Cinema chain screens contract extension

Eckoh to provide speech-enabled information to Vue cinemas until 2009

Cinema signs new service deal

UK cinema developer and operator Vue Entertainment has extended a contract with vendor Eckoh to provide speech-enabled cinema information and ticket booking services until 2009.

The company has also awarded a new contract to Eckoh that will underpin the automated service with a 50-seat contact centre operation.

Roland Jones, Vue IT director said: 'This means our customers will get a consistent service experience whenever they contact Vue.

'Because the back office systems and databases available to the contact centre agents are the same as those which power the automated service, the information offered to the customer by both will be consistent. And, because both services are provided by the same company we’re confident that the service quality and approach will be consistent too.'

Eckoh has operated an automated cinema information and booking service for Vue since May 2004.

A single number provides information for all of Vue’s 58 UK cinemas. The service, which handles over three million calls a year, allows customers to request film information and viewing times for their nearest cinema and to book and pay for tickets in advance. It also directs customers to the nearest cinema showing the film customers want to see.

Vue and Eckoh are also using automation to personalise the information given to customers. The service recognises regular callers, remembers their cinema preferences and offers those first. It also includes a personalised SMS opt-in feature that keeps customers up to date on forthcoming film information. To date 85,000 customers have opted in to the SMS service.

Vue’s cinema information and ticket booking service is hosted on Eckoh’s own technology and telephony platform, which is able to handle more than 650,000 calls per hour and up to 8,000 simultaneously.

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