Trending Articles

article thumbnail

Your Call Is Very Important to Us

ShepHyken

Recently, I wrote an article about the customer service farce. One of several examples I shared was the line we often hear when calling customer support: Your call is very important to us. When we hear it, we hope its true. We hope it means that the company is going to respect our time, that someone will pick up the call quickly (versus being put on hold for an unreasonable amount of time), and that the agent we talk to will have the knowledge and skills to answer our question or resolve our com

article thumbnail

6 Unexpected Things Your Retail IVA Can Accomplish

Interactions

For retailers, there are certain table-stakes expectations when it comes to Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs). An acceptable retail IVA should be able to look up orders, check shipping status, and provide information about store locations. A better, more advanced IVA may be able to process branded card payments and even manage returns without escalation.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Enable Amazon Bedrock cross-Region inference in multi-account environments

AWS Machine Learning

Amazon Bedrock cross-Region inference capability that provides organizations with flexibility to access foundation models (FMs) across AWS Regions while maintaining optimal performance and availability. However, some enterprises implement strict Regional access controls through service control policies (SCPs) or AWS Control Tower to adhere to compliance requirements, inadvertently blocking cross-Region inference functionality in Amazon Bedrock.

article thumbnail

Transforming citizen experience: How AI and automation can revolutionize public services

3CLogic

Whether citizens are applying for permits, accessing healthcare services, or resolving tax inquiries, expectations have shifted. Todays public demands fast, seamless, and intuitive experiences reminiscent of those offered by leading consumer brands. Yet, government agencies still face challenges such as outdated technology, siloed systems, data privacy concerns, and a shrinking workforce.

article thumbnail

How AI Is Revolutionizing Contact Centers: 2025 Strategy + ROI Playbook

In 2025, contact centers aren’t just changing—they’re being rebuilt by AI. This no-fluff, executive-ready guide shows you how to capitalize on the transformation. Inside: proven ROI calculators, workforce optimization tactics, deflection strategies, and a 90-day AI deployment plan. Built for CIOs, COOs, CX leaders, and contact center strategists, it goes beyond buzzwords into play-by-play implementation.

article thumbnail

Training plan for Managing Customer Expectations

Toister Performance Solutions

This plan will help you train employees to effectively manage customer expectations. Service failures are caused by an experience that falls short of expectations. Expectation management helps customers avoid unpleasant surprises. Managing expectations will result in: Fewer complaints Happier customers More repeat business This guide helps you facilitate the Customer Service: Managing Customer Expectations course on LinkedIn Learning.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Building Unbreakable Customer Relationships with Jason Ten-Pow

ShepHyken

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more: What makes an “unbreakable” customer relationship, and how can companies achieve it? What are the key components of a tailored customer experience strategy? How does digital transformation impact customer experience? What common mistakes do businesses make in providing effortless customer experiences?

article thumbnail

Generate training data and cost-effectively train categorical models with Amazon Bedrock

AWS Machine Learning

In this post, we explore how you can use Amazon Bedrock to generate high-quality categorical ground truth data, which is crucial for training machine learning (ML) models in a cost-sensitive environment. Generative AI solutions can play an invaluable role during the model development phase by simplifying training and test data creation for multiclass classification supervised learning use cases.

article thumbnail

Top tools & tips for empowering customer service reps

Callminer

Customer service is the backbone of customer loyalty and organizational success. This blog explores how to utilize tips and tools to empower your CSRs to provide exceptional customer service.

article thumbnail

Lesson #33 Revisited: Don’t Let VoC Become Complaint Management—Celebrate the Positive Too!

PeopleMetrics

Its easy to think of VoC as a tool to put out firesto identify what went wrong, whos upset, and how to make it right. And yes, recover alerts are essential. They help reduce churn, save relationships, and show customers you care. But if thats all your VoC program is doing, then its just a glorified complaint box. The truth is, the real power of VoC kicks in when it becomes part of your culturenot just your operations.

article thumbnail

State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

article thumbnail

Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of March 31, 2025

ShepHyken

Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too. Survey Shuffle to AI Shuffle: Medallia Wants to Reshape the CX Deck by Dom Nicastro (CMSWire) It starts with hiring right to begin with, Hyken said.

article thumbnail

Generative AI in Contact Centers: The Tech and Use Cases Driving a Revolution in Customer Service

Calabrio

Contact Center AI Generative AI in Contact Centers: The Tech and Use Cases Driving a Revolution in Customer Service Share The contact center landscape is undergoing a dramatic shiftone driven by the adoption and innovation of AI. At the center of the speed and scale of this revolution in customer service is generative AI. Since ChatGPT captured the worlds attention at the end of 2022, its been off to the races, with a host of new models, solutions, and use cases entering the fold.

article thumbnail

25 Ways to Deliver Consistently Great Customer Service

CSM Magazine

If your ultimate goal is to enhance the customer experience while fostering business growth, here are 25 practical tips to help you deliver consistently excellent customer service. Understanding What Great Customer Service Means Before exploring actionable strategies, its essential to understand what great customer service looks like. Its not just about smiling at your customers or apologizing when something goes wrong.

article thumbnail

Lesson #35 Revisited: The Secret to Getting Your People to Use VoC? Tie It to Compensation (Still True in 2025)

PeopleMetrics

Back in 2017, when I wrote Listen or Die , I shared what was then a bit of a controversial opinion: if you want people to pay attention to your VoC program, tie it to compensation! Now here we are, years laterand guess what? It still works. It may be more important than ever. This lesson hasnt fundamentally changed, even with all the advances in AI and automation.

Morale 62
article thumbnail

Next-Gen Cloud Contact Centers For Dummies®

What does customer service excellence look like in 2024? According to our report with insights from CX expert Shep Hyken, customer expectations are at an all-time high, and there’s a bigger shift toward self-service and leveraging AI capabilities.

article thumbnail

How to Increase Customer Retention: 15 Proven Strategies That Work

Interaction Metrics

What Is Customer Retention and Why Does It Matter? Customer retention might sound like fancy business jargon, but really, it’s just the art of keeping your customers happy enough that they stick around. Think about your favorite coffee shop. Maybe they offer you a punch card where you earn a free coffee after ten purchases. Thats customer retention at workusing incentives and positive experiences to keep you coming back.

article thumbnail

AI Takes Center Stage in Healthcare: Priorities for 2025

Zappix

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transitioned from a conceptual idea to a central component in healthcare strategy. A recent article that I was reading from Becker’s Hospital Review highlights several key trends that 66 healthcare leaders are prioritizing in 2025. [link] These trends reflect AIs growing role in optimizing clinical workflows, improving patient navigation, and streamlining operational efficiencies.

article thumbnail

10 Best CCaaS Providers for Enterprises and Contact Centers (2025)

Avoxi

10 Best CCaaS Providers for Enterprises and Contact Centers (2025) For enterprise contact centers, customer communication isn't just about speedit's about consistency, clarity, and global reliability. Whether a customer calls from across the city or across the world, your ability to deliver a clear, smooth interaction directly impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.

article thumbnail

How Customer Service Managers Can Overcome Imposter Syndrome

CSM Magazine

Despite the important contributions they make, many customer service managers experience a nagging, internal doubt known as imposter syndrome. Its the feeling that you’re not as capable as others perceive you to be, and that its only a matter of time before you’re exposed as an imposter. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Studies suggest that as much as 70% of the workforce has experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their career.

article thumbnail

The Ultimate Blueprint for an AI-First Contact Center

Start building the AI workforce of the future with our comprehensive guide to creating an AI-first contact center. Learn how Conversational and Generative AI can transform traditional operations into scalable, efficient, and customer-centric experiences. What is AI-First? Transition from outdated, human-first strategies to an AI-driven approach that enhances customer engagement and operational efficiency.

article thumbnail

The Back Office Is Your Hidden Growth Lever. Here’s How AI Unlocks It

Balto

You dont build a world-class contact center by accident. You train your agents, refine your playbooks, and invest in technology to optimize customer interactions. But theres a quiet bottleneck thats holding your team back, and its not in the front office. Its buried in the workflows most leaders overlook: The back office. The back office doesnt create great customer interactions.

article thumbnail

Contact Center Gamification: What You Need to Know to Use Games for Improved Engagement and Performance

Calabrio

Workforce Management Contact Center Gamification: What You Need to Know to Use Games for Improved Engagement and Performance Share Did you know that low employee engagement costs the global economy about $8.9 trillion dollars ? Yes, thats trillion , with a t. While that eye-popping sum might be new to you, youre probably familiar with the fact that disengaged teams dont make for great results within the contact center.

article thumbnail

How Faxing Has Modernized with the Help of Microsoft Teams

Momentum Telecom

The days of waiting in line for the fax machine are long gone. In many cases, its been replaced by instant messaging, emails, cloud sharing, and other communication channels. However, faxing remains a vital method for secure and compliant communication for industries like healthcare, finance, and government. Finding a reputable provider that can deliver a seamless, integrated faxing experience is important today.

article thumbnail

CX in 2025: Trends That Will Define the Future of Customer Experience

TMP Direct

Todays consumers are more informed, tech-savvy, and impatient than ever. They expect instant responses, seamless service, and a personalized experience at every touchpoint. Businesses that fail to adapt risk losing customers to competitors who have mastered the art of customer experience (CX) in 2025. Smarter Customers, Smarter Businesses The landscape of CX is evolving rapidly.

article thumbnail

The Ultimate Contact Center Buyers Guide: A Crucial Decision

Harness the True Power of your Contact Center In today’s fast-paced business environment, selecting the right contact center solution is critical for enhancing customer experience, improving operational efficiency, and optimizing costs. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential factors to consider when choosing a contact center software that aligns with your business needs.

article thumbnail

How to Spot and Reduce Hidden Inefficiencies in Your Contact Center

CSM Magazine

If your contact center feels like its constantly busy but your customer satisfaction scores remain low, chances are there are hidden inefficiencies hampering performance. These inefficiencies dont just hurt your teams productivity; they negatively impact the customer experience , increasing complaints and lowering retention rates. The good news? Identifying and reducing these inefficiencies can turn your contact center into a streamlined operation that delivers exceptional support.

article thumbnail

What every CRO should know about customer success, and how to set them up to win.

ChurnZero

Sarah Kiley is chief sales officer at ChurnZero. When customer success starts reporting into the CRO, its not just a reporting changeits a strategic shift. Most CROs come up through sales, where success is measured by speed and outcomes. But owning the full customer lifecycle demands a new operating modelone built on trust, value, and long-term growth.

CRM 52
article thumbnail

10 Reasons Why Trust and Safety is Essential for Customer Experience

24-7 InTouch

Imagine you’re scrolling through your feed on your preferred social media platform when suddenly you’re confronted with something very disturbing. You immediately report it, but days later, its clear that nothing has changed. You will likely feel disappointed, and you might log off. When this happens multiple times, you might just consider leaving for good.

article thumbnail

Streamline Healthcare Communications: Send Secure Faxes with Microsoft Teams

Momentum Telecom

Healthcare is modernizing fast, with high expectations to deliver a safe, seamless, and positive patient experience. Theres a lot of pressure to ensure patient privacy, maintain regulatory compliance, and process time-sensitive information as quickly as possible. However, many of these processes rely on traditional faxing. But traditional methods of faxing often create more problems than they solve.

article thumbnail

Future-Proof IT: Cost-Saving Strategies Every IT Leader Needs in 2025

With IT budgets projected to grow 9.8% in 2025, leaders must invest wisely—not just cut blindly. This whitepaper introduces The Future-Proof IT Cost Optimization Model, a framework to reduce costs while maintaining service quality. Learn how Cloud Efficiency, AI-Powered Workforce Automation, Vendor Optimization, Cybersecurity Resilience, and Unified Communications can drive savings and improve efficiency.

article thumbnail

The Role of Automation in Telecom Contact Centers: Solving High Volume Challenges and Reducing Costs

Hodusoft

The Role of Automation in Telecom Contact Centers: Solving High Volume Challenges and Reducing Costs Uber-connected. Well-informed. Highly-coordinated. That’s the world we live in today, all thanks to the telecom sector! It’s one of the most important industries in today’s time. Telecom companies connect individuals and businesses.

article thumbnail

What Can Companies Learn From Casino Customer Services

CSM Magazine

The online casino industry is booming, and theres some good reasons why. More people than ever are playing casino games online, with the number of users expected to amount to 129.5 million users by 2029. With casinos looking to provide players with better experiences from the UI of their applications to the range of games and more, theres lots that companies from other industries can glean and use to benefit their own businesses.

article thumbnail

What Is Average Handle Time (AHT) in the Contact Center? 5 Best Practices to Improve AHT

Calabrio

Analytics What Is Average Handle Time (AHT) in the Contact Center? 5 Best Practices to Improve AHT Share Every conversation in a contact centerfrom start to finishholds helpful insights about the customer experience and service performance. This is why the amount of time spent on interactions is a key metric for ensuring the efficiency of your customer service.