Beyond Philosophy

MAY 22, 2017

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.

Consulting 360

Consulting Consulting Feedback Personalization 360

ShepHyken

MAY 24, 2017

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.

Customer Service 318

Customer Service Customer Experience 318

Contact Center Pipeline

MAY 30, 2017

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.

Contact Center 232

Contact Center Service level Coaching Call Center 232

Steve DiGioia

MAY 1, 2017

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.

Customer Service 187

Customer Service 187

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Incorporating generative AI (gen AI) into your sales process can speed up your wins through improved efficiency, personalized customer interactions, and better informed decision- making. Gen AI is a game changer for busy salespeople and can reduce time-consuming tasks, such as customer research, note-taking, and writing emails, and provide insightful data analysis and recommendations.

Sales

CX Global Media

MAY 25, 2017

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.

Contact Center 185

Contact Center Technology CRM Finance 185

Beyond Philosophy

MAY 8, 2017

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

Customer Experience 352

Customer Experience Advertising Customer emotions Consulting 352

ShepHyken

MAY 10, 2017

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.

Customer Service 277

Customer Service Management Customer Care Customer Experience 277

Contact Center Pipeline

MAY 3, 2017

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. […].

Management 196

Management Contact Center Call Center 196

Steve DiGioia

MAY 22, 2017

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.

Customer Service 176

Customer Service 176

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Contact Center

CX Global Media

MAY 22, 2017

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

Contact Center 185

Contact Center Best practices Interactive Voice Response Call Center 185

Callminer

MAY 9, 2017

Managing a call center is no easy feat, which is why it is imperative to deploy tools that can measure progress, results and performance.

Call Center 182

Call Center Metrics Management 182

Beyond Philosophy

MAY 10, 2017

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?

Airlines 344

Airlines Consulting Consulting Education 344

ShepHyken

MAY 17, 2017

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.

Customer Service 266

Customer Service Customer Care Customer Experience 266

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Customer Service

Contact Center Pipeline

MAY 16, 2017

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 […].

Contact Center 179

Contact Center Analytics Gamification Call Center 179

Convoso

MAY 23, 2017

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.

Outbound sales 163

Outbound sales Sales 163

Steve DiGioia

MAY 8, 2017

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.

Management 140

Management Customer Service 140

Callminer

MAY 8, 2017

Companies today leverage business intelligence software to pinpoint and extract valuable insights from the large volumes of data they store.

Best practices 182

Best practices 182

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Customer Experience

Beyond Philosophy

MAY 24, 2017

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.

Consulting 344

Consulting Consulting Customer Experience 344

ShepHyken

MAY 29, 2017

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.

Airlines 260

Airlines Customer Service Chatbots Customer Care 260

Contact Center Pipeline

MAY 11, 2017

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 […].

Contact Center 178

Contact Center Surveys Technology Call Center 178

Customers That Stick

MAY 4, 2017

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 129

Customer Service 129

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.

Technology

Steve DiGioia

MAY 15, 2017

…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.

Chatbots 138

Chatbots Technology Customer Service 138

Kayako

MAY 30, 2017

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.

Customer Support 73

Customer Support Feedback Customer centricity Consulting 73

Beyond Philosophy

MAY 31, 2017

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.

Surveys 343

Surveys Big data Engineering Advertising 343

ShepHyken

MAY 26, 2017

This week we feature an article by Bikash Mohanty about how important customer experience metrics are to your business. Companies that track and measure their customer service have a competitive advantage. They know when they are doing a great job, and more importantly, they know when they aren’t. – Shep Hyken. As much as success is about dreaming big, the path towards it is all about setting precise targets to hit or even surpass.

Metrics 243

Metrics Customer effort Customer Experience Surveys 243

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

Contact Center Pipeline

MAY 9, 2017

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 […].

Contact Center 177

Contact Center Call Center Management 177

Convoso

MAY 25, 2017

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.

Outbound sales 120

Outbound sales Sales Personalization 120

CX Global Media

MAY 15, 2017

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.

Contact center software 120

Contact center software Cloud contact Contact Center Transportation 120