A screen grab from MCL's online help facility.
Audio visual rental and staging company MCL has launched the UK’s first real-time audio visual help facility on its website. The online interaction enables MCL clients to ask real-time questions about equipment or hire pricing during UK office hours. The help facility takes the form of a chat forum co-ordinating live enquiries between the regional MCL offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

MCL’s online marketing manager, John Leah, commented: "We have been trialing the system for a couple of months now and are confident that it is stable. We are getting an amazing response from site visitors and users who seem impressed that they can get immediate information when putting together project proposals, want local venue details from our regional MCL operations or just need some technical information on a piece of kit." The MCL web site now also acts as a portal for consolidating resources from the rest of the Avesco Group, including linked services to Creative Technology, Screenco, Dimension Audio, Broadcast Services - as well as European and American operations. MCL have rationalised their internal structure to operate as a single limited company for the first time since the integration of the former Gearhouse companies.

(Ruth Rossington)


Latest Issue. . .