Technology Article

Collaborative Browsing: A New Tool for Web Storefronts

Two companies, CosmoCom and Intershop, have recently announced the availability of a jointly-developed product called CosmoCall. This software application promises to add call center technology and live customer service to the small business's e-commerce options. Giving customers a way to talk to representatives while they are shopping might just be the way to build trust and offer consumers something a bit different -- a chance to develop a one-to-one relationship with the Web merchant.

According to Stephan Schambach, president and CEO of Intershop, "CosmoCall heralds a new era in Web-based customer interaction, providing a complete live communication solution that works either as an alternative or a seamless complement to traditional call center technology."

CosmoCall allows customers who have questions about online applications -- a merchant’s Web page, for example -- to remain connected to the Internet and still receive support in real time. "CosmoCall uses IP telephony for Internet/PC callers, but it also supports keyboard chat if the caller is not equipped with an IP telephony application," says Steve Kowarsky, executive vice president of CosmoCom.

As callers tie in to real-time support via CosmoCall, they have the option of relinquishing control of their application to the support representative. This way, the representative can take over and directly demonstrate how to solve a problem or find a particular item, instead of having to talk the caller through the process.

A second party who can see the same screen as the Web user offers significant benefits in e-commerce applications. "Let’s say that you’re shopping online and contact a customer support representative because you want to know if a shirt you like comes in blue," says Lisa Dicksteen, manager of marketing communications at CosmoCom. "The customer rep can answer your question and then up-sell other products to you using push technology -- ‘Yes, that shirt comes in blue, and this tie would go very nicely with the blue shirt’-- sending a picture of the shirt and tie to your computer."

"It's efficient and productive, because the multimedia mode is effective for communication and persuasion," says Kowarsky.

CosmoCom refers to this process as "collaborative browsing," a process, according to Dicksteen, that builds trust: "When people are spending a lot of money, they want to talk to someone. They want to know the golf clubs they are buying have a warranty and a good returns policy. If there isn’t anyone to talk to, what is that person going to do? Return the clubs to a computer screen?"

Collaborative browsing technology is so new that the return on investment remains to be seen. "Each agent-shift of communication from the telephone to the Internet saves at least $1,000 per month," says Kowarsky. "This would be less than a six month payback if it were the only ROI, which it is not. But the stats are not available yet. We will compile them as soon as possible. Until then, you just have to buy the logic of the case."