May 25, 2010 11:00 ET

CheerDeals Increased Sales the First Year Using Toshiba Strata CIX Business Telephone System

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - May 25, 2010) -  Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division (Toshiba - www.telecom.toshiba.com) Strata® CIX™670 VoIP business telephone system significantly increased sales volume, enhanced customer satisfaction, and improved contact center productivity, all in the first year of use at CheerDeals. Located in Walker, La., CheerDeals is a leading online retail source for cheerleader and dance team uniforms in the United States.

Marie Taylor of CheerDeals wanted a system that would effectively manage the company's 300 daily incoming calls for its small call center with less than 5 agents, help improve customer service, decrease hold times, and most importantly, reduce order errors and help resolve conflicts.

John Peak, sales professional at Preferred Telephone Systems, an Authorized Toshiba Dealer located in Baton Route, La., recommended Toshiba's Strata CIX IP business communication system.

According to Peak, "Toshiba's Strata CIX is unbeatable for its reliability, simplicity, and ease of use. We knew it would meet CheerDeals' objectives, help reduce long distance costs, and contribute to the bottom line. Once we showed CheerDeals the Toshiba system, they were sold."

Installed by Preferred Telephone Systems Inc., CheerDeals has a Strata CIX670 IP business telephone system with 40 ports and room to grow to more than 600 ports. The system includes Toshiba's Strata Media Application Server (MAS), which allows multiple applications to reside on a single server, thus saving costs and reducing maintenance requirements. Applications include Strata ACD contact center solution, Strata Unified Messaging, and OAISYS® Talkument® call recording solutions.

Using Toshiba's Strata ACD contact center solution, CheerDeals is now able to better manage its incoming customer calls by letting callers know where they are in the queue and giving them the option of either leaving a message or receiving a call back rather than staying on hold. This helped reduce customer hold times by as much as 80 percent.

Using the Talkument call recording solution from OAISYS of Tempe, Ariz., an Authorized Toshiba Provider, CheerDeals now records every incoming call. Because the recordings can easily be searched and securely accessed, orders can be double-checked, and errors are less likely to occur. Also, having a recording of the call has helped the CheerDeals team eliminate conflicts when customers challenge an order. CheerDeals can simply email the customer a .wav file of the call recording or provide a secure link to the call as a reminder of what was ordered.

CheerDeals receives orders and other customer communication by telephone, fax, and email. Using Toshiba's Strata Unified Messaging solution, all the messages are delivered in a single mailbox, which makes it faster and easier for employees to check all their messages at the same time.

Bottom Line: Increased Sales, Reduced Order Conflicts, and Cut Costs

Toshiba's Strata CIX IP business telephone system has helped CheerDeals meet its communications goals of increasing customer service by reducing hold times and providing the Call-Back option. It has also reduced order errors and conflicts while improving contact center productivity and increasing the quality of both user and customer experience. As a result, sales volume has increased. In addition, profits have increased since CheerDeals started using Talkument to verify orders and reduce conflicts. Long distance costs have been reduced by several hundred dollars each month.

"Thanks to Toshiba and Preferred Telephone Systems, CheerDeals isn't spending any more money on its communications needs, yet we have a brand new Toshiba system that has increased our sales, increased our productivity, and dramatically improved our customer service," said Marie Taylor of CheerDeals.

About CheerDeals

CheerDeals is a leading online retail source for cheerleader and dance team uniforms in the United States. CheerDeals offers custom and ready-to-wear uniforms as well as all the accessories needed to complete each team's unique look. Located in Walker, Louisiana, CheerDeals provides uniforms and accessories to thousands of schools, all-star and community teams across the country. While it has an online store, its orders are primarily taken by its call center agents due to the complexity of custom orders.

About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS)

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. These products span from information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 730 companies, with 199,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing US $67 billion (FY 2008). For more information on Toshiba's leading innovations, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com.

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