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TC Kokua provides outside customer services and sales support through telephone, e-mail, Web chat and co-browsing, which synchronizes a customer's Web browser with a customer service representative's in order to walk a customer through any problems. TC Kokua opened for business in the Maui Research & Technology Park June 1. Company President Max Tsai declined to disclose actual pricing for the new customers but says one-time set-up fees range from $2,000 to $5,000, with a per-minute charge for customer contacts thereafter. "Pricing is negotiated individually with each customer," Tsai says. "It depends on their volume and type of support we are providing. Obviously tech support will cost more than answering basic questions." Tsai says his business is growing because it offers service with a Hawaii edge. "We are gaining traction in the Hawaii market in a variety of industries because our message is service with the aloha spirit," says Tsai. TC Kokua currently has two employees but Tsai plans to hire more in the immediate future to handle the new accounts. He plans to target clients based on the West Coast within the first half of 2002 and East Asia companies during the second half of the year. "I need to stress the fact that we are becoming successful in Hawaii," says Tsai. "Our customers choose us for outsourcing because it makes good business sense. And our technology and business model can scale upwards. Meaning, we can expand as the customer grows." Maui businesses that are taking notice of TC Kokua's services say the concept helps fill a void for businesses that lack the personnel to handle customer inquiries. "We've enjoyed hundreds of inquiries since we've been on Maui, which is almost two years," says Mark Day, chief financial officer at Micro Gaia, which grows microalgae to produce the dietary supplement astaxanthin. "A lot of people have inquired about our astaxanthin product. Based on these inquiries we've compiled a list of customers waiting for our product." Micro Gaia enlisted TC Kokua to handle the growing number of sales opportunities. "Customers can choose to call, e-mail or initiate a live Web chat with one of our customer service reps," Tsai says. "We are still in the process of fine tuning our service agreement, but it's primarily to take customer orders, handle product inquiries and provide information. Micro Gaia will handle actual product fulfillment. We'll just forward order information to them. They will have a U.S. distributor." TC Kokua president Max Tsai says his company offers service with the aloha spirit. Day believes TC Kokua's services will help Micro Gaia retain its customer base. "We feel TC Kokua's Web-based customer support service technology is the best of its kind that can be found in Hawaii right now," says Day. "When you have good customer support service word spreads and can potentially increase your customer base." Business for Maui tour operator Akina Aloha Tours is going well for the small family-run operation with 60 employees, says Cassie Akina, director of sales and operations. So they've enlisted TC Kokua to help target potential customers. "We needed someone to help do our telemarketing for us," says Akina. "We recently updated our Web site so we are expecting lot more hits. What Max will be doing is contacting various travel wholesalers and seeing if they have tour groups coming to Hawaii and if they need ground transportation." Though business dropped significantly after the Sept. 11 attacks, Akina says it has since picked up. "I lost about 15 groups," says Akina. "But business is picking up. I can't even keep up with it. So Max is helping with the telemarketing and basic questions people have, such as 'Where does your tour go to?' Basically, what he's doing is answering preliminary questions. Once he's done he sends the information over to me for follow-up." TC Kokua will provide similar services for Alalani Hawaii. "We'll be handling customer service for them", says Tsai, "everything from property inquiries to information about seminars and upcoming listings."