Customer Service Without People

By Alan S. Horowitz

ne reason newcomer KeyLabs captured Sun Microsystems' 100% Pure Java Certification program was its innovative online customer service.

James Leonard, market program manager at Sun's JavaSoft division, calls this Web-ready system "paperless."

"ISVs [independent software vendors] fill out Web forms, down-load information and tools, submit their products, check their status, and the billing is on the Web," Leonard explains.

Customers, using a personal identification number, have 24-hour-a-day access to KeyLabs' Web site while they're in the certification process. In fact, the whole process, in theory, can be carried out wit hout human beings interacting directly, or even over the phone. Still, KeyLabs can connect clients to a real person if necessary.

The flip side of this Web-equipped customer service facility is Sun's ability to monitor the progress of all products in the certification pipeline at any time. Says JavaSoft's Leonard: "The feedback from the software vendors has been nothing but positive."

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