The two main criteria were that it had do be fast, because eGain is signing up new customers at a rapid pace, and it had to be inexpensive. A fact of life in the call center business is that there is a high employee turnover rate, because the jobs are relatively low paying, and once the employees learn call center skills, they become hot commodities. Instructor-led training just couldn't do it fast enough for us. You can't put enough people through an instructor-led classroom, and even if you tried, the costs would be too high. MindLever will essentially help a corporation design a training program in short order, then host the course on its Web servers.
Employees can then take the courses from anywhere they have access to a computer and a Web browser.
The company was able to train its agents in using the eGain system without having to fly them into the firm's Washington, D.C., headquarters. A company may have a new software product coming out, and they need to train 500 sales reps by the weekend. When people think of online learning, most immediately think of ways that the traditional academic world is using the Internet to extend their offerings. While online MBA programs and continuing education over the Net is certainly taking off, that isn't where most of the money is being invested. However, he believes the market is finally ready to live up to expectations.