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Boosting efficiency

10 February 2012
When selecting a customer service outsourcing partner, there are possibly no greater factors for success than strong cultural compatibility and commitment to partnership. Like marriage, to be successful at finding “the one”, you must first take a good look at yourself. When contemplating a partnership with a contact center solutions company, says Jeffrey Puritt it’s best to first consider how you would describe your own corporate culture.
08 February 2012
When the Financial Services Authority demanded that a senior manager be appointed to take responsibility for complaints, only 50% of financial services organisations had someone in place two weeks before the regulation came into force. That indicates unwillingness to own complaints at a senior level. If senior managers are blinded to customer complaints, how will they get the attention they deserve? Mike Havard argues that senior managers need to take ownership of complaints.
31 January 2012
We’ve been blessed with a milder than usual winter this season, but with plummeting temperatures and predictions of snow all the talk of a weather-obsessed nation, we wonder if your contact centre is prepared for the possible fallout. Alex Blyth investigates how some businesses successfully dealt with the 2010 snow and makes suggestions to cope with snow disruption.
19 January 2012
With the threat of another recession looming, many call centre managers are now facing budget cuts and purchasing freezes. This can often mean that the new contact centre they were expecting to roll out is now on hold indeterminately. But for Natalie Keightley , out of pocket does not necessarily mean doom and gloom. Here she shares her tips for looking for opportunity in times of recession.
17 January 2012
As customers continue to abandon the hustle and bustle of the High Street in favour of a peaceful online experience, it is becoming increasingly important to develop an astute customer experience. Kurt Bager explores the benefits of web chat as a resolution for customer care providers to supply F2F (face-to-face) customer service, keep customers on their sites and get them clicking the ‘buy now’ button.
04 January 2012
In the aftermath of a bumper year for online retailers, telephone contact centres will be even more under pressure to deliver fast and efficient after-service. But a customer is for life and not just for Christmas, says Neil Hammerton , and technology can help to deliver a seamless experience.
07 December 2011
Social media promises a revolution in customer service, as an efficient, inexpensive way to help customers online. But will it live up to the promise, asks Susannah Richardson , or will it be as ineffectual as email turned out to be?
15 November 2011
Even though there are plenty of shopping days left until 25th December, call centre and fulfillment company Spark Response started the countdown to Christmas months ago. During such a busy time, and with the threat of adverse weather, it’s vital that everything runs smoothly. So how do they cope? Managing director Peter Slee explains…
25 October 2011
Reacting to customers who complain about offshore centres could be a red-herring, says Matthew Dixon . Instead, businesses should look at the amount of effort their customers have to make in order to get their query solved. He outlines six steps to increase customer loyalty without having to make huge investments in unnecessarily bringing call centres back to the UK.
22 October 2011
Contact centres are often under extreme pressure during the festive season, says Dino Forte , as businesses cope with the upsurge in the run to Christmas.

So with the countdown of shopping days left to Christmas already starting, how will your contact centre take advantage of the rush?
18 October 2011
Many businesses struggle to generate truly new ideas, whilst others have lots of fun coming up with ideas, but find that none of them really take hold.

Katherine Woods , founder of Meeting Magic, looks at practical ways of generating ideas in the first place, selection methods and – the crucial step - how to develop the new ideas .
17 October 2011
Martin Scovell reckons that in spite of the bad press, many banks and building societies are paving the way when it comes to handling customer complaints . The key, he says, is in taking a more proactive approach.

When it comes to customer service, the financial services industry has had a tougher time than most. No strangers to the firing line, banks and building societies have been the target of record complaints and fines in recent years.
30 August 2011
Companies in all business sectors want to become more agile and save costs. Jonathan Gale argues that companies should consider homeworking.

By offering staff the opportunity to work from home, companies can become more efficient and productive. Despite not always being a easy choice, Gale explains how technology can be used so workers can be set free from the on-site technology trap.
03 March 2011
Businesses are looking at improving efficiencies in their contact centre operation, it is one of the biggest cost centres and it is also one area that, correctly managed, can significantly increase brand loyalty and therefore profits.

Matthew Bryars looks at why businesses are now looking at proposals for outsourcing their contact centre operation. After all it saves costs and you can specify your contract with service levels and KPI’s. Doesn’t it?
15 February 2011
Reducing waste and boosting productivity is vital to achieving economic recovery but many are yet to appreciate the significant role call centres can play for the private and public sector. Scott Wickware look at how the call centre industry has a significant potential to be more cost efficient.
03 November 2010
Most businesses go through a huge amount of angst deciding if outsourcing is right for them. Being in the commercial call centre business I regularly experience this with my own customers and prospects.
14 October 2010
There is a chill wind blowing. The private sector, government agencies, local councils and providers in the social sector will all be watching closely and waiting to find out just how deep the knife has cut on the 20 October.
08 October 2010
Budget cuts will change the way public service workers carry out their roles. NHS Direct has decided to expand a home working pilot after results showed nurses were more efficient working away from a contact centre. Deven Pamben looks at the benefits of home working.
10 August 2010
Workforce Management projects are a big investment, but they can bring huge dividends. Sabio's Mike Andrews offers his top ten tips for making sure your project pays for itself.
16 July 2010
The silent vuvuzelas can only mean one thing; the World Cup is over for another four years. As all eyes were on South Africa, what can we learn about dealing with the downtime as call volumes drop, asks Anthony Lord.
30 June 2010
Despite the fact that seven in ten people prefer the phone to any other method of contact, there are some common errors that companies continue to make managing their customer contact operations. James Tanner tells you what you should be looking out for.
01 March 2010
The snow, which blanketed the whole of the UK at the beginning of the year, crippled the countrys economy: one estimate is that the cost of each snow day is as much as £690m. Dave Paulding looks at how remote working should be part of every businesss long-term strategy.
04 February 2010
Aside from the fundamental need to deliver good service, there also exists a specific opportunity for brands to combine the provision of good service with the objective of increasing profits, by harnessing the potential which exists within specific instances of customer satisfaction.
03 January 2010
In 2010, we are sure to see more cost cutting and re-structuring, but in the contact centres that thrive, innovation will harness the powerful passion that comes from strong teams. Applying the lessons of small teams to much larger operations can pay dividends, says Paul Smedley.
24 December 2009
The UK customer service sector is in for a challenging year in 2010 unless it moves quickly to address the twin pressures of an economy still in recession and todays internet-enabled consumer landscape.
18 November 2009
A lax attitude to customer defection is always a mistake, especially once you've seen the price tag, says Steve Hurst.
12 November 2009
Customer feedback is one of the most valuable nuggets of information an organisation has. If organisations are serious about building a service environment that supports their customers efficiently, then its essential for them to quickly identify those broken processes.
09 November 2009
This article outlines how you can apply self service to reduce contact handling staff costs by up to 50 per cent. But key points have to be addressed first before you can deliver customer service excellence and reduce costs.