For many, the holidays are a time to reflect, celebrate accomplishments and consider the year ahead. If that’s true for you, too, then you’ll enjoy our top 5 most popular blog posts in November—from Paul Stockford’s nostalgic look back at the last 20 years as an independent industry analyst; to valuable lessons that contact centers can take from classic Disney tales from Kathleen Peterson; to a unique twist on panel interviews shared by Atlantic Union Bank’s Customer Care Center Director Elaine Avery; to Kelly Koelliker’s look at the benefits that automation and AI technologies offer centers during the holidays and beyond; and Dick Bucci’s overview of key consumer privacy legislation going into effect January 1st, 2020, and what it means for contact centers.
Is Your Contact Center a Fantasyland… Or Not?
I am not the biggest fan of Disney, but I have always had a warm spot for Fantasyland. A young friend of mine recently visited Disney World and among his tales of the trip was an expressed enthusiasm for Fantasyland. As I listened to my friend’s story I was reminded of a speech I delivered once at a conference held at Euro Disney. Speakers were asked to pose multiple-choice questions to the audience since they were equipped with hand-held voting devices. I posed the question, “If your contact center were one of the Disney ‘lands,’ which would it be… Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland or Adventureland?” The audience voted enthusiastically and chose Fantasyland as the “land” most resembling their contact center.
Inside View: Elaine Avery, Atlantic Union Bank
Contact center leaders often find themselves faced with the challenge of having to quickly staff up to accommodate business growth and expansion. Identifying a top candidate who has the passion and skills to deliver on your CX vision, whose values align with your company’s and who is a natural fit for the culture requires management time, energy and focus. Imagine the daunting task of having to suddenly double your current staff size. And then do it again. And again.
Consumers Demand More Data Privacy Protections—California Responds
If you have never experienced a data breach of your private information, you are likely in the minority. According to the Consumer Protection Bureau, the second-biggest category of consumer complaints in 2017 was fraud and identity theft. Reported consumer losses exceeded $900 million with a median of $420 per claim.
True Confessions: The Trials, Tribulations, Agony, Ecstasy and Irony of 20 Years as an Independent Analyst
Every November since I began writing this column in Contact Center Pipeline in 2011, I’ve written about veterans and veterans’ issues in the customer service profession. As a veteran myself, and a veterans’ advocate, it was something I wanted to do. But for this November issue, I’m doing something different. This column is going to be all about me. Well, kind of.
How AI Can Make the Holidays Bright
The winter holidays aren’t always “the most wonderful time of the year” for the contact center. Time-off requests and spikes in call volume, especially in the retail industry, can bring forecasting and scheduling headaches that rival those induced by too much eggnog at the office party. New technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI) can change all that. The following are three ways that recent algorithmic and robotic advances can make the holidays merry for even the most stressed-out contact center manager.
