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When Max Tsai and partner Matt Cooley launched TC Kokua, an outsourced customer service firm, they knew that technology would enable them to locate the new business almost anywhere. So they chose Hawaii-but surprisingly not because of the beaches and palm trees.

"People in Hawaii have what we call the 'aloha spirit'-a warmth and friendliness that translates into great customer service," explained Max Tsai, President of TC Kokua. "We knew that the aloha spirit combined with cutting-edge contact center technology would give us a real competitive advantage." Their company name reflects their passion for customer service: Kokua is Hawaiian for assistance or help.

TC Kokua helps companies focus on their core business by taking on their customer service operations. From their headquarters in Maui, TC Kokua offers a broad range of services, including: delivering tier one technical support; providing product information; handling account inquiries; filling orders; handling complaints; and taking reservations. Their location in the mid-Pacific gives them the added advantage of being able to serve both Asia and mainland North American companies during the same business day.

Their Challenge

Tsai knew that Hawaii's educated, multi-lingual workforce would provide plenty of customer service talent, so he and partner Matt Cooley went in search of a CRM contact center solution. Their aim was to go beyond traditional call center telephony, and incorporate email and the Web into their service.

Originally, they planned to bring the technology in-house. But they quickly realized the sophisticated system they envisioned would require a huge upfront capital expenditure, and that the ongoing costs of staying on the cutting edge of technology would be cost prohibitive. Their contact center consultant advised them to consider a hosted solution, and recommended White Pajama.

The White Pajama Solution

TC Kokua's main objective when selecting a contact center was to deliver multiple channels of communication. They wanted to provide companies with a seamless way for users to contact them via phone, email, and Web.

"White Pajama offers the best combination of technology at a competitive price," said Tsai. "We were able to have all of this with no upfront capital, and virtually no maintenance costs or infrastructure on our part. It made it possible for us to deliver the services our customers needed right from the start."

As an outsourcer, 'speed to live' was another critical factor in TC Kokua's vendor evaluation. "Another benefit of White Pajama is that we can have new customers live very quickly," added Tsai. "And delivering immediate results to our customers gives us a competitive advantage. Most importantly, it makes our customers happy."

Ease of use was another important factor for TC Kokua. Said Tsai, "We service companies across a broad range of industries, all with varying levels of comfort in using technology. So it was crucial that our contact center be easy for agents to use, and easy for customer end-users. White Pajama's interface has been a home run on both counts-agents can be up and running in just a few hours, with almost no training."

Since Max Tsai has a passion for customer service, he wanted to select a vendor with the same values. "Everyone at White Pajama has been easy to work with, easy to buy from, and they continue to be incredibly responsive to our needs. We did our homework, and know that they are a stable, solid company that will provide us with the latest contact center technology for the foreseeable future."

Today, TC Kokua delivers superior service and has the competitive edge they envisioned-thanks to the winning combination of the aloha spirit and White Pajama.