Today's consumers are hyper-informed. They research potential purchases in surprising depth, comparison shop on the web, and then buy from just about any merchant on the planet. The call-center agents who field their inquiries, however, are typically flying blind. When a call connects, they have no clue who is on the line. And without good information, the wrong agents often make the wrong pitches to the wrong people. As a result, the best prospects often slip through their fingers. In a customer-service situation, the best customers often go unsatisfied.

Imagine you're a credit-card issuer trying to sign up subscribers to a gold card. You publish a special toll-free number in golfing and fashion magazines. When the ads hit the news stands, the calls start coming in. Caller A has no chance of qualifying for the card, but your agent spends 10 minutes on the phone with him before she figures that out. Caller B is qualified for the card and ready to sign up, but after nine minutes on hold, he abandons the call because the agent took so long with Caller A. Caller C is qualified not only for the gold card but also for your platinum card. Your agent should be trying to sell her the platinum, but, hey, this is a phone line for the gold card.