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With online shopping, transactions and communication as prevalent – and as easy – as it is today, it can often be tempting to focus most of your Customer Experience efforts on getting your virtual presence right. When many of your customers will engage with you solely on a virtual platform, it can make sense to favor it. However, neglecting your brick-and-mortar experience can lead to inconsistent CX and online backlash.
Not long ago I was interviewing Kevin Berk, founder and CEO of ServiceGuru, on Amazing Business Radio. We were talking about the word fine. He commented that it is a four letter that begins with the letter F that you never want to hear from your customer. I then joked that fine is the “F-Bomb” of customer service. Ask someone how their experience with your company is.
When trying to meet and improve service level agreements, reviewing agents’ performance and providing adequate training is imperative for success. Unfortunately, making time for agent training doesn’t always seem possible. Contact centers are notorious for being extremely busy and agent time is closely monitored to ensure that customers’ calls are promptly answered.
This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. What do your customers expect from you? Do you live up to their expectations or only reach your own perceived “ceiling” of service? Are you “good enough”? Maybe. But good enough for whom? Once we believe we have little to learn about the needs of our customer we no longer deserve their business – and shouldn’t expect it.
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.
Rope can be used to create a lasso to help you. Or it can be used as a noose for hangings. And Lori Bocklund has seen both happen in the current Wild West of contact center technology that exists today. Unstable Contact Center Technology. Being unstable can mean different things. You may think about stability in operation and function. You may think about stability in a long-term brand.
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Customer Contact Central brings together the best content for Contact Center and Customer Service professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Back in 2011, Boston College performed an interesting study involving everyone’s favorite energy drink, Red Bull, and the behavior it evoked in study participants. In brief, the study asked a number of participants to “drive” a car in a video game and they measured several factors, including speed, power, aggressive behavior and risk-taking. Interestingly, those driving the cars painted with a Red Bull logo consistently drove faster and more aggressively than other participants, apparently beca
I recently checked into a hotel in Chicago. The front desk clerk was so enthusiastic. Upon checking me in she stated, “I’ve put you in the best available room.” I was only there for one night, so I thought she was upgrading me. To match her enthusiasm, I responded, “I bet that room has a view of the ocean and the beach!” Of course, there’s no ocean or beach in Chicago.
Thank you for calling, your call is important to us, please wait for the next available agent… ♪ The contact center credo is simple: When somebody calls, somebody should answer. As such, ensuring that a sufficient pool of agents is available to competently handle incoming queries at any given time is key to mission success. […].
This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. How can “kids” brought up with immediate access to information and short attention spans provide the service experience our “older” generation expects? Good question…. I remember watching old black and white movies where the “old guys”, sitting in front of the barber shop, would complain about the kids of today not having the same respect for others or the work ethic as they did.
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.
Justin Robbins and Jim Rembach share a preview and insight into ICMI’s Contact Center Expo Conference. What’s hot at the Contact Center Expo besides the Orlando air temperature? “Learn about what’s hot at ICMI’s Contact Center Expo.” Click to Tweet. What is Customer Experience going to cost? An emerging topic that we’re hearing consistently, whether it’s from the vendors on the floor, the keynotes sessions or even the breakout sessions is about elevating the importance o
If you’re like me, you have loyalty cards for three different supermarkets, a half dozen airlines, several hotels, a dozen or so assorted retailers and the local frozen yogurt shop. But how can I be loyal to Florida grocer Publix and also their competitor Winn-Dixie? Can I be loyal to American, United and Delta? To Starbucks and the coffee shop down the street?
I recently had the good fortune to meet Frankie Saucier , the former director of social media customer service (also known as social care) for a major cable company. When the cable goes out, upset customers call, email, tweet, post on Facebook, etc. her cable company for two reasons. One, they want to express their complaint and anger. Two, they want to know when their cable TV will be fixed.
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.
We know that agent turnover—particularly among entry-level staff—is still the No. 1 challenge for contact centers. As Matt Stevenson, Mercer Partner and Leader of Mercer’s Workforce Strategy and Analytics group, pointed out, the growth of the on-demand economy will only drive up turnover rates. One way to combat higher turnover in the center due to […].
Outbound sales offers a burgeoning career to many entering the field. However, entering outbound sales and attempting to be successful, while maintaining confidence can be difficult. Acquiring and learning any new skill often comes with many challenges. Understanding the ins and outs of what it takes to thrive in outbound sales can not only help you overcome challenges, but will also give you a serious leg-up on the competition.
a restaurant story adapted from my book This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. Do you know the other businesses around your restaurant or hotel? Are you one of those that just drive straight from your home to work without noticing what’s around you? If so then snap out of it! You need to be a fountain of knowledge… and I don’t mean about the menu.
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.
The last time I went to an American baseball game, the food cost more than my ticket. And what food it was! A fish sandwich that tasted too fishy to eat. A massive yet strangely bland macaroni and cheese concoction. And a $12 light beer. No wonder I don’t go to the ball park very often. Apparently, I’m not alone, and it seems that major league baseball is paying attention.
Each week I read a number of customer service and experience articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too. How good is your company’s internal customer experience? by Nicolas Maechler. (McKinsey & Company) To excel with customers, frontline employees need high-level service from core support functions.
High agent turnover has been a leading source of frustration in contact centers for decades. Despite dealing with rapidly evolving technologies, digital channel expansion and ever-increasing customer expectations in recent years, agent turnover remains the toughest nut to crack. As Pipeline readers may recall from the Contact Center Challenges & Priorities for 2017 survey findings […].
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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.
…I have too much respect for you to do that This original article was written by Steve DiGioia. Technology is your friend. You have an obligation to your readers to use every possible means to interact with them or, what are you afraid of? These are some of the comments I’ve received when I asked a few friends if I should put a chatbot on my blog. In case you don’t know, a “chatbot” is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.
You’ve read all the classic books on customer service— Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and more. But now you don’t need to spend hours reading another book, unless you’d like that. Thanks to the rise of TED talks, there are troves of great videos on YouTube where you can learn tips in just 15 minutes.
Find out what Google knows and your Customers won’t tell you: Economists hate surveys. They don’t trust them because people lie in surveys. Economists prefer to look at what people do instead, which, as we know, is what people are incented to do. Understanding these truths is critical to the work of an economist, and it is also vital to moving your Customer Experience to the next level.
Nick Friedman Explains What It Takes to “Move the World”. How can you create a purpose-driven, values-based, socially-conscious company that can deliver both success and significance? Shep Hyken interviews Nick Friedman, co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving about how to develop a customer-focused, values-based company that can benefit you, your employees and your customers.
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.
Every organization is different, and one area where those differences are very pronounced is the value that the highest placed leaders apply to the contact center. Yes, some C-levels are “service enlightened” and do not need convincing that those dealing directly with the customer are (or at least should be) a key area of corporate […].
Are your outbound sales team efforts optimized for productivity? If it took you some time to think it through.then odds are your team isn't working up to their full potential because they're lacking in key areas. See just how successful your outbound sales team is by taking our free quiz below – and receive personalized insight into how and what you can do to improve your outbound sales efforts.
The report “Cloud-Based Contact Center Market by Solution (Dialers, Reporting, and analytics), Service (Professional and Managed), Application, Deployment Model, Organization size, Industry vertical, and Region by MarketsandMarkets states that This is a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.6%. Because of this growth and potential it was not too surprising to see Windtream’s contact center specialist John Grasso at the PACE Association Conference.
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