For companies with doubts about the effectiveness of their customer care programs, Convergys and Avaya said today they will be going to market jointly with a Customer Care Diagnostic service that evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of a company’s customer interactions.

The companies have entered a global reseller agreement that joins the expertise from Convergys’ outsourced contact center services and Avaya’s contact center applications.

The diagnostic service, designed by Convergys, will help companies assess their customer care operations and identify the specific steps for making those operations more efficient and ensuring a better customer experience.

Larry Schwartz, president of Convergys' Communications and Technology Business Unit, said that based on the findings of the diagnostic service, the company can provide practical solutions that generate revenue, contribute to cost savings and help deliver new levels of customer service.

Schwartz said the Convergys Customer Care Diagnostic has already helped businesses improve sales conversion rates and reduce calls per sale. They also have improved the efficiency of operations by reducing call escalation rates and the subsequent costs of rework.

The service includes process improvement through business process alignment and talent management. Companies receive a specific assessment of their care operations and how they compare to those of other businesses in their vertical market. Opportunities for improvement are prioritized based on complexity and the return potential on investment. Each assessment is conducted jointly by the consulting and professional services teams at Avaya and Convergys.

Convergys is now a Platinum member of the Avaya DeveloperConnection Program – an initiative to develop, market, and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology.