Contact centers are awash in data. But let’s break this big bucket of data into two chunks: one about customers, and a second one about their interactions and how they are handled. In order to serve customers, centers need good, complete, up-to-date data about them. While names, addresses, contact information are starting points for a… Read More »
Despite all the excitement around contact center technology capabilities and innovation, many centers continue to fall short when it comes to getting value from their investments. Our recent Future of the Contact Center Survey showed that skepticism continues to lurk out there for new technology, such as bots and Artificial Intelligence. I’m not surprised. When… Read More »
There is a great deal of buzz in the contact center air about “bots” and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and their potential to make agent-supported contacts go away. Yet for many centers, agent-handled contacts still dominate – and will for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, our Future of the CC Survey put Robotic Process Automation (RPA –… Read More »
If you’ve been in this industry for any length of time, you may waffle between excitement and cynicism over self-service (SS). There has been so much promise and hype tempered by an equal measure of disappointment. To tip the scales in favor of excitement, here’s my list of game-changers that can transform a lackluster SS… Read More »
This isn’t the way it is supposed to be… Lori and I had more projects to tackle, things to learn together, and adventures to share. But on Friday, July 26th, Lori departed this world surrounded by her loving husband and two children. Life will never be the same without her. I met Lori 14 years… Read More »
We embarked on a fun little survey this spring to gather input on the future of the contact center. Because AI is a hot topic, we focused particular attention on this widely hyped enabling technology. We asked people to weigh in on what impact they think AI will have on contact centers in the next… Read More »
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This lovely phrase we all learned as children comes to mind when thinking about omnichannel (OC). It’s not new, or untried, but it is still an elusive goal for most centers. Some OC efforts have been held back by the low volume of new channels. But… Read More »
When customers call, they inevitably want answers or resolution, and they want it quickly and easily; agents want to give it to them too! You and your customers’ goals align: Reduce hold time and handle time Achieve first contact resolution (FCR – more simply, “closure” to them) Provide/get a speedy response that everyone can be… Read More »
It jumped out at me as big news: Lack of and/or bad desktop tools took the #1 spot on our challenges list for 2019. That data confirms what we see in countless projects. Without good desktop tools, agents find their own way, and that may not be good! Some use copy and paste, while others… Read More »
Cloud-based contact center technology is a boon for today’s centers. It provides access to the latest features and functions with increased flexibility and decreased IT burden. Attractive economics and the promise of a speedy implementation provide strong inducements for decision makers. And yet, it still takes careful planning and intentional design for the technology and… Read More »