ShoreTel (News - Alert), a provider of Pure IP Unified Communications (News - Alert) solutions, has reported the successful implementation of a ShoreTel Unified Communications (UC) solution at Community Bank & Trust in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

As a result of this deployment, the bank has been able to reduce monthly toll charges using the solution’s least-cost routing feature and is now able to manage the system in-house to further reduce costs.

The robust feature set of the ShoreTel UC system has also been able to enhance customer service and employee productivity. Such benefits can help to reduce churn – both internally and externally – while contributing to a more satisfying experience for all.

Community Bank & Trust has grown to more than $530 million in assets, 11 branch offices, one operations facility and more than 200 employees since its founding in 1989.

 

In 2004, the bank had grown its branches in several new locations and was faced with several disparate phone systems for various vendors. With plans to unify communications and standardize on a single system for all branches, the bank reviewed solutions from 3Com, NEC (News - Alert), Nortel and ShoreTel.

ShoreTel was ultimately chosen by the bank due to its cost-effectiveness, ease of use and management, and reporting functionality.

"We are constantly shifting personnel around, and the old phone systems made this very difficult and expensive," said Sheila Genske, IT trainer and telecommunications specialist with Community Bank & Trust.

"An outside vendor would have to come in, and the whole process could take days depending on their availability. With the ShoreTel system, I can make changes immediately, even from home. The ShoreWare Director management interface is very intuitive,” added Genske.

To enhance the bank’s operations and productivity, ShoreTel provided it with 16 ShoreGear voice switches for its corporate office and branches, including a mix of ShoreGear 120, ShoreGear 60, ShoreGear 40 and ShoreGear T1 voice switches. The bank has also deployed more than 300 ShorePhone IP telephones, including the 530 and 560 models.

Today, the bank’s branch employees are all on the same phone and voicemail system, dialing co-workers by name or using four-digit dialing to reach or transfer calls to employees at any branch across the state.

The UC system from ShoreTel provides sophisticated features, including directory dialing, contact screen pop and calendar integration. Such features enable bank employees to spend less time navigating complex telephone systems and more time performing mission-critical tasks.

In addition, receptionists use ShoreWare Operator Call Manager to access critical information that is necessary for exceptional customer service. With this level of “presence” information, operators not only connect callers faster than ever with an available bank representative, but also give them the highest level of professional service.

"Operator Call Manager makes it easy to locate users who move around a lot," said Genske. "So you're not just blindly transferring to people -- you can see if they're there or if they're already on the phone, and proceed accordingly. These capabilities have really enhanced our customer service."

"Banks continue to face increased competition in a dynamic financial services market, so customer responsiveness and the ability to offer competitively priced services are major differentiators," said Steve Timmerman (News - Alert), vice president of marketing at ShoreTel.

 

"As Community Bank & Trust has discovered, ShoreTel's Unified Communications solution can help lower system administration costs and reduce toll charges, while improving customer responsiveness and employee productivity,” explained Timmerman.

With the technology that is available today, consumers form their perception of a company based on the communications facilities that it offers. For a bank, it is imperative that the perception that it provides to customers is one of consistency in operations and communications or it will risk customer churn.

 

Community Bank & Trust recognized the value of the consistency and streamlined services it would enjoy with its selection of ShoreTel. The fact that the UC solution also reduces costs, improves service deliverables and enhances productivity delivers even more value for the customer, making the ShoreTel solution a wise investment.