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Call Handling and Message Phone Services - "CHAMPS"

Call Handling and Message Phone Services - "CHAMPS"

In addition to traditional message service support, the Call Center also provides Outcalling and Call Forwarding services as part of the "CHAMPS" (Call Handling and Message Phone Service) offerings.

The "CHAMPS" expanded Message Service offerings are customized services that cater to your office support needs. These services range from simply taking messages to after-hours paging and forwarding calls to off-campus locations.

Recent customers and applications of the "CHAMPS" offerings include...

Undergraduate Admissions Information Requests Service:

• The Undergraduate Admissions office utilizes the CHAMPS offerings. All requests for information/applications is forwarded to a special Call Center number. This allows all incoming calls the ability to talk with a "live" person to answer general questions and improves the turn around time for the customer to receive their packets. The Call Center is in operation after the normal business hours when the majority of information requests calls occur. The Call Center staff and the Undergraduate Admissions staff conducts periodic information sharing session. The Undergraduate Admissions office improves costs through the use of the CHAMPS services. The Call Center staff is able to instruct and help customers retrieve information via access the Undergraduate Admissions website to complete applications on-line.

Call Forwarding to an off-campus location:

• The "Better Kid Care Program" of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department has taken advantage of the CHAMPS offerings by having the Call Center forwarded their calls to the home phone number of a "Better Kid Care" staff member between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. This service has enabled the staff member to handle any calls, remotely, at home as they come in. The Call Center simply activates and deactivates the Call Forwarding feature to the remote [home] number at the appropriate times and enables business to operate as usual during the evening hours.

Call Answering and Paging Services:

• The Research, Instruction, & Information Technology (RIIT) department is an essential part of the computing area within the Smeal College of Business. The RIIT group handles all the maintenance and operation of that department's network, as well as troubleshoots problems for the computing area. Should a problem occur, they need to be available around the clock. To answer this need, a "live" person and the Call Center, through the "CHAMPS" customized offerings, answers their calls (Call Answering) and pages the technician on-call when an emergency or problem arises.

Call Forwarding and Enhanced Message Service - personal R.S.V.P. Service

• The College of Engineering recently hosted their "Spend an Engineering Day" - an "open house" for prospective students interested in the field of Engineering. The brochure for the event listed an 800 number to call for registration and/or inquiries. Over 1,500 brochures were mailed. Since the College is not properly staffed to handle an influx of responses to the 800 number listed on the brochure, the number was forwarded to the "live" operators at the Call Center who took detailed messages. If the prospective student had further inquiries, the Call Center operator was equipped to professionaly transfer the call directly to the department for further information.

• ...we all agreed that the message service was an absolute blessing! We are already planning on utilizing the same system when we begin sending out information on our Fall Open House which takes place in October. You've made believers out of us!

  Thanks again to the entire message service staff for their courteous attention to our very important customers!

  Donna, College of Engineering

How to Request CHAMPS Offerings

A no fee Consulting Services Request Form (CSR), is required in order to process a Message Service request. It is not necessary for departments to process a separate TSR for each request, as all requests can be budgeted on one standing-TSR for the fiscal year. A CHAMPS order form must also be submitted in order to complete the specific CHAMPS service request process. Contact your ITS Consultant or the Penn State Call Center at 814-863-3410 for more information.

CHAMPS Rates

Since CHAMPS offerings are customized and cater to departmental needs, pricing is on a case-by-case basis. Contact your ITS Consultant or the Penn State Call Center at 814-863-3410 for more information.