acceptable to make mistakes in this area and their automated systems help this procedure be as precise as possible.

They need to know how many copies that they have of every title and exactly where they are and when they will be back. The new systems allow them to electronically keep track of all of these little details making the library run more efficiently.

There are three main reasons that libraries need to be automated.
* The first being for record keeping purposes. The records that are kept with a library are tedious, repetitive and mechanical in nature and that is why it is important to automate such a process with computers and this saves both time and money.
* The second being cost effective for accuracy. With more and more libraries getting automated it leaves little room for human error so people are finding that the libraries are much more streamlined.
* The third reason for automation is that it can allow the staff to easily locate information right from their desk without having to go to a different department to search for the information.

Libraries have certainly come along way since times before. A trip to the library now is both quick and informative. You can get in, get what you want and get out. There is still the option to spend leisurely time at the library reading your favorite books, in a comfortable and quiet atmosphere.

January 21, 2008 Posted by | Automation, Blogroll | Leave a comment