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Article
The evolution of call centers to experience centers
The call center has evolved over the years, moving from phone-based systems to multichannel contact centers. The next move is toward a customer experience center. Read Now
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Article
Compare pros and cons of live chat vs. phone support
Customer experience is king, but it's up to businesses to decide what contact channels to use to deliver it. See how phone support and live chat stack up against each other. Read Now
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Article
Customer service AI tools can improve contact center
By adding AI to its Salesforce Service Cloud integration, Nokia is trying to bring a proactive approach to customer service, while adding AI to workflow. Read Now
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Article
Contact center AI: Agents may be training their replacements
The goal for software developers training sophisticated agent-assist AI tools for contact center software platforms could be 'superbots' far smarter than today's chatbots. Read Now
Editor's note
The rise of Amazon and e-commerce, coupled with consumers' ability to interact directly with companies via web, social and mobile tools, has changed modern business. Customer service has become customer experience to better predict the needs and meet the increasing expectations of today's consumers. The call center, a hub that traditionally handled incoming customer inquiries, is transforming into an all-encompassing customer experience center that can anticipate customer demands and respond in real time across a range of technology channels. Faced with rapidly evolving options like chatbots and AI, companies are also challenged to use the technology as effectively as possible alongside human contact center agents and to implement strategies for tracking performance and productivity and measuring levels of satisfaction using the right analytical and visualization tools.
In this extensive guide, we'll explore the trends impacting contact centers and examine emerging technologies -- including artificial intelligence, machine learning, unified data platforms and the cloud -- that expedite optimization, automation, predictions, recommendations, discovery and workforce management. With our sections on multifunctional contact centers, customer experience and the role of AI, readers will learn how they can improve and fulfill interactions with customers seamlessly over multiple channels while transforming the contact center into a more viable, scalable and sophisticated profit center.
1The multifunctional call center
Contact centers have evolved into a multidimensional CX force -- providing customer service on multiple channels, taking advantage of upselling opportunities and broadening customer engagement strategies.
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Article
The evolution of call centers to experience centers
The call center has evolved over the years, moving from phone-based systems to multichannel contact centers. The next move is toward a customer experience center. Read Now
-
Article
Compare pros and cons of live chat vs. phone support
Customer experience is king, but it's up to businesses to decide what contact channels to use to deliver it. See how phone support and live chat stack up against each other. Read Now
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Article
Improve the contact center experience with 3 key integrations
Organizations that want to offer a modern contact center experience can turn to AI, messaging apps and UC to improve agent productivity and customer service. Read Now
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Article
3 call routing methods to consider in your contact center
Contact center call routing methods include next-available agent, skill-based and predictive; however, each strategy has pros and cons. Learn what is best for your business. Read Now
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Article
Upselling customers adds ROI gold to contact center channels
AI, analytics and customer service technologies can predict behavior and secure brand loyalty, but generating impulse buys adds a new ROI wrinkle to the evolving contact center. Read Now
2When contact centers take CX to the next level
There are all kinds of considerations when making improvements to the contact center that bolster customer experience, among them digital transformation, automation, migration to the cloud, integrating new technologies and a technically savvy workforce.
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Article
CX initiatives driving contact center technology trends
Making contact center agents more present across all channels is a new focus, as tech vendors rush to give customer service operations more tools to improve customer experiences. Read Now
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Article
Benefits of migrating customer experience apps to the cloud
Nemertes research claims 75% of contact centers do some or all business in the cloud. As CX technology improves, businesses increasingly consider the benefits of cloud migration. Read Now
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Article
4 steps to successful contact center technology implementation
Before starting implementation of any new technology in a contact center, it is important to have a strategy to ensure both employee and customer satisfaction. Read Now
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Article
Effective customer surveys help contact centers drive CX
As companies try to figure out who will run customer experience initiatives, contact centers make a strong case for the customer support team, using the right technology. Read Now
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Article
4 customer success best practices to ensure loyalty and retention
It's increasingly important for anyone who interacts with customers to be prepared to promote customer success. Learn how contact center agents can deliver a great customer experience. Read Now
3AI's role in the contact center's evolution
While AI in the form of chatbots is the most common application of artificial intelligence in the contact center, the technology is playing an increasingly critical role in the contact center's transition to an all-purpose customer experience center.
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Article
Customer service AI tools can improve contact center
By adding AI to its Salesforce Service Cloud integration, Nokia is trying to bring a proactive approach to customer service, while adding AI to workflow. Read Now
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Article
5 trends driving AI in contact centers
Contact center AI is evolving to meet the needs of organizations. Vendors are focusing on five trends that are driving the market for AI in contact centers. Read Now
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Article
10 things to know about Google Cloud Contact Center AI
Google has partnered with more than 90 different companies to roll out its contact center AI. This article lists 10 important things you need to know about the program. Read Now
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Article
ICMI co-founder on contact center technology trends
Contact center technology stacks now include pervasive AI and CX-oriented tools, enabling agents to do a better job more efficiently, said ICMI co-founder Brad Cleveland. Read Now
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Article
Contact center AI: Agents may be training their replacements
The goal for software developers training sophisticated agent-assist AI tools for contact center software platforms could be 'superbots' far smarter than today's chatbots. Read Now
4Boosting CX in the evolving contact center
As companies digitally transform, maintaining and improving customer engagements with new technologies at the point of contact is critical.
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Article
Talkdesk Boost turns legacy ACDs into cloud contact centers
Large businesses that aren't yet ready to abandon legacy call routing can now link that equipment to the Talkdesk cloud contact center through a SIP trunk. Read Now
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Article
Customers stay connected with Talkdesk 100% uptime SLA
Talkdesk customer Cognosante sees 50% cost savings after switching to the vendor's contact center software and, so far, has seen no interruptions in service. Read Now
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Article
Mitel partners with Talkdesk for cloud contact center
Mitel this month will begin selling the Talkdesk cloud contact center under the brand MiCloud Connect CX. The companies are working to integrate their UC and contact center products. Read Now
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Article
Talkdesk iQ provides AI analytics, monitoring in contact center
Talkdesk iQ, the cloud contact center startup's new AI platform, includes an analytics dashboard and bot development tools. The vendor also announced a new 100% uptime SLA for enterprise calling. Read Now
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Article
Talkdesk cloud contact center integrates with on-premises PBXes
Talkdesk is opening its cloud contact center to on-premises PBX systems from vendors, including Avaya and Cisco -- a move that should help the company win larger customers. Read Now