Top performing call centers seem to have cracked the code to high efficiency and customer satisfaction. But what are their secrets? Let’s pull back the curtain on the strategies that set leading call centers apart. 1. Comprehensive Training Programs Top performing call centers invest in extensive training for their agents. This means beyond basic operational instructions; they emphasize soft skills, product knowledge, and navigating complex customer interactions. Ongoing training ensures that agents grow with the company and always perform with current best practices in mind. 2. Advanced Techn ..read more

Digital self-service experiences are incredibly valuable tools to enhance customer satisfaction, reduce time to resolution, and lower costs. They enable companies to split off straightforward customer needs that can be resolved without assistance from those that require agent focus, expertise, and empathy. Every company should have a digital self-service strategy. It’s what consumers want. But can we do more to leverage digital technology to enhance the customer experience? I’m convinced we can. One approach gaining traction is semi-self-service, a strategy that leverages digital technology to ..read more

Like so many business sectors, the customer service industry is abuzz with talk of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Even as we implement this kind of AI through tools like natural language chatbots and voice assistants, we must not overlook another AI. Unlike its machine-learning counterparts, this AI excels in reasoning, problem-solving, and empathizing with customers. AND you likely already have this invaluable resource in place, ready to significantly enhance customer satisfaction. I’m referring to Agent Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology, to be sure. B ..read more

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed the operations of many businesses. Here are some of the ways AI is used in today’s call centers. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-powered chatbots can handle initial customer inquiries through websites, messaging apps, or voice assistants. They can resolve common issues, answer frequently asked questions, and collect information before escalating complex queries to human agents. Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP allows machines to understand and interpret human language. In call centers, NLP is used for speech recognition in IV ..read more

Universal Queuing (UQ) refers to a call center system in which all incoming customer interactions, regardless of the channel they originate from (e.g., phone calls, emails, chat, or social media), are placed into a single, consolidated queue. This unified approach enables call center agents to prioritize and handle customer requests more effectively, reducing waiting times and ensuring that the most pressing issues are addressed first. Moreover, Universal Queuing fosters seamless customer service operations by creating a consistent experience across multiple communication channels. As a result ..read more

During AWS re:Invent 2023, Webex and AWS revealed fresh synergies for the Webex Suite and Webex Contact Center, further extending the partnership to deliver dependable, secure cloud solutions for collaboration and customer experience. Webex Contact Center is a cloud-based contact center platform that enables businesses to connect customer experiences across all the ways customers want to engage – proactive messaging, self-service, and human-assisted engagement. With broad channel support, Webex Contact Center allows customers to communicate in their individual channel of choice – whether ..read more

Call centers that employ agents with great customer service skills like problem solving, rapport-building or probing will create a better customer experience than those without these soft skills. 94% of contact centers say they know how important recognizing agent soft skills is to create a good customer experience, and yet only 41% measure those skills. The top reason call centers are not measuring soft skills is because they don’t know how to do so systematically, reliably and objectively. AI can help call centers up their customer service game by identifying candidates with the right soft s ..read more

Invoca has announced the latest enhancements to its Signal AI suite, along with the launch of Signal AI Studio. Invoca’s AI suite enables digital marketing and contact center teams to work together towards driving revenue growth for businesses that acquire customers, members, or patients over the phone. Furthermore, Invoca Labs has introduced Topic Explorer and GPT Call Analysis, along with several other AI innovations, to provide businesses with cutting-edge tools for optimizing their communication strategies. Signal AI Studio enables businesses to create custom AI models and detect meaningfu ..read more

FluentStream has launched a new Franchise Program to simplify business expansion and provide enhanced customer service. The communication platform offers over 100 features, including unlimited U.S. calling, SMS text messaging, and call center features. The program offers concierge-style benefits to customers, including personalized onboarding, a dedicated customer service manager, special pricing, and custom-branded training materials. The FluentStream Mobile app and web portal provide easy access to services, and 24/7 US-based human support ensures customers have the assistance they need. The ..read more

Aircall has announced a significant upgrade to its AI capabilities, marking the next stage of its AI journey. The new AI Starter Package aims to tackle inefficiencies that prevent SMBs from gaining insights and benefiting from AI and includes analytics dashboards that provide customer and performance insights, helping SMBs to automate tasks, gain insights from customer conversations, and provide better customer service. According to Aircall’s AI Index, 77% of SMBs consider phone calls important to their work, but 63% struggle to find enough time to nurture meaningful customer relationships. Th ..read more