Psychics Connect - a case study

The Customer

Psychics Connect
www.psychicsconnect.com is a leading provider of psychic and spiritual readings. It offers astrological predictions and personal birth chart interpretations to customers in the UK, Australia and the Americas. Since its inception in 1997 it has built a strong reputation for credibility and accuracy with its clients.

The Challenge

To date Psychics Connect's biggest organisational challenge has been the launch of its online payment pages and the creation of the company extranet, both of which now depend on QAS from Experian QAS, for accurate customer address capture.

As early as 1998, managing director, Stephen Ashbee, recognised the ability of the Internet to act as a vehicle for Psychics Connect's services. The medium was compatible with the 24x7 nature of the business and eliminated time-zone barriers between the various geographies.

At the same time, one of Psychics Connect's core objectives was to expand into new markets in new countries and Ashbee was careful to select a technology partner that shared that vision. "It was obvious from the start that with QAS. Experian QAS had built a sound product and their professionalism and forward thinking made them stand out from their competitors," he said.

The Solution

In the past Psychics Connect has experienced programming difficulties because its IT infrastructure is built around a Cobalt Raq 4 server. "We were told QAS had not been tested or used with the Cobalt Raq 4 server. But, with the help of the Experian QAS IT support team we got round the problem," said Ashbee.

Today, in addition to using QAS for its 1800 sales line (1800 in Ireland and 0800 in the UK), Psychics Connect expects to see a significant impact on its bottom line as more and more customers use its dynamic website and as it develops the company extranet further.

Experian QAS' country address data, or country address databases as Ashbee refers to them, have played a unique, underpinning role in Psychics Connect's expansion. As the company flirts with the idea of expanding its services into Asia, Ashbee plans to purchase QAS' Singapore data-set. "Wherever Experian QAS creates a new data base, we get access to that," he said.

The use of such tools makes the process of accurately capturing customer address data in the new region a lot easier, and ultimately more successful. "We are not dependant on QAS developing a Singapore data-set to sell services in that country but it does help with, address validation, quality assurance and saves a lot of problems down the line," said Ashbee.

There is also the speed with which call centre operators can access address information using QAS' intuitive functionality. "If operators begin typing an address and it automatically pops up after only a few keystrokes, that is saving us valuable time in administration. It also assures there is consistency across the board for other applications we utilise, such as billing and marketing," explains Ashbee.

The Benefits

Accurate address data capture has both immediate and long-term benefits for Psychics Connect. It is imperative for effective relationship marketing and the ability to process client transactions with speed, which in turn increases the volume of sales. "Accurate data collection results in a higher hit rate and reduces the time spent with the customer on the free-phone sales line," said Ashbee.

QAS Pro Web has also improved the appearance and functionality of Psychics Connect's website, which differentiates it from competitors. "The astrological arena is incredibly competitive. It is so important to present a professional image and retain the trust and respect of your customers because there are literally thousands of other avenues for them to turn to," Ashbee said.

Psychics Connect is committed to giving quality customer service, assisted by Experian QAS' QAS and plans to take every advantage of new information technology and improved telecommunications to enhance the company's reputation. "We will continue to capitalise on our current success by building the infrastructure to ensure the company remains a leader in its field," he said. According to Ashbee, Psychics Connect is not just giving customers what they want today; it's giving them what they will want before they know they want it.