NationsBank Reinvents the Phone Channel (A): The Design Decision

The process of designing the new phone system and the logic underlying the various choices involved are described, along with a discussion of the options for design, to give an understanding of the range of possibilities in call center design. The question of differential service levels and sales efforts is described.

To help students understand how operational and marketing considerations must be integrated when designing a telephone channel, and to raise the question of where and when differential service levels are appropriate.