Current eMessage > Success > August 2021

Success Story

MACC’s Web API provides easy access to after-hours support vendors

Your customers want it all…the latest services, competitive pricing, and outstanding support. Our job at MACC is to ensure you have the tools you need to thrive in this competitive market. One of MACC’s newest tools is our Web API and the Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC) is using it to efficiently deliver 24×7 support as it grows its service territory.

What is the Web API? As you might have guessed by its name, the Web API uses the internet to provide access to account information in Customer Master to third-parties. At SCTC, the Web API connects Customer Master to an after-hours support vendor. MACC has integrated with third-party vendors for many years, but what sets the Web API apart is its flexibility and relatively easy configuration. While the information provided to third-party vendors by the Web API is easy to access, only the specific data they need for a process is shared.

Web API in action
SCTC is located in Gate City, Virginia. Accounting Manager, George Lynch, said before the cooperative implemented the Web API, it had a much simpler, manual process for after-hours support where customers called and left a message for a technician. While leaving a message might have worked in the past, George said SCTC is expanding services into new markets and the cooperative realized it needed to improve its after-hours support.

“As we pushed out into other areas, we needed to offer constant customer service as we now compete with others,” he said. “It’s what people expect.”

With the Web API in place, customers who call for after-hours support for all services are routed to SCTC’s third-party vendor. The Web API gives the vendor’s technicians the information they need to provide support through trouble shooting the issue on the phone, or if needed, starting a trouble ticket in Customer Master for SCTC’s employees to resolve. During a typical month, the Web API is used to help 150+ customers.

“Our cooperative benefits by not needing to increase our work force to cover the slower, overnight timeframe, while our members/customers still enjoy the benefits of 24×7 service,” he said.

Looking at integrations?
If your company is looking to integrate with other vendors, please contact your MACC Representative for details on the Web API and other options available to you. We are here to help make your company as efficient, yet customer friendly as possible.

As George explained, “It’s great having a partner like MACC to help us meet our customers’ needs.”