Beyond Philosophy

MARCH 23, 2016

In this series, professionals debate the state – and future – of their industry. Read more here , then write your own #MyIndustry post). It’s not as lonely at the top as it once was. Where the standard C-Suite many years ago was a triumvirate of power shared between the CEO, the COO, and the CFO, today there are CIOs and CMOs, too. Now, I propose they make a little more room for the latest addition to the leadership: The Chief Customer Officer (CCO).

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Callminer

MARCH 16, 2016

In order to drive a better customer experience, call centers must have the proper KPIs in place. CallMiner has outlined some of the best metrics to help guide your organization. Learn more.

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Contact Center Call Center Metrics Customer Experience 182

Steve DiGioia

MARCH 21, 2016

you've got big shoes to fill if you want to be the boss This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. They just hired some hotshot new manager…thinks he’s going to shake-up the place. Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. He lines his office walls with photos, awards and commendations from local newspapers and businesses. His desk is covered with assorted trinkets and babbles.

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Bill Quiseng

MARCH 28, 2016

This week’s blog post is contributed by a very special guest, actually more like a guest star, Nancy Friedman , better known as “The Telephone Doctor.” The author of the recently published book, Customer Service (finally) Defined – Ideas, Tips, techniques & Skills You Can Use Now and Forever , and eight other books, Nancy is simply one of the best keynote speakers on customer service.

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Entertainment Morale Customer Service Sales 128

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Step-by-step instructions on how to use AI for growth in your contact center Learn how AI can transform your contact center operations. In this ebook, dig into the different AI technologies, then see how each can help automate tasks, streamline service, and turn your contact center from a cost center to a profit house. Plus, we’ll give you practical tips on choosing the right AI tools, getting them up and running, and measuring their impact.

Contact Center

Contact Center Pipeline

MARCH 31, 2016

Our most-read blog post in March was Kathleen Peterson’s insightful look back at McKinsey & Company’s decade-old research into the impact of Moments of Truth on customer loyalty, and its relevancy in today’s multichannel environment. Other topics of interest to our readers included four pointers on how to extend the value of QM programs; tactics […].

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Beyond Philosophy

MARCH 29, 2016

It’s an old adage but it’s true: people like to do business with those they know, like and trust. Businesses spend a lot of money and energy chasing that trust through marketing campaigns and slogans. Insurer State Farm advertises that it’s “like a good neighbor,” while one of my local car dealerships runs newspaper ads that say “doing business with integrity for over 59 years!”.

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Consulting Consulting Advertising Scripts 283

Callminer

MARCH 3, 2016

Companies that regularly handling financial transactions have a responsibility to protect consumer data. Here’s how to maintain PCI compliance in the contact center.

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Contact Center 182

Steve DiGioia

MARCH 14, 2016

you may have your own stuff to talk about but not during working hours. This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. Life has a funny way of throwing us curve balls. Things never seem to go as planned or as we hoped. It’s understandable that we would become discouraged or upset when this happens and take our problems to work. “I’m going to speak with Sheila when I get to work, she is always good with things like this”, you may say.

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Personalization Customer Service 199

Bill Quiseng

MARCH 7, 2016

In 2011, An American Express survey found that Americans tell an average of 9 people about good experiences and 16 people about poor experiences. Today, just five years later, people may still tell an average of 9 people about good experiences, but if they have a bad experience, they can now tell the entire world via social media. We have all seen the word “viral” tagged to a personal story about bad customer service more often than a good one.

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Understanding and improving your customer experience (CX) can have a massive impact on your bottom line. Choosing the right voice of customers (VoC) solution is a critical step to elevating CX. Frost & Sullivan researched more than 50 leading VoC vendors, analyzing both their “innovation index” and “growth index” to independently select the top 10 performers in each of these categories.

Analytics

Contact Center Pipeline

MARCH 30, 2016

Despite the growing significance placed on analytics skills and a multichannel orientation for contact center leadership, as well as high demand for management and senior-level executives due to reshoring, findings from TeleManagement Search’s 2016 annual salary report revealed that base salaries for these functions have remained relatively flat, says Connie Caroli, president of the national […].

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Multichannel Management Contact Center Analytics 100

Win the Customer

MARCH 14, 2016

The rapid migration from the web and PCs to mobile devices in the last decade surprised everyone. As smartphones rapidly became more advanced, users were soon realizing that their phones could be their primary window to the online world. People can now be in touch and up to date through their phone, receiving news, keeping up with social media and even watching their favorite shows.

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Marketing Sales Analytics Customer Service 104

Beyond Philosophy

MARCH 9, 2016

There is an old saying that goes, “It’s not personal; it’s just business.” This statement is complete rubbish. I think business is personal, especially when you are trying to build a relationship with your customers. Zig Ziglar, author and renowned speaker, said, “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.

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Personalization Consulting Consulting Sales 284

Callminer

MARCH 9, 2016

To uncover some of the best ways to drive call center efficiency, CallMiner compiled a list of call center best practices from industry experts. Read more.

Best practices 182

Best practices Call Center 182

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CX leaders are in a gold rush for AI, lured by the promise of cost savings and a revolution in service delivery. But simply deploying AI in your contact center isn't a magic bullet. There are hidden dangers that can derail your AI dreams. Recent incidents, such as the missteps of an AI chatbot deployed by Air Canada, have underscored the complexities and risks involved in leveraging AI in customer-facing roles.

Contact Center

Steve DiGioia

MARCH 17, 2016

This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. Too many people that are in the position to “greet” people never actually do that. They may say hi or hello but that’s nothing more than an acknowledgement that someone has entered your space. That’s it! Our customers wish to be part of a team and treated warmly like you do at a gathering of friends and associates.

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Customer Experience Customer Service 184

Amity

MARCH 13, 2016

While attracting customers is a challenge, keeping them is just as important. In a world in which churn is a reality, SaaS companies need to be aware about why customers leave so they can develop well-defined strategies and tactics to retain them. In a renewal-based business model, there are three major challenges: Year One. User Adoption. Didn’t deliver.

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SaaS Sales Customer retention Consulting 95

Contact Center Pipeline

MARCH 29, 2016

As an industry, we have much to offer our communities and the global world of business. Our leadership in customer service practices and technology is a cornerstone of our value portfolio, but it is by no means all we offer. Employment, and lots of it, is another example of a benefit tied to contact centers. […].

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Contact Center Technology Customer Service Call Center 100

Win the Customer

MARCH 3, 2016

As a consumer, it is a priority for you to have as much information at your disposal before you make a purchase. Buying online has limitations, as you can’t physically see and feel the product you’re browsing. Online shopping never gets old. It’s a great distraction, and no matter what you need (or want), you can find it online. Ebay, Amazon, ASOS, Ali Express – they all exemplify websites that we have grown to depend upon.

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Marketing Customer Experience Accountability Technology 97

Speaker: Laura Noonan, Chief Revenue Officer at CallFinder + Angie Kronlage, Director of Program Success at Working Solutions + April Wiita, Vice President of Program Success at Working Solutions

Are you still manually reviewing calls? 🤔 It's time for a change! The traditional method of manual call monitoring is no longer cutting it in today's fast-paced call center environment. Industry experts Angie Kronlage and April Wiita from Working Solutions are here to explore the power of innovative automation to revolutionize outdated call review processes!

Customer Experience

Beyond Philosophy

MARCH 28, 2016

There is a hidden experience every Customer has with you. If you haven’t uncovered what it is, then you are probably making a huge mistake with your Customer Experience. Chances are, you are making more than one. Don’t feel bad. When it comes to having a great Customer Experience, all organizations have made mistakes. It’s normal for this to happen.

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Customer Experience Consulting Consulting Call Center 283

Callminer

MARCH 10, 2016

It goes without saying there is no one-size-fits-all solution for how to run an efficient call center. While solutions such as speech analytics technology, agent scorecards, and social monitoring can help to improve agent performance and provide for a better customer experience, the fact of the matter is that each individual call center will need […].

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Best practices Call Center Analytics Technology 186

Steve DiGioia

MARCH 7, 2016

and don't hold a potential bad review over my head! This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. What do you do when someone threatens you with “ TripAdvisor Blackmail ” by posting a very negative review if you don’t give into their demands, even if they are unreasonable? Even if “the customer is wrong” ? Let’s take a step back for a moment….

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Surveys Management 150

Customers That Stick

MARCH 3, 2016

We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Customer Service 92

Customer Service 92

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Cut complexity and boost efficiency while empowering your customers with Nextiva's unified communications platform. Nextiva streamlines workflows and centralizes customer interactions, all while simplifying business collaboration, increasing productivity, and reducing employee burnout.

Contact Center Pipeline

MARCH 24, 2016

Berlin Packaging has a long history of business success, which its leaders attribute largely to its focus on employee engagement and a culture of shared commitment to “Being Greater, Faster.” It’s a culture that was developed more than 20 years ago when the company adopted a set of values to govern the employer-employee relationship, says […].

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Feedback Employee engagement Government Surveys 100

Win the Customer

MARCH 7, 2016

Not so long ago, I was a complete rookie to the blogging world. When I started to benchmark hosting sites, I felt lost. You know the feeling when you have to choose between many options but you don’t have all the knowledge and understanding to make a sound decision? Horrible. But I had no choice. I needed to select a hosting site to start my blogging adventure.

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Customer Experience Benchmark Surveys CRM 95

Beyond Philosophy

MARCH 14, 2016

When Starbucks recently announced changes to its rewards program, Twitter users lashed out at the coffee giant. They complained that the new program, which will award points based on the amount of money spent (rather than on the number of visits to Starbucks) will penalize regular customers who buy only small items, like a brewed coffee. Some vowed to defect to Dunkin’ Donuts.

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Brand ambassadors Consulting Consulting Customer Experience 283

Callminer

MARCH 30, 2016

Having the right call center performance metrics in place can improve agent performance and the overall customer experience. Learn how.

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Call Center Metrics Customer Experience 182

Speaker: Nicholas Zeisler, CX Strategist & Fractional CXO

The first step in a successful Customer Experience endeavor (or for that matter, any business proposition) is to find out what’s wrong. If you can’t identify it, you can’t fix it! 💡 That’s where the Voice of the Customer (VoC) comes in. Today, far too many brands do VoC simply because that’s what they think they’re supposed to do; that’s what all their competitors do.

Customer Experience

Steve DiGioia

MARCH 24, 2016

yesterday's service awards won't help your upset customer today! This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. The hospitality industry is the most unique in the business world because we don’t sell a product. We sell “ service.”. Whether it’s the hotel rooms, the soothing spa, a great Olympic-sized pool or multiple fantastic restaurants throughout a resort, they mean nothing to the guest if the overall experience is lacking.

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Accountability Personalization Customer Service Customer Experience 140

Amity

MARCH 31, 2016

I started my career on Wall Street where I spent several years thinking about how to build balanced portfolios of financial securities. One important lesson I learned early on is that the right mix of stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets is the difference between average and stellar returns. Put differently, the most thoughtfully constructed portfolios generally produce the best return on investment.

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Real estate Upselling Construction Customer centricity 92

Contact Center Pipeline

MARCH 23, 2016

The tightening job market and an increase in the minimum wage have contributed to upward pressure on agent pay. In the last 12 to 18 months, more companies have been raising pay rates by 5%, versus the 2% to 3% cost-of-living increases that have become the norm for the past few years, says Dan Campbell, […].

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