(July 5, 2006) SAN ANTONIO – Clarke American has invested in new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology as a way to enhance the customer service experience and provide added value for financial institution partners.

IVR is a computerized system that uses natural-language speech recognition to interact with account holders to place check orders and inquire on recently placed orders. Unlike old telephone systems with cumbersome menus, touch tone options and robotic voices, Clarke American’s new IVR system uses a real voice—a friendly, virtual consultant named Karen.

Based on the responses provided by the caller, IVR seamlessly routes calls to the appropriate customer service personnel and provides information that is utilized to better serve the account holder, respond to their inquiries and proactively offer additional products and services. IVR also offers convenient and efficient self-service capabilities, which not only saves time for the caller, but also reduces costs for partners. In a pre-implementation usability study, users gave Clarke American’s IVR system high marks, with a total average score of 9.26 on a scale of 1 to 10.

“Clarke American is committed to introducing innovative products and services that will benefit our partners and their account holders,” said Swope. “IVR is a service solution that will enable us to offer superior customer service, while creating bottom-line value for our partners by reducing costs, boosting account retention and creating opportunities for additional revenue streams through strategic cross-sell and up-sell.”

To access IVR, contact procedures will remain the same. Callers utilize the same phone number and PIN to reach Clarke American’s customer service professionals. Additionally, IVR service is simple and streamlined because the account information provided by the caller is retained and utilized throughout the duration of the call to ensure quality customer service.

“IVR technology is an extension of our associates, so account holders can either take advantage of its efficient, self-service capabilities or benefit from the tailored customer service experience which it enables our consultants to provide,” said Kaari Swope, Senior Vice President of Contact Center Services at Clarke American. “Regardless of how the account holder utilizes the system, it offers a more streamlined and convenient means of responding knowledgably and proactively to their needs.”

About Clarke American
Clarke American is a leading provider of checks and check-related products, contact center services, e-Commerce and direct response marketing solutions to financial services companies throughout the U.S. The company is also a recipient of the 2001 U.S. Department of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. For more information, visit www.clarkeamerican.com.

For information about this press release contact:
Melissa Baird
Clarke American
(210) 694-1012

Kate Stouffer
KGBTexas Public Relations
(210) 826-8899
kates@kgbtexas.com