Are Multichannel Communications Making Voice Irrelevant?

Posted by Rachel Brink on Apr 17, 2015 1:03:40 PM
Multichannel customer care, or the act of offering support across multiple communication channels, has become the latest standard with 74% of surveyed consumers using at least three channels when interacting with any enterprise (voice, email, text, chat, or social media). As a result, the importance of providing and maintaining an updated multichannel platform will likely be a key driving force and competitive differentiator for many businesses concerned with staying relevant and reachable. 
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Topics: multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, multichannel communications

6 Ways to Manage High Call Volume During the Holiday Season

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Nov 24, 2014 8:52:00 AM

Consider the Following:

- 20-40% of yearly sales for small and mid-sized     retailers takes place during the last two months of the year
- 40% of consumers begin shopping before Halloween
- Black Friday sales are expected to top $2.4 Billion this year, representing 28% YoY growth

And what does a rise in holiday shopping generally mean for businesses?  More sales, obviously. But it also tends to imply an increase in call volume tied to clients inquiring about purchases, requesting additional support, making inquiries, and also submitting the occasional complaint. 

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Topics: crm integration, multichannel call center, CRM, remote agents, scalability, self-service, kpis, at-home agents, IVR menu, IVR, high call volume, multichannel communications, business intelligence, workforce management, reporting and analytics

Improving Customer Service within Your Call Center

Posted by Rachel Brink on Nov 5, 2014 8:56:00 AM

Consider the Following: 

  • 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.
  • Roughly 9 out of 10 U.S. consumers say they would pay more to ensure a superior customer experience.
  • 80% of companies want to use the customer service/experience as a way to differentiate themselves from their competition.
  • On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase. 

Today, it’s not just about servicing your customers—it’s about offering a memorable experience and creating a long lasting relationship. But while 80% of companies believe they deliver “superior” customer service, only 8% of customers agree. And when you consider 86% of consumers will quit doing business with a company following a single bad customer experience, the challenge facing contact centers quickly becomes clear.

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Topics: customer service, contact center software, call center, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, contact center, customer satisfaction, first call resolution, self-service, workforce optimization, customer relationship

The Role of Multichannel Communications in the Contact Center Space

Posted by Rachel Brink on Oct 16, 2014 9:01:00 AM

According to Oracle, businesses following a multichannel customer care strategy achieve more than double (9.7 vs. 3.9%) year-over-year improvements in customer satisfaction, as opposed to those using only a single channel. While voice has always been the dominant mode of communication, with 98% utilization amongst businesses and the channel with the highest client satisfaction ratings across all generations, alternative means of communication are playing an increasingly important role within the customer service space.

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Topics: customer service, call center, crm integration, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, email, contact center, social media, voice, chat, text, virtual assist

How to Have a Successful Contact Center: Real Customer Service

Posted by Rachel Brink on Jul 3, 2014 10:52:00 AM

Not a day goes by when a company isn’t trying to pretend it’s more than just a vendor but rather your friend. Whether it’s a credit card firm stating how much they miss you (code for: why aren’t you spending lately?) or your local airline offering you a “friendly” reminder that it’s been a while since your last vacation (code for: you work too hard, how about spending some?), all companies are lately obsessed with appearing human. And yet, despite today’s emphasis on customer service there seems to be quite the disconnect between what companies want to deliver and what inevitably ends up being reality. Where are all the real people?  

Whether you are stuck in an IVR recording or speaking to an actual agent, the distinction is not always obvious.  In today’s ongoing attempt to provide a unified experience, companies have inadvertently turned the very agents designed to instill customer loyalty and foster long-lasting relationships into two-dimensional versions of their IVR counterparts. Whether the exact cause is due to a lack of training, lack of access to the proper technology, or a basic lack in skills, the problem is very real.  So what’s the solution?

A few suggestions to consider:

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Topics: call center, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, best business practices, employee retention, IVR technology, dynamic scripting

Tomorrow’s Contact Center – Who will be at the helm?

Posted by Rachel Brink on Jun 25, 2014 8:26:00 AM

Historically, contact centers have primarily been dominated by the young, if you believe a 2008 YouGov survey, with many generally below the age of 30.  With an increasingly tech-savvy and demanding consumer-base, one might interpret this as a benefit.  After all, who better to meet the multi-channel habits of today’s needy customers than today’s tech-centric youth?

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Topics: customer service, cloud based contact center, call center, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, contact center, call center software, cloud based call center, cloud call center, best business practices, employee retention, service delivery, VOIP

Emails Ahoy! Making the Most of Your Multichannel Contact Center

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Aug 27, 2013 2:00:00 PM

Coming off of a brief beach vacation from work, I’m feeling pretty nautical. Of course, now that I’m back at my desk, I feel flooded by the tide of emails that have come into my inbox.

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Topics: 360 view, contact channels, call center software features, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, email

Make Your Multichannel Contact Center Social

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Aug 15, 2013 2:00:00 PM

These days, providing great customer service for your business means being a contact center, not just a call center. This is achieved by using contact center software to provide multichannel accessibility to your customers through voice, chat, text, and social media. Out of all of these, social media is the newest and most difficult to wrangle into working for you as a method of customer service.

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Topics: contact center software, multichannel contact center, multichannel call center, social media

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