Compaq opens new Reading colour direct thing

Compaq has unveiled its colourful new 12 million Service Solution Centre in Reading purpose-built to provide multivendor support for 14,000 products from 1,300 vendors. The building is a tribute to it designers who made extensive use of vibrant colours on the walls, stained glass and wavelike MDF curves to create a unique working environment. The pink and blue chairs in reception are reminiscent of those used at this year's Tory party conference and the metal-look doors complete with imitation rivets are straight out of the BBC's popular DIY show Changing Rooms. Depending where Compaq's 250 support staff sit they'll either be in the pink or seeing red. They could even be staring straight ahead at big blue walls. It may not be feng shui, but Compaq's "holistic" approach to customer support means that by this time next year the Service Solution Centre (SCC in Compacttalk) is expected to handle around 100,000 calls a month. Compaq also took the opportunity to announce three new support products which it hopes will help generate enough business to make the 12 million investment worthwhile. The packaged services - which make use of plastic calling cards - can be purchased from Compaq dealers and are believed to be the first of their kind in the UK. "It is not cost effective for a company's IT department to be the helpdesk for every employee," said Gareth Cadwallader, director of customer services. "With Compaq multivendor support software support, employees get the immediate, personal attention they need, whilst allowing the IT manager to focus on priority issues and proactive systems management," he said. ®