A VoIP Alternative

Orsi values the relationship with home-based reps so much that he employs Alpine reps year round, with the equivalent of 15 agents working full time for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. When the Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day holidays come around, he bumps that number up to 225 concurrent agents, with 1,200 agents trained and available if needed.

Alpine CEO Chris Carrington says that a basic program can be set up for about $10,000, with ongoing costs varying depending on whether the cataloger is paying per agent-hour, per call answered or as a percentage of sales.