AltiGen Communications, which sells Microsoft (News - Alert)-based VoIP business phone systems and call center tools, has reportedly
announced that online retailer BuySeasons adopted AltiGen (News - Alert) call center technology to process up to 14,000 in-bound calls a day during the Halloween season.
We know what you're thinking: "Halloween season? Since when does somebody need to beef up the call center during Halloween season?" Ever since that somebody's an online-only retailer of costumes, party supplies and Halloween decorations. Now go eat some more leftover candy corn.
Speaking of candy corn, anybody else remember those old Bartles & Jaymes ads for wine coolers? The ones with two old country guys on the porch? Were those cool or what?
To market for the Halloween season, the company mails millions of catalogs and maintains the BuyCostumes.com and "CelebrateExcess" family of Web sites. It also added 250 seasonal agents to the 90 year round agents to address its share of the $5 billion a year Halloween industry.
Bet you didn't know Halloween was a $5 billion-plus industry. That’s a lot of candy corn.
"We've experienced tremendous growth in the last several years," said BuySeasons Vice President of Operations Terry Rowinski, in a statement. "It's unusual for most call centers to go from 90 to 300 agents in a few days, so we require technology that is flexible and easy to manage."
Using AltiGen's software, Rowinski said, the company can "adapt to changes that may take place in a single day."
Earlier this summer, BuySeasons deployed an AltiGen softswitch and call center suite. The company implemented digital lines from the phone carrier to allow up to 368 concurrent calls to the AltiGen system.
Last month, AltiGen signed an exclusive agreement with Italian distributor and telecom equipment provider Hypercom. The company will direct the sale and distribution of AltiGen's Microsoft-certified applications through Telecom Italia (News - Alert).