The essential service of any Call Centre is that of extending incoming calls to the correct areas equipped to answer relevant queries. It is the frontline of a business and is a place where the customer receives his or her first impression. It is therefore essential that Call Centre staff have the time to provide each potential or existing customer with the time they deserve.

Over the years, the demand by staff members placed on the Call Centre to book calls for them because their phones are barred, has increased tremendously. This has placed tremendous pressure on the Call Centre staff who currently are unable to devote the required attention to their callers.

It is because the centre needs to re-establish itself as a Call Centre rather than perform as an exchange that it has been decided to implement the following:

• From beginning June 2003, no more booking of cellular call booking will be accepted by the Call Centre.
• From the beginning of July 2003, no more trunk call (national or international) bookings will be accepted by the Call Centre.

Departments currently all manage their own budgets and are aware of the call costs to their departments so no increase in call costs is expected. The onus will be upon the HOD together with the finance manager to allocate various facilities to extension users.

A list of the various facilities offered follows (many departments are already utilising these methods as a means of controlling calls)

• Traffic classes - barring levels of extensions
• Password dialling
• Abbreviated numbers

To assist you with understanding the above and help you decide which option to utilise, please refer to the web page at www.icts.uct.ac.za. You will find the various options under Phone & Fax - subheadings Standard Procedures and Special Procedures.

When a departmental decision has been taken, kindly have a list of department extensions and the requirement per extensions mailed to the Centre on an Excel spreadsheet. It will then be processed and you will be advised once this has been done.

To avoid a rush, please ensure that requests reach the centre as soon as possible. Should you require any further clarification of any of the above, please feel free to contact the Call Centre. Staff will gladly assist you.

UCT Call Centre gives the assurance that this new service will render all staff much happier as they will no longer need to wait for their booked calls.

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