This week we released part two of our Agent Experience Index survey covering the gig economy and how customer service agents feel about it. Currently, 16% of customer service agents are working in the “gig economy” and we expect that number to continue to rise. MORE
Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various 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. MORE
For some contact centers, summer is a slower time of year with fewer customer contacts. If that is true for your center, you might take this time to think of ways to strengthen your center for busier days to come. MORE
When we hear a word or phrase, the mind begins to create a concrete visual for an abstract concept so that we can make sense of the situation and behave as expected. MORE
Remote employment is becoming increasingly popular across the United States. Working from home gives employees a break from the constant office noise along with the opportunity to embrace a more flexible schedule that improves their work-life balance. MORE
What does your call center supervisor do with a large number of unpracticed or low performing specialists sickly in dealing with clients? Telephone techniques & tips that worked in the past won’t really work now. MORE
If you’re working in a role like customer service, help desk support, or sales, it’s basically a requirement that you spend a lot of time on the phones, and you typically end up spending a lot of time doing the same tasks over and over. Productive reps are the backbone of any contact center. MORE
Contact center quality is transforming just like many other aspects of contact center operations. Good thing! MORE
We discuss the key principle of scarcity with guest Professor Kelly Goldsmith, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing at Vanderbuilt University. Kelly is a behavioral scientist who examines consumers’ responses to uncertainty and scarcity, uncovering and explaining seemingly paradoxical effects. MORE
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Customer data has long been a sensitive issue. Given recent stories in the news about companies mishandling data, it’s no wonder that consumer confidence has been impacted. A Pew Research Center study found that 64% of Americans had personally experienced a data breach, and nearly half of all Americans do not trust the federal government or social media sites to protect their data. MORE
Many drivers of human behavior can be traced back to caveman days. Colin Shaw and Prof. Ryan Hamilton explore what they are, how you can identify them, and what you should do to respond. The post Understanding Customer Basic Instincts appeared first on. Podcast MORE
Last week, we kicked off a series on the relationship between agent and customer experience. And, last week’s post teased the revelation of a new golden rule to create better customer service. Treat your agents the way you want them to treat your customers. When customers reach out to your agents for support, there is [.]. Read More. The post A New Golden Rule: How to Make Your Customer Service Better appeared first on Sharpen Contact Center Software. Customer Experience MORE
Most companies—and contact centers—have traditionally operated on the principle that the rules of the workplace always outweigh the needs of employees. Few companies have managed to break away from that model, but those that do generally find that partnering with employees to meet business objectives leads to a much more satisfying work environment and greater […]. MORE
Technology is great… until it’s not. You are on a website. A little box pops up and there’s a picture of a customer service rep with a typed message asking if you need help. So, you type a question, and just a moment later you get a response. That’s the perfect scenario. MORE
Employee engagement continues to top the lists of management challenges—and with good reason. It’s a complex issue that directly influences the business—positively or negatively—through staff retention, productivity, schedule adherence, workplace culture and morale, service delivery and customer experience. Contact centers have learned a lot about employee engagement in recent years, most significantly that the foundation […]. MORE
In today’s business world, the desire to reach more consumers is a top priority. With global online purchasing easier to accommodate, and businesses expanding into new geographies, one can naturally expect a surge in non-English speaking customers. MORE
By Brad Baumunk, President and COO, Robert C. Davis and Associates. Recently I read an article by Toma Kulbyte entitled “32 Customer Experience Statistics You Need to Know for 2018” ( [link] ). MORE
How Digital Transformation Is Reshaping Every Industry. By James Waite, HGS Head of Marketing, Europe. How many industries can you name that have been completely reshaped by a market entrant tearing up the rules? There’s, of course, the smartphone industry. MORE
Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various 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. MORE
In today’s world, the customer satisfaction survey is a given. Some businesses (Lyft, Airbnb) rely on it as part of the model, and could hardly exist without it. Others may not have the same degree of reliance, but are nonetheless diligent (and persistent!) in requesting feedback after every service transaction. Customer feedback today drives purchase […]. MORE
Eleven years ago I published my first YouTube video. I called it Top 6 Ways to Get An Angry Customer to Back Down. That little video has gotten more than 2.9 million views. (I I have this old-school video at the bottom the page if you’d like to take a look.). MORE
This week we feature an article by Natasha Postolovski who shares the idea of using sales contests to help motivate a higher level of customer experience at your organization. – Shep Hyken. Customer experience is the most important factor in the success of a retail business. MORE
The contact center agent job is getting harder, talent is harder to attract, unemployment is down and the labor market is tight…all of this is causing a disruption in contact center pay. But not in the way you might be thinking. It’s the timing of pay that we are seeing dramatic increases in. Waiting every two weeks or until mid-month or end of the month just might become a thing of the past, just like a home land-line. MORE
The very forces that are making scheduling difficult — more complex products and services, additional contact channels, faster pace of change, and the need for diverse agent skills — are creating an environment in which accurate scheduling is absolutely essential. MORE
There is an old saying: It is better to give than to receive. The interpretation of this is that giving is an act of kindness. There is another old saying: The more you give, the more you get. MORE
When it comes to improving efficiency, many call centers choose to record phone calls and track average handle time , and first call resolution rates. The less effort required on every call should lead to agents being able to assist more customers. MORE
Many organizations have called to tell us that their Customer Experience initiatives are not performing like they did. The results that were once skyrocketing have plateaued. They are surprised by this turn of events, but we are not. MORE
Colin Shaw and Prof. Ryan Hamilton discuss how emotions drive customer behavior. So, what is an emotion? How are they evoked? How can you deliberately evoke a customer’s emotions? How is an emotion different to a mood and what you should do about it? The post Why Do Customer Emotions Matter? MORE
A predictive dialer is not the new name in call center industry. They’re broadly consumed as a part of call focuses on the world to handle outbound and inbound calls. Most contact centers are as of now utilizing predictive dialers, as all can get the fair profit from the innovation. MORE
Every business wants to improve their customer experience – drop fewer calls, build brand loyalty, and resolve cases faster. That’s why it’s important to have a plan in place to improve your team’s efficiency. Contact center training is every bit as critical as hiring the right agents and adopting new technologies. But how do you [.]. Read More. The post 5 Contact Center Training Tips to Boost Efficiency appeared first on Sharpen Contact Center Software. Customer Experience MORE
When it comes to business process outsourcing (BPO), the virtual assistant market is predicted to reach $3 billion by the year 2020. And it is no surprise that the number of home-based customer service agents is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 36.4%. MORE
Like many people I’m a member of many loyalty programmes – from grocery retail through to airline frequent flyer clubs. I recently received two very similar direct mail offers from major retailers that got me thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of loyalty programmes. Let me explain further. MORE
We all have a Status Quo Bias when it comes to decision making. Also called Status Quo Inertia, the Status Quo Bias is our preference to keep things the same or maintaining a previous decision. MORE
It's Friday. You're queuing up emails for next week's big product announcement when all of a sudden your email service stops working. Customer Experience Multichannel Support Live Chat Customer Support MORE
Most of your customers are reading the emails you send on their phones or tablets. And they’re reading your messages while they’re on the go, or doing a couple of other things. Like you, your customers are busy. MORE
VocalCom
JULY 2, 2018
Customer data has long been a sensitive issue. Given recent stories in the news about companies mishandling data, it’s no wonder that consumer confidence has been impacted. A Pew Research Center study found that 64% of Americans had personally experienced a data breach, and nearly half of all Americans do not trust the federal government or social media sites to protect their data.
Dialer 360
JULY 2, 2018
What does your call center supervisor do with a large number of unpracticed or low performing specialists sickly in dealing with clients? Telephone techniques & tips that worked in the past won’t really work now.
SharpenCX
JULY 2, 2018
Last week, we kicked off a series on the relationship between agent and customer experience. And, last week’s post teased the revelation of a new golden rule to create better customer service. Treat your agents the way you want them to treat your customers. When customers reach out to your agents for support, there is [.]. Read More. The post A New Golden Rule: How to Make Your Customer Service Better appeared first on Sharpen Contact Center Software. Customer Experience
SharpenCX
JULY 2, 2018
Every business wants to improve their customer experience – drop fewer calls, build brand loyalty, and resolve cases faster. That’s why it’s important to have a plan in place to improve your team’s efficiency. Contact center training is every bit as critical as hiring the right agents and adopting new technologies. But how do you [.]. Read More. The post 5 Contact Center Training Tips to Boost Efficiency appeared first on Sharpen Contact Center Software. Customer Experience
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The combined forces of digital transformation, customer experience and cloud-based contact center products herald a new day for mid-market contact centers by meeting the unique needs and preferences of their business, including: security, control, functionality and speed.
Call Center Weekly
JULY 6, 2018
In today’s business world, the desire to reach more consumers is a top priority. With global online purchasing easier to accommodate, and businesses expanding into new geographies, one can naturally expect a surge in non-English speaking customers.
Callminer
JULY 22, 2018
When it comes to business process outsourcing (BPO), the virtual assistant market is predicted to reach $3 billion by the year 2020. And it is no surprise that the number of home-based customer service agents is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 36.4%.
Myra Golden Media
JULY 15, 2018
Eleven years ago I published my first YouTube video. I called it Top 6 Ways to Get An Angry Customer to Back Down. That little video has gotten more than 2.9 million views. (I I have this old-school video at the bottom the page if you’d like to take a look.).
Brad Cleveland
JULY 20, 2018
For some contact centers, summer is a slower time of year with fewer customer contacts. If that is true for your center, you might take this time to think of ways to strengthen your center for busier days to come.
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More and more organizations understand the value of delivering a high-quality customer experience and investing in improving their CX assurance processes. Automating testing and monitoring, top the list of ways to improve their CX assurance efforts.
Beyond Philosophy
JULY 13, 2018
We discuss the key principle of scarcity with guest Professor Kelly Goldsmith, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing at Vanderbuilt University. Kelly is a behavioral scientist who examines consumers’ responses to uncertainty and scarcity, uncovering and explaining seemingly paradoxical effects.
ShepHyken
JULY 18, 2018
There is an old saying: It is better to give than to receive. The interpretation of this is that giving is an act of kindness. There is another old saying: The more you give, the more you get.
Call Center Weekly
JULY 19, 2018
When we hear a word or phrase, the mind begins to create a concrete visual for an abstract concept so that we can make sense of the situation and behave as expected.
Callminer
JULY 16, 2018
Remote employment is becoming increasingly popular across the United States. Working from home gives employees a break from the constant office noise along with the opportunity to embrace a more flexible schedule that improves their work-life balance.
Peter Lavers
JULY 3, 2018
Like many people I’m a member of many loyalty programmes – from grocery retail through to airline frequent flyer clubs. I recently received two very similar direct mail offers from major retailers that got me thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of loyalty programmes. Let me explain further.
Brad Cleveland
JULY 12, 2018
The very forces that are making scheduling difficult — more complex products and services, additional contact channels, faster pace of change, and the need for diverse agent skills — are creating an environment in which accurate scheduling is absolutely essential.
Beyond Philosophy
JULY 20, 2018
Colin Shaw and Prof. Ryan Hamilton discuss how emotions drive customer behavior. So, what is an emotion? How are they evoked? How can you deliberately evoke a customer’s emotions? How is an emotion different to a mood and what you should do about it? The post Why Do Customer Emotions Matter?
ShepHyken
JULY 6, 2018
This week we feature an article by Natasha Postolovski who shares the idea of using sales contests to help motivate a higher level of customer experience at your organization. – Shep Hyken. Customer experience is the most important factor in the success of a retail business.
Myra Golden Media
JULY 2, 2018
Most of your customers are reading the emails you send on their phones or tablets. And they’re reading your messages while they’re on the go, or doing a couple of other things. Like you, your customers are busy.
Aspect
JULY 20, 2018
This week we released part two of our Agent Experience Index survey covering the gig economy and how customer service agents feel about it. Currently, 16% of customer service agents are working in the “gig economy” and we expect that number to continue to rise.
Callminer
JULY 5, 2018
When it comes to improving efficiency, many call centers choose to record phone calls and track average handle time , and first call resolution rates. The less effort required on every call should lead to agents being able to assist more customers.
Robert Davis
JULY 16, 2018
By Brad Baumunk, President and COO, Robert C. Davis and Associates. Recently I read an article by Toma Kulbyte entitled “32 Customer Experience Statistics You Need to Know for 2018” ( [link] ).
Beyond Philosophy
JULY 6, 2018
Many drivers of human behavior can be traced back to caveman days. Colin Shaw and Prof. Ryan Hamilton explore what they are, how you can identify them, and what you should do to respond. The post Understanding Customer Basic Instincts appeared first on. Podcast
ShepHyken
JULY 4, 2018
Technology is great… until it’s not. You are on a website. A little box pops up and there’s a picture of a customer service rep with a typed message asking if you need help. So, you type a question, and just a moment later you get a response. That’s the perfect scenario.
InGenius
JULY 16, 2018
If you’re working in a role like customer service, help desk support, or sales, it’s basically a requirement that you spend a lot of time on the phones, and you typically end up spending a lot of time doing the same tasks over and over. Productive reps are the backbone of any contact center.
Contact Center Pipeline
JULY 19, 2018
In today’s world, the customer satisfaction survey is a given. Some businesses (Lyft, Airbnb) rely on it as part of the model, and could hardly exist without it. Others may not have the same degree of reliance, but are nonetheless diligent (and persistent!) in requesting feedback after every service transaction. Customer feedback today drives purchase […].
Call Center Coach
JULY 17, 2018
The contact center agent job is getting harder, talent is harder to attract, unemployment is down and the labor market is tight…all of this is causing a disruption in contact center pay. But not in the way you might be thinking. It’s the timing of pay that we are seeing dramatic increases in. Waiting every two weeks or until mid-month or end of the month just might become a thing of the past, just like a home land-line.
UJET
JULY 19, 2018
It's Friday. You're queuing up emails for next week's big product announcement when all of a sudden your email service stops working. Customer Experience Multichannel Support Live Chat Customer Support
Beyond Philosophy
JULY 12, 2018
Many organizations have called to tell us that their Customer Experience initiatives are not performing like they did. The results that were once skyrocketing have plateaued. They are surprised by this turn of events, but we are not.
ShepHyken
JULY 2, 2018
Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various 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.
HGS
JULY 5, 2018
How Digital Transformation Is Reshaping Every Industry. By James Waite, HGS Head of Marketing, Europe. How many industries can you name that have been completely reshaped by a market entrant tearing up the rules? There’s, of course, the smartphone industry.
Contact Center Pipeline
JULY 11, 2018
Employee engagement continues to top the lists of management challenges—and with good reason. It’s a complex issue that directly influences the business—positively or negatively—through staff retention, productivity, schedule adherence, workplace culture and morale, service delivery and customer experience. Contact centers have learned a lot about employee engagement in recent years, most significantly that the foundation […].
Call Center Coach
JULY 19, 2018
Contact center quality is transforming just like many other aspects of contact center operations. Good thing!
Dialer 360
JULY 10, 2018
A predictive dialer is not the new name in call center industry. They’re broadly consumed as a part of call focuses on the world to handle outbound and inbound calls. Most contact centers are as of now utilizing predictive dialers, as all can get the fair profit from the innovation.
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