CAM HELP® Hotline - Popular Helpline Is Moving Online And Looking Toward The Future

In the late 1980s COMP® Cams created a special hotline to help support retailers who sold COMP® parts. Originally, the helpline consisted of a small handful of engine-savvy technicians who answered questions over the phone to help warehouses get the right parts out to their customers.

Over time, as demand grew, CAM HELP® evolved into something much larger. By 1987, it had become apparent that there was widespread need amongst engine enthusiasts for honest answers and genuine help from people who truly understood the science behind the products. In an effort to provide those answers, the toll-free helpline was opened to the general public. More technicians were hired, and the calls came pouring in from warehouses, engine builders, racers, car enthusiasts and everyone else with questions about their vehicles. From computers to camshafts and valve timing to cam degreeing, if it was a performance or race application, the techs were asked about it.

CAM HELP® Office

The fundamental philosophy driving CAM HELP® has always been that if a tech line operator can help solve an issue before something is misapplied and it becomes a problem, everyone will be better off. In that spirit, the technicians will even answer questions about other brands of product to the best of their abilities, not just COMP Cams®. More than that, it is designed to be a forum for open communication, not an avenue to make sales. Callers instantly recognize the “we’re here to help” attitude that all CAM HELP® technicians have.

CAM HELP® quickly became a real-time link between qualified technicians and consumers of all levels of automotive knowledge. Today, the center is staffed with some of the most well-informed people in the business – many have attended automotive schools, most have direct engine building experience, and all are exceptionally knowledgeable in automotive design and engineering.

On any given day, the CAM HELP® techs answer as many as 900 calls and reply to more than 250 emails. During peak summer driving months, when more people are at the track and tuning their cars, those numbers can jump dramatically. It’s not unheard of for the CAM HELP® techs to answer upwards of 1,200 phone calls every day during the summer. Even with a staff of nearly thirty people working from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the sheer volume of incoming calls can be overwhelming.

Today, the COMP Cams® family of companies, known as the COMP Performance Group™, includes other well know aftermarket performance brands, such as Racing Head Service® and FAST™ Electronics. Each company now has its own toll-free helpline to better streamline the phone calls that come in to the call center, and as demand continues to grow, the CAM HELP® technical center is constantly adapting and streamlining the process. For example, at one point, all incoming phone calls were automatically routed directly into a single queue. But as the amount of daily calls grew to where it is now and pertained to other brands, that method became less efficient. Now, callers first speak with an operator who then connects each individual caller to the best queue possible. Depending on the type of question, that could be the CAM HELP® line, or it could be another specific division or person within the company, such as RACING HEAD HELP™ or EFI HELP™.

Even with a more efficient method of taking calls, the technicians were still barely able to keep up with the volume of questions being asked. To try to take some pressure off of the phones and help spread information more efficiently, CAM HELP® moved online.

Throughout its lifespan, the helpline has incorporated many new communication technologies. For instance, in the 1980s, when fax machines were the latest and greatest technology, CAM HELP® frequently received questions via fax. As that technology has aged, and consumers have moved to other means of communication, so has CAM HELP® – although it can still answer questions via fax.

The help center is still on the forefront of consumer communication technology. As such, transitioning onto the internet was only a matter of time. Customers in every market are increasingly turning to the internet for product information because it’s an easy, no-hassle way to get answers, no matter the time of day. When the question of how to best stay current was asked, the obvious answer was to expand onto the internet.

Online support takes many forms. Written installation instructions for all manner of cams and components are available online at www.compcams.com. Instructional videos and COMP Cams® CamQuest™ 6 Camshaft Selection Software are also available to download or watch online. There are even audio recordings so consumers can hear how a prospective new camshaft will sound in their car – or how a finicky one should sound.

The “Tech Pages” section of the COMP Cams® website is a treasure trove full of helpful information. And every day, the online knowledge base grows as CAM HELP® uploads the latest charts, graphs, specs, FAQs and dyno sheets, covering a multitude of technical information. From basic product overviews and FAQs for popular aftermarket products, to intricately detailed specifications and scientific test results, the “Tech Pages” have something to offer consumers of every level of knowledge and experience.

For consumers who may not have time for a telephone call, but still have specific questions to ask, CAM HELP® has also introduced online forums. Again, in the spirit of creating open communication, the forums allow nearly anyone with questions to get advice from a variety of sources. Answers don’t just come from the CAM HELP® experts but also experienced engine builders and even other people from all over the country who may have experienced the same problem.

New forum topics are constantly posted, both official from CAM HELP® and non-official from automotive enthusiasts of every caliber. Although the forum is a community-centric mode of disseminating information, CAM HELP® maintains a constant presence, guiding consumers and providing answers to the tough questions.

CAM HELP® technicians also answer questions via email and web-based forms. The forms are easy to fill out and allow consumers to provide as little or as much information as they can. These avenues of communication provide twenty-four hour a day access for anyone with a question. For many, it’s even easier than picking up a phone.

Its web presence is increasing daily, and as CAM HELP® continues to evolve, even more tools will be integrated online. The next logical step with forums is to move the conversation into real-time. Online instant messenger programs are currently being researched to do just that.

Sometime in the near future, you will be able to log-in to a COMP Cams® web page and instantly chat with a fully qualified technician. It is even possible that this could be done through your current favorite instant messaging program. If a consumer is looking at a dyno sheet online and has a question, the real-time answer will be just a few mouse clicks away. Imagine being able to instantly receive answers and direction without needing to make an additional phone call or wait for an email response.

As people are becoming more and more plugged into the internet, it only makes sense to explore its various avenues of communication. Social media connections and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) are also being considered as ways to answer questions through the internet.

Since its beginning and eventual opening to the public, the original handful of technicians answering phone calls has ballooned into a large-scale operation spanning multiple lines of communication. As popular methods of communication change, CAM HELP® changes and adopts those methods.

CAM HELP® has been around for years, and it’s here to stay. But even more than that, CAM HELP® is going to change and adapt to suit the needs of engine enthusiasts everywhere. The bottom line is, wherever consumers are looking for answers, CAM HELP® will be there giving them.

To contact CAM HELP®, call 1-800-999-0853, visit www.compcams.com/technical or look for the forums at www.cpgnation.com.