eToys (fka eTys)

[ljoeo]

9/12/00 - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions To Leading Online Retailer - CustomerAssistance.com Sel
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DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.

CustomerAssistance.com will assist eToys as it seeks to further enhance the on-line shopping experiences of customers. According to Gomez Advisors, eToys was recently ranked #1 in customer confidence, based on the company's ability to "operate a highly reliable Web site, maintain a knowledgeable and accessible customer service organization, and provide quality and security guarantees." Additionally, the September 4 issue of Fortune magazine reported that Resource Marketing, a Columbus, Ohio, company that studies online marketing, gave the eToys web site its top ranking among 50 sites evaluated in providing a positive overall experience for e-shoppers.

The global customer relationship management industry is $200 billion today and expected to grow to $500 billion by 2005, according to a new Lehman Brothers report entitled, "Fulfilling the E-Commerce Dream." And, according to a recent Datamonitor study, the annual growth rate for web-based CRM is predicted to accelerate from 49 percent in 1999 to more than 70 percent by 2001. In today's Internet economy, customer service is a business imperative," said Peter Leger, president and CEO of APAC Customer Services. "Today's e-businesses are looking for partners who can provide complete customer care solutions -- the people, process and technology. CustomerAssistance.com provides just that."

The need for outsourced eCRM services offered by organizations such as CustomerAssistance.com is especially acute in "e-tailing." The Gartner Group's "eTail eService Functionality Study" released last month found that only six percent of virtual retailers currently offer a web site feature which permits an online shopper to ask the virtual retailer to telephone them and have an e-service representative answer their questions. The Gartner Group study also revealed that less than 30 percent of virtual retailer web sites acknowledge to the shopper that their e-mail inquiry was received.

CustomerAssistance.com's eCRM Solution

At the heart of CustomerAssistance.com's solution is e.PAC(SM), a scaleable, multimedia platform that supports a broad range of integrated, Internet-based functions and facilitates interaction between customers and service agents both electronically and on a personal level. e.PAC allows the customer to select their preferred method of interaction such as online chat or email, or request an immediate or scheduled call back from a service agent. To further assist customers, e.PAC allows service agents to share forms, share browser control, provide split screen comparison functionality and even "push" Web pages to a customer for their review. This real-time synchronization of customer and agent screens facilitates clear communication and enhances overall customer satisfaction.

About APAC Customer Services and CustomerAssistance.com

APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC) is a leading provider of comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for Fortune 1000, mid-tier and "dot.com" companies in the financial services, telecommunications, retail, insurance, technology, automotive, travel and health care sectors.

CustomerAssistance.com delivers a full suite of electronic CRM (e-CRM) products and services, including e.PAC(SM), a multimedia platform that supports a broad range of integrated, e-commerce-based customer interaction capabilities. Expanding upon its core competency of CRM solutions, APAC Customer Services recently added solutions integration services to its array of customer care programs. This new business unit -- Aligned Customer Relationship Solutions(SM) (ACRS) -- leverages the company's flexible business model and focuses on aligning with clients to implement customer care solutions specific to their needs.

To help its clients better manage relationships with their customers, APAC Customer Services develops and delivers end-to-end customer care, customer acquisition and Web-enabled CRM programs. Through these offerings, APAC Customer Services offers superior, real-time customer care via the Web and traditional call centers. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, the company employs approximately 18,000 people and has 55 customer interaction centers across the nation. For more information, call 1-800-OUTSOURCE or visit www.apaccustomerservices.com or www.customerassistance.com.

Aligned Customer Relationship Solutions (ACRS) and e.PAC are service marks of APAC Customer Services, Inc.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains certain statements that describe the Company's assessments of future business conditions and the outlook for the Company based on available information. Whenever possible, the Company has identified these "forward-looking" statements by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," and similar phrases. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions the Company believes are reasonable; however, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by these statements. Readers are encouraged to review the section captioned "Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2000, and the disclosures contained in the Company's 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the quarter ended July 2, 2000 which describe other important factors that may impact the Company's business, results of operations and financial condition.

SOURCE CustomerAssistance.com


CONTACT: media, Alyssa Wright of The Townsend Agency, 858-457-4888,
ext. 141, [e-mail]; or investor relations, Gary Holter of
APAC Customer Services, Inc., 847-236-5478, [e-mail]



URL: http://www.apaccustomerservices.com
http://www.customerassistance.com
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