Knowledge Base - Contact Centre & Customer Service
Focus Your Retention Budget Where It Can Do Some Good
First, a few home truths. You are going to lose some customers, however hard you try. Others will buy time and again, no matter what. Then there’s the waverers – those who may or may not stay with you next time round. So where’s the sweet spot for your retention efforts? Where can you really make a difference?
Focus Your Retention Budget Where It Can Do Some Good
Customer Retention: thanks for the memories
Customers remember. Undoubtedly, customer service is the most powerful advertising medium and customer retention tool of all - and best of all - it’s free; maybe even less than zero cost!
Customer Retention: thanks for the memories
Recruitment, Retention, High Performance: these are real issues faced by the Contact Centre Industry
Dr Bob Calkin, a sociologist with a focus on the changing nature of work, has developed a theory of high performance for the modern economy. He shares his thoughts on these issues.
Recruitment, Retention, High Performance: these are real issues faced by the Contact Centre Industry
O2 Redefines Contact Center "Performance"
O2 Redefines Contact Center "Performance"
10 Ways to Love (and Respect) Your Customers
10 tactics on how to execute a great loyalty program, or tips on how to cook up some special offer or whiz-bang thing to give customers so they love you. What follows is a list of hard work and actions that must be done to show customers you respect them.
10 Ways to Love (and Respect) Your Customers
The Customer is King…or You Have NO Kingdom
If you were given a lie detector test today with only one question, "Does your company deliver superior customer service?" could you answer an unequivocal YES?
The Customer is King…or You Have NO Kingdom
Your Business Is On Trial and the Judge Is Your Customer
Imagine that your business is on trial, accused of not being as good as it could be. Look at every aspect of your business and imagine what the judge–your customer–would say about your success or failure to serve your customer.
Your Business Is On Trial and the Judge Is Your Customer
What is a contact centre audit and how do you conduct one?
An end-to-end audit process across the call/contact centre provides a basis from which to drive centre objectives
What is a contact centre audit and how do you conduct one?
Call Centres Use Innovative HR Practices to Provide Career Paths
Employers in New Zealand are having to find a variety of ways to attract and retain staff as unemployment remains at one of the lowest levels in the OECD at 3.9%.
Call Centres Use Innovative HR Practices to Provide Career Paths
6 Secrets to Selecting the Right Contact Center Location
Critical for success is a balanced solution that meets the needs of both an organization and its customers.
6 Secrets to Selecting the Right Contact Center Location
Benefits of conducting a call/contact centre audit
What are the outcomes or benefits of an audit and why are they not employed more often?
Benefits of conducting a call/contact centre audit
Making the Right Call
As outsourcing options expand, companies are challenged to find the best mix of call center services
Making the Right Call
The Boardroom view of Contact Centres
The financial year-end is looming. So what communication is relevant from the contact centre to the Board, and how can the relationship with Marketing be presented?
The Boardroom view of Contact Centres
Marketing . . . Are you being let down by poor Customer Service?
Organisations are resources and processes – regular checks and inspections are required for customer worthiness.
Marketing . . . Are you being let down by poor Customer Service?
Perpetuating World-Class Customer Service
This article focuses on ten actions that you can take immediately to perpetuate your company's world-class customer service.
Perpetuating World-Class Customer Service
Ten ways to break it to them gently
Giving potential bearers of bad news valuable tools to help make the process less painful for everyone.
Ten ways to break it to them gently
Telesales Is a Vital Part of BTB Marketing
For telesales to complement business-to-business marketing, it needs to be recognized as an integral component of the operation and supported by frequent demand-generation
programs to maintain momentum.
Telesales Is a Vital Part of BTB Marketing
Delivering Superior Customer Service
The customer may not always be right but they are the boss!
Delivering Superior Customer Service
They're talking about it in Paris
The Distributed Contact Centre - stories from the frontline.
They're talking about it in Paris
The Art of Customer Communications
Few call centers have embraced the idea of proactive customer care - the ability to reach out to customers before they have a chance to become a frustrated and dissatisfied caller.
The Art of Customer Communications
Test your Telephone Effectiveness
Find out if your phone practices are winning or losing customers!
Test your Telephone Effectiveness
Call Center Management - Taking the customer out of the service delivery equation Soviet style
Are Soviet style Management principals killing off Customer Service?
Call Center Management - Taking the customer out of the service delivery equation Soviet style
Predicting Attrition in Telecommunications
Predicting ahead of time that someone is about to "attrite", or switch to another carrier, is viewed by many marketing executives in telecommunications as the "holy grail" of their customer retention strategy.
Predicting Attrition in Telecommunications
Fight the Fear: The 10 Golden Rules of Customer Feedback
The biggest obstacle to knowing what customers really think about us? Fear.
Fight the Fear: The 10 Golden Rules of Customer Feedback
Can E-Mail Rescue Telemarketing?
The key for calling rests upon the notion of having a "relationship" with the customer or prospect.
Can E-Mail Rescue Telemarketing?
I can't get no Call Centre satisfaction
Taking the time to add or maintain employee satisfaction programs is a small investment that creates a much-improved bottom line, reducing high staff turnover and absenteeism, whilst increasing efficiency and output.
I can't get no Call Centre satisfaction
Your Contact Centre Audit - Is Sugar Necessary?
There are plenty of stories about audits, and most often they sound about as promising as announcing the plague.
Your Contact Centre Audit - Is Sugar Necessary?
CIS Case Study: Ongoing Excellence in the Hanover Group Contact Centre
Case Study.
CIS Case Study: Ongoing Excellence in the Hanover Group Contact Centre
The Toxic Call Centre
Are you in a Toxic Call Centre where you view it as a place you work to make enough money, so you can leave?
The Toxic Call Centre
Disservice, Anglo-American Style
It's almost never the problem itself that's the killer. It's what you do about it!
Disservice, Anglo-American Style
Internet Protocol Contact Centres
Internet Protocol technology has traditionally been the realm of the propeller heads... but no longer!
Internet Protocol Contact Centres
Excellence, Every Contact
Gay discusses the lessons learned by Amways move to merge several Australian call centres to New Zealand.
Excellence, Every Contact
The New Electronic Communications and Their Effect on Call Centres
There are new technology changes afoot in the Call Centre arena. Those who fail to adapt will lose out to those who do.
The New Electronic Communications and Their Effect on Call Centres
Strengthen Your Positioning or be Squeezed Out!
The contact centre channel cannot afford to be a passive unit in the drive to achieve corporate vision, strategy and tactics?
Strengthen Your Positioning or be Squeezed Out!
First Call Resolution - Introduction to Quality Management
First Call Resolution has been found to be the single most important key challenge to improving Customer Satisfaction.
First Call Resolution - Introduction to Quality Management
New era of Call Centre Managers facing new era of pressures
As the role of Australia's call centres takes on a more strategic and central role within their organisations, so the role of the call centre manager is transforming into one with new responsibilities, pressures and, ultimately, headaches.
New era of Call Centre Managers facing new era of pressures
Cupidity, Stupidity, and Technology: The sad tale of Telemarketing in America
Jim has his say on the status of telemarketing in USA...
Cupidity, Stupidity, and Technology: The sad tale of Telemarketing in America
Telesales Scripting to Improve DRTV Success
Once you have the consumer on the line, you have won half the battle: The consumer has seen your ad, learned about your product or service and is interested in learning more. Now it's time to seal the deal.
Telesales Scripting to Improve DRTV Success
Call centre salaries shift upward as good staff become more elusive
After two years of virtual stagnation, salaries within Australia's call centre industry have started to rise again.
Call centre salaries shift upward as good staff become more elusive
A maturing call centre market means new demands
In the past few years, call centres have had their importance and value in organisations change from being a "cost centre" to the "profit centre", but it's now better to describe it as a move from "cost centres" to "revenue generators".
A maturing call centre market means new demands
Agent Manager to Change Agent
The repositioning of the call centre manager in today's organisation.
Agent Manager to Change Agent
Getting value by appreciating value - Reward and Recognition Programs
What's working with reward and recognition programmes in Australian call centres.
Getting value by appreciating value - Reward and Recognition Programs
Organisations look to outbound agents for sales boost
The outsourcing debate continues.
Organisations look to outbound agents for sales boost
Call Centre Incubators
How to increase efficiency and productivity through incubators.
Call Centre Incubators
Automated call centres match live agents
New statistics are good news for some, bad news for others.
Automated call centres match live agents
Concerns about Outsourcing Telemarketing
Many companies are wary of outsourcing telemarketing activity, but inhouse teams do not always deliver the goods.
Concerns about Outsourcing Telemarketing
How to Answer the Phone
Tips for everyone on how to answer the phone at work.
How to Answer the Phone
How to Select a Telephone Superstar
Hiring the right people is the most important and difficult job a manager has to do - read this to make sure you're doing it right.
How to Select a Telephone Superstar
Call Centre: Profit or Loss?
Use your call centre to gather information, not just give it. Here's how.
Call Centre: Profit or Loss?
Call Coaching - A performance improvement process
The importance of coaching in a Contact Centre and what is required for you to do it.
Call Coaching - A performance improvement process
Backing a winner?
The contact centre is an integral part of any business' relationship with customers.
Backing a winner?
Telephone Success Strategies for Small Business
A refresher course in phone selling, with some great 'off-the-wall' ideas thrown in.
Telephone Success Strategies for Small Business
Autograph your work with excellence
Richard turns his attention on the lifeblood of the call centre - its people.
Autograph your work with excellence
State of the Call Centre
Ivo D'Silva talks to DLB about the current state of the Call Centre industry.
State of the Call Centre
Managing 'Good Customer Service' in the Call Centre
All you need to provide a gratifying customer experience, and get your call centre team on top of the world.
Managing 'Good Customer Service' in the Call Centre
The Insider's Guide to Next-Generation Web Customer Service
Greg describes why the key differentiator is now customer service.
The Insider's Guide to Next-Generation Web Customer Service
10 Steps to successfully coach telephone performance
Tips on creating a winning telephone team.
10 Steps to successfully coach telephone performance
Quality Circles in Call Centres
Quality improvement programs have been implemented in different business and operation areas. The challenge to improve quality of products and services will be an ever-lasting spirit for successful businesses.
Quality Circles in Call Centres
International Call Centre Attraction Strategy
Details of the Call Centre Attraction Initiative (CCAI), promoting New Zealand as the ideal Call Centre location.
International Call Centre Attraction Strategy
Managing Call Centre Stress
So then what is stress? And, more importantly, how can we manage it?
Managing Call Centre Stress
Trends in Computer Telephony
A report on current and future trends for telephony and their impact on the industry.
Trends in Computer Telephony
Are Slow Leaks Killing your Call Centre's Performance
Dealing with performance issues in your Call Centre.
Are Slow Leaks Killing your Call Centre's Performance