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In a recent article for Forbes, business trend forecaster Brian Solis describes “a circle” with a picture of a customer in the middle of it. This, he says, is how most of us define “customer centricity.” It’s a promise to consider the impact on our customers in everything we do. Is that your current model? Beneath that compelling little graphic or statement, you probably have a long list of IT investments and process improvements that make it easier for customers to make purchases, access custom
‘Tis the season for spooks, scares, and spine-tingling surprises. And while most of us enjoy greeting the unknown at our front door on Halloween night, no one is amused by an unexpected nightmare experience with customer service. What happens when your customers reach out to you? Is it a treat? Or a bad dream that’s impossible to shake off? Here are three of the most horrifying encounters sure to send your customers running away, screaming.
I am happy to announce that Christine (Chris) Guzman has joined Skybridge Americas as Chief Financial Officer. Chris brings an extraordinary combination of industry success and thought leadership to her role. A respected expert in finance, strategy, functional integrations, and merger and acquisition transactions, she has earned a reputation for building high-performing teams and delivering innovative, balanced solutions that consistently drive superior client, employee, and investor satisfactio
At this time of reflection, gratitude, and anticipation of a new year, we at Skybridge Americas wish to express our deep appreciation for our customers, our partners, and our talented Skybridge team members. Together, we have helped set new, higher standards of excellence for our industry, conquered unprecedented marketplace challenges, and in doing so, forged strong bonds with each other.
Thanks to the strange, mixed messages our economy keeps sending, many businesses find themselves juggling the dueling concerns of sustained talent shortages and lingering worries of a 2023 recession. As plans and budgets go through new rounds of scrutiny, some marketing and CX leaders are feeling pressure to find ways to cut costs. If you find yourself in that camp, I’d like to offer a few words of caution: Be careful how you define cost.
Customer loyalty isn’t something you build once and count on forever. It is fragile, vulnerable to every encounter your customers have with your brand, especially those that occur at the contact center. As a growing number of organizations have come to recognize, customer expectations of brand interactions have shifted since 2020. Yes, they want a speedy response, accurate information, and ease of resolution.
Each year on Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who stepped forward, wore the uniform, and served in the name of our country. At its most fundamental, it’s a day that asks us to give one thing: a simple thank you to our veterans for their service. But when you dig a little deeper, Veterans Day is so much more than that. In fact, I would suggest that this day is a profound gift to us all, if we’re willing to receive it.
While each of us recognizes Thanksgiving Day in our own, unique way, there is one thing I know we all have in common: the knowledge that there is much for which to be grateful. At their best, our Thanksgiving rituals – whatever they are – remind us to celebrate that gratitude. On behalf of Skybridge Americas, I would like to thank each of our extraordinary clients and partners for your business and for the trust you place in us.
When The CEO Views magazine honored Skybridge as one of the year’s most influential companies, they asked our CEO, Andrew Bosko , to describe how our people-first values and technology vision are winning over North America’s most CX-driven brands. Read What He Said Find out how Skybridge Americas can help you delight your customers and grow your business.
When The CEO Views magazine honored Skybridge as one of the year’s most influential companies, they asked our CEO, Andrew Bosko , to describe how our people-first values and technology vision are winning over North America’s most CX-driven brands. Read What He Said Find out how Skybridge Americas can help you delight your customers and grow your business.
While each of us recognizes Thanksgiving Day in our own, unique way, there is one thing I know we all have in common: the knowledge that there is much for which to be grateful. At their best, our Thanksgiving rituals – whatever they are – remind us to celebrate that gratitude. On behalf of Skybridge Americas, I would like to thank each of our extraordinary clients and partners for your business and for the trust you place in us.
While each of us recognizes Thanksgiving Day in our own, unique way, there is one thing I know we all have in common: the knowledge that there is much for which to be grateful. At their best, our Thanksgiving rituals – whatever they are – remind us to celebrate that gratitude. On behalf of Skybridge Americas, I would like to thank each of our extraordinary clients and partners for your business and for the trust you place in us.
Each year on Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who stepped forward, wore the uniform, and served in the name of our country. At its most fundamental, it’s a day that asks us to give one thing: a simple thank you to our veterans for their service. But when you dig a little deeper, Veterans Day is so much more than that. In fact, I would suggest that this day is a profound gift to us all, if we’re willing to receive it.
“Outsourcing helps companies maintain service levels and provide a consistent customer experience across all channels and hours of operation.” Deloitte Digital 2023 Report on New Realities for Contact Center Transformation Have your customers been looking for a better experience at your contact center? Chances are, they’re getting tired of waiting. If the thought of outsourcing your in-house customer care operation sounds as pleasant – and safe – as juggling chainsaws while running a
Customer loyalty isn’t something you build once and count on forever. It is fragile, vulnerable to every encounter your customers have with your brand, especially those that occur at the contact center. As a growing number of organizations have come to recognize, customer expectations of brand interactions have shifted since 2020. Yes, they want a speedy response, accurate information, and ease of resolution.
Thanks to the strange, mixed messages our economy keeps sending, many businesses find themselves juggling the dueling concerns of sustained talent shortages and lingering worries of a 2023 recession. As plans and budgets go through new rounds of scrutiny, some marketing and CX leaders are feeling pressure to find ways to cut costs. If you find yourself in that camp, I’d like to offer a few words of caution: Be careful how you define cost.
At this time of reflection, gratitude, and anticipation of a new year, we at Skybridge Americas wish to express our deep appreciation for our customers, our partners, and our talented Skybridge team members. Together, we have helped set new, higher standards of excellence for our industry, conquered unprecedented marketplace challenges, and in doing so, forged strong bonds with each other.
I am happy to announce that Christine (Chris) Guzman has joined Skybridge Americas as Chief Financial Officer. Chris brings an extraordinary combination of industry success and thought leadership to her role. A respected expert in finance, strategy, functional integrations, and merger and acquisition transactions, she has earned a reputation for building high-performing teams and delivering innovative, balanced solutions that consistently drive superior client, employee, and investor satisfactio
‘Tis the season for spooks, scares, and spine-tingling surprises. And while most of us enjoy greeting the unknown at our front door on Halloween night, no one is amused by an unexpected nightmare experience with customer service. What happens when your customers reach out to you? Is it a treat? Or a bad dream that’s impossible to shake off? Here are three of the most horrifying encounters sure to send your customers running away, screaming.
In a recent article for Forbes, business trend forecaster Brian Solis describes “a circle” with a picture of a customer in the middle of it. This, he says, is how most of us define “customer centricity.” It’s a promise to consider the impact on our customers in everything we do. Is that your current model? Beneath that compelling little graphic or statement, you probably have a long list of IT investments and process improvements that make it easier for customers to make purchases, access custom
As a consumer, I know how I feel when I have to reach out to customer care. So do you. Some brands (our favorite brands) make it so easy. One call or text or chat is all it takes to get what we need. So quick and painless that we barely stop to think about how well it all works with that brand. . Then, of course, there are those other brands. The long hold times.
We spend a lot of time in the customer care industry talking about consumer expectations: the trends, the unpredictable shifts, and of course, the latest and greatest innovations we can employ to better meet them. We invest in ever-greater organizational flexibility, adaptability, and create nimble, forward-thinking leadership teams. For those of us who define ourselves and our brands by our ability to exceed expectations, this focus on “consumer expectation” is an obsession.
Even tiny shifts in leadership focus can lead to costly drops in customer experience. After showing an impressive post-covid CX rebound – and steady gains in 2021, US brands appear to have hit the wall. That’s according to Forrester’s 2022 US Customer Experience Index. This year’s survey of 96,000 American consumers showed that nearly one-fifth (19%) of brands experienced a drop in CX quality, according to their own customers, the largest drop in rankings since the study’s inception seven years
“You can make or break a brand relationship in a single conversation…”. That was an opening sentence that caught my eye the other day. Instantly, I thought, “Agreed!” It was an article about the tumultuous shifts that contact centers – and the brands that depend on them – are still undergoing today, two-plus years after the pandemic began.
Why brand intimacy might be a smarter way to gauge the health (and profitability) of your customer relationships. Sure, “loyalty” measurements can be useful indicators of a customer’s repeat business and potential long-term profitability. But what leads to loyalty? A recent survey of 3,000 consumers, conducted by Praxis Research for branding agency MBLM, has confirmed a reality that many brands have known – but have struggled to leverage: consumers are more likely to return to those brands with
These 5 Emerging CX Trends Will Determine Your Brand’s Success. Get the breakdown from North America’s leader in customer care. For North American brands and the customer care teams who support them, 2020 launched a period of upheaval, unforeseen challenges, and wildly fluctuating consumer needs. In the earliest months of the pandemic, most customer contact centers were scrambling to react and struggling to keep up with call volumes, customer fears, and the astronomical rise of agent attri
“Many organizations claim to be customer-centric. So why do some continue lose customers, while others deliver phenomenal experiences?”. That’s the opening line in a recent CMS Wire article by Jason VandeBoom. It’s also the central, multi-million-dollar question at the heart of retail business plans these days. In his piece, VandeBoom highlights three critical steps that CX winners consistently take that allow them to deliver best-in-class experiences.
7 Habits to Guide and Inspire Every CX Leader. For many people, myself included, Stephen R. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” lays out a wonderfully simple but powerful set of guidelines for working well, collaborating successfully, and achieving meaningful goals. It’s also timeless. Feeling stuck? Feeling like your CX vision is stuck? Chances are, even a quick review of the 7 habits can offer up the reassuring reset, renewed optimism, and clarity of thought necessary to move forwar
Why brand intimacy might be a smarter way to gauge the health (and profitability) of your customer relationships. Sure, “loyalty” measurements can be useful indicators of a customer’s repeat business and potential long-term profitability. But what leads to loyalty? A recent survey of 3,000 consumers, conducted by Praxis Research for branding agency MBLM, has confirmed a reality that many brands have known – but have struggled to leverage: consumers are more likely to return to those brands with
Today, as we honor the service and sacrifice of all American Veterans, I would like to highlight one especially meaningful way that businesses across the country can show their appreciation: Hire a Veteran. A few years ago, I wrote about my Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Veteran. They’re as true today as they ever were, and I’d like to share them with you here; along with a few updates.
Andrew Bosko Has Helped Transform Skybridge Americas’ Brand. Since he joined the company in 2016, Andrew Bosko has helped Skybridge Americas’ transform its brand, upgrade its technology, and grow in sales. Learn more how Andrew has helped transform Skybridge Americas’ brand in his interview with The Silicon Review®. View Full Andrew Bosko Interview.
I don’t know your number. But I have a good guess it’s not small. Recently, I came across an article by Peter Dooley about the various ways that marketing insights are gathered. In that piece, he makes a critical point: some of the most powerful insights on how well a brand’s customers feel about that brand are actually derived from personal observation.
In their recent 2021 survey of contact center leaders, Deloitte Digital explores how post-pandemic contact centers are rapidly evolving into customer experience (CX) hubs. The survey is well worth the read, outlining 5 critical findings. For me, the most striking insight underlying them all is this fundamental reality: CX is the dominant strategic force driving customer care, customer loyalty, and customer profitability.
How strong is your partnership with your contact center leadership? Not that long ago, strong, strategic collaborations between CMO and Customer Care were rare. While the marketing role was focused on everything related to attracting customers and driving sales revenue, the contact center was perceived as a cost center. While the word empathy is easy to define for individual human beings, it has proven to be a lot trickier when asking an entire organization to be a consistently deliver an empath
How well do you know – I mean really know – what your customers want and need most from your brand right now? It’s a tricky question to answer. When business consultant Adrian Swinscoe recently tackled it, he drew on lessons he’s been learning from a number of CX leaders around the world, whittling his findings down to 4 simple but powerful best practices.
The events of the past year caused dramatic disruptions in consumer behaviors. While many were obvious and, potentially, short-term, other changes were a lot tougher for brands to notice or easily understand. When brick-and-mortar retailers were forced close their doors, for example, retailers understood that their sales – and customer retention – depended on their ability to shift quickly to online ordering, curbside pick-ups, and/or home delivery.
As countless North American brands are discovering (and rediscovering) these days, the post-pandemic path forward continues to be a bumpy one. Indeed, many “customer-centric” brands of the pre-2020 era are coming to the sobering realization that, in order to fully rebound, they’ll need to do a lot more than “re-open” or scale up. For many organizations, success in 2021 and beyond will require a reassessment – and radical redefinition – of “customer-centricity” in a post-COVID world.
Here are 5 Things You Probably Forgot. Advice on initiating, launching, and perfecting CX strategy is everywhere. Everywhere. Problem is, it’s not all good or useful advice. Bigger problem: even the best advice might not get you where you need to go. You can have access to all the tips, pointers, consultants – and robust strategic plans – in the world but, without a collaborative leadership team willing to embrace a CX mindset and some fundamental change… your CX dreams are unlikely to come true
Several years ago, Annette Franz, the founder and CEO of CX Journey, wrote about 6 tools to ensuring that everyone involved in a brand’s success have a clear view and understanding of the customer. Delivering great CX isn’t just up to the employees at the front line, she argued. It’s the result of ensuring that every single person owns the brand promise and is invested in delivering on it.
A True Story of Patient Experience Gone Wrong and 3 Ways to Make it Right. In one short year, everyone in the healthcare industry has experienced radical, upheaval. (Much of it painful. Some of it surprisingly positive.) It’s important to clarify that, when I say that, I’m not just talking about all that happened for providers. As clinics and hospitals scrambled to figure out new, safe ways of delivering care, their patients were forced to abandon old preferences, accept delays, disruptions, and
The Most Successful Businesswomen to watch, 2021. Some leaders like to help others and grow with them to make a better place around them. With the free spirit to help others and transform the financial sector, Laresa McIntyre joined forces with Skybridge Americas Inc. With a can-do attitude, she takes on all challenges with a positive mindset. She adds, “I enjoy setting pretty big goals and then doing my best to empower everyone on the team to achieve them.”.
As a growing mountain of studies continues to show, the events and effects of the past year have driven – and continue to drive – profound shifts in customer needs, preferences, and standards. For better or worse, this great reshuffling of buying behaviors has many North American brands in a tizzy. Sure, most organizations have long understood – to varying degrees – that CX (customer experience) is a driving influence on loyalty.
I’ve said it before: there are countless ways to measure a contact center’s performance. While each metric means something , the truth is, some are more useful and informative than others. More importantly, no single performance measurement is capable of helping a brand leader understand how well the customer care team is taking care of customers. Recently, Sharpen CMO, Murph Krajewski suggested that, in order to truly understand if customers are getting what they really want and need, brand CMO
How strong is your partnership with your contact center leadership? Not that long ago, strong, strategic collaborations between CMO and Customer Care were rare. While the marketing role was focused on everything related to attracting customers and driving sales revenue, the contact center was perceived as a cost center. Keeping these two functions in their separate silos was never a good idea and, over the past several years, many brands have come to recognize that their contact centers are at t
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