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Multi-channel development

15 February 2012
Since the broadband roll out back in 2003, the evolution of technology has continued to enhance online two-way communication, leading many sectors to reach out to customers in different ways. There are countless commentators who have claimed that web chat and video will revolutionise the customer experience. But are we ready for it, asks James Eyre , and where could it be used most effectively?
09 February 2012
Brands find themselves under great scrutiny for customer service through the instantaneous and unregulated nature of social media, in particular Twitter. How can organisations cope with an increasing onslaught of customer contact through the publicly visible social media channels? Heidi Coles , discusses how to strike the balance when it comes to managing social media, corporate reputation and customer satisfaction.
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.
10 January 2012
As a channel, email accounts for over 10% of all customer contacts. So why do many customer contact operators pay so little attention to it asks Michael Gray.
05 January 2012
As direct marketing ‘opt-out’ and ‘do-not-call’ restrictions grow, smart organisations are aiming to capitalise on inbound marketing opportunities that lie within the contact centre. Neil Skilling explains how each customer interaction can be leveraged as a chance to better understand customers and drive up-sell opportunities.
24 November 2011
Susannah Richardson argues that the key to effective customer service is making life easier for agents by liberating them from the tyranny of complex databases . The agent desktop, she insists, can make the difference between happy customers and customers who are kept waiting on the line.
03 November 2011
Social media has become a mainstream communications tool for consumers. The results of Convergys’ 2011 UK Customer Scorecard Research found that 57 per cent of UK consumers have Facebook or Twitter accounts, if not their own blog, and 42 per cent of UK consumers have a smartphone with a data plan.
01 November 2011
With the news that more companies are now adopting web chat as an effective way of communicating with customers, Emily Millar examines the benefits of this tool and the things to consider when implementing an online chat facility. Important considerations include remembering that web chat involves quite a different skill set to handling calls, and keeping your communications true to both the channel and the brand.
28 October 2011
The growth of social media means that more and more customer service agents are now monitoring and replying to customer queries via these channels. But the skills needed to write an email and those needed to write a tweet can be quite different. So what makes for good social media writing? Neil Martin offers his five top tips…
19 October 2011
Stuart Gray examines how the telephone channel works in targeting new customers and retaining them by building good relationships and brand loyalty – and asks how telephony can fit into a modern multi-channel strategy . In an age where the deployment of mass digital marketing campaigns continues to evolve, does telephony still have a role to play?
26 May 2011
Growing numbers of customers are turning to the internet and social media to vent their frustrations with products or services. There is a perception that customer service departments are difficult to reach and often ill-equipped to deal with enquiries.

Chris Hall tells why it is vital for business to simultaneously address their knowledge strategy to make their investments successful.
07 April 2011
Over the last couple of years social media has taken off as a remarkable phenomenon, and one which reaches broadly into society. Dave Paulding tells why social media is too important to ignore.
21 February 2011
A bombshell report following a survey of UK call centres from analyst firm ContactBabel revealed a seismic shift in peoples attitudes to brands and customer service. Jim Kent investigates.
16 February 2011
Jonathan Grant explores how companies should be looking to utilise the cloud to enhance their customer service offerings. Plus, how Wokingham Borough Council has dramatically improved its customer satisfaction levels by adopting cloud based technology.
14 February 2011
Simon Robinson offers his ten steps to getting the most out of a cross-channel marketing campaign by fully integrating systems, effective use of data, and comprehensive measurement and performance.
14 February 2011
Call centres as we know them will soon be extinct, prophesises James Tanner. With a new generation of tech-savvy mobile customers coming through, companies will have to adapt to changing expectations or face serious consequences.
14 February 2011
We continually hear that Twitter, Facebook, etc is essential for effective communication with customers. In this article, Interactive Intelligence's Dave Paulding examines what adopting a social media strategy could mean for your business.
17 January 2011
You are attentive to your customers needs and have always been quick to introduce the lines of communication they want to use to engage with you. The good news is you are doing the right thing. But Craig Pumfrey says how you integrate these channels into your business determines if you are doing things right.
08 January 2011
Kara Trivunovic discusses how to make the most of email data by segmenting your audience to make each electronic contact as relevant, and successful, as possible.
07 January 2011
Paul Weald reports on how social media mining tools came to life at a recent UBM organised workshop, and the insights that these tools can provide on what is being said about a brand across online communities.
06 January 2011
The fact that the dialogue between businesses and their customers has undergone a paradigm shift with the advent of social media is not news. Oren Ezra says that companies that don't listen to what their customers are saying about them, stand to lose not only these people, but up to millions more.
08 December 2010
The multi-channel contact centre is, for many businesses, something of a mixed blessing. But if not well implemented, it can be an expensive and possibly fruitless endeavour, says Carolyn Hall .
16 November 2010
At a time of slower economic growth and reduced customer confidence – when brands are locked in a battle for their customers enduring loyalty – the argument for anything other than a consolidated approach is hard to justify. Mark Brown investigates.
13 October 2010
With the release of The Social Network, retelling the story of Facebook, Experian Hitwise looks at just how popular the worlds biggest social networking site really is.
01 September 2010
Are supermarkets and retail companies missing out by only targetting consumers using their own brands? Jo Malvern thinks so, and she explains the opportunities presented by brands sharing websites to engage a different type of audience.
20 August 2010
Hosted by Siemens Enterprise Communications, this roundtable discussed how social media will change the way in which businesses interact with their customers.
15 August 2010
Simon Robinson outlines why cross-channel customer communication is growing in importance, but a lack of integration is preventing effective delivery. Plus, he offers his top ten tips for integrating channels in your customer contact operation.
08 July 2010
The proliferation of blogs, podcasts, video, chatrooms, social networking sites and other online interactive communication is transforming the corporate-customer relationship – so how are companies coping with this? Keith Pearce gives some answers.
26 May 2010
It was feared that moving transactions to the web would dehumanise holiday bookings. Yet James West discovers that smart providers are using self-service, automation and integrated multi-channel communications to ensure the flight-path to personalised service has been cleared.
26 May 2010
Social media is transforming internal communications profoundly. Call centres must keep up says Mark Lewis.
25 May 2010
Over the past ten years, there has been a massive shift in the way brands can communicate with consumers and the legislation that governs this.
10 May 2010
Positive call centre stories are rare, so news that they could help an overworked NHS to drastically reduce cost is to be celebrated. Yet is the proclamation that effective call centres and self-service could reduce GP workloads by 39 per cent realistic? James West asks.
21 April 2010
Over the past ten years, there has been a massive shift in the way brands can communicate with consumers and the legislation that governs this. Chris Hancock explains the need for companies becoming more integrated.
23 March 2010
There's no doubt many businesses are aware of digital marketings power; particularly in light of increased demand for social media programmes. However, in order to maximise online expenditure, businesses should consider taking a holistic approach, says Chris Speed.
22 March 2010
Sarah Askew outlines the value that online techniques can bring in helping client brands develop powerful consumer insights.
19 March 2010
Travel customers are a demanding audience. Holidays are a treasured time in anyones annual calendar, and nobody wants the joy of an upcoming trip fettered by worries about high costs, complicated booking procedures or service errors. Maia Honan outlines the importance of a social media strategy.
15 March 2010
The potential impact of personalised marketing over the web is enormous, but companies must move quickly to seize the opportunities presented by a truly integrated multi-channel sales and customer services strategy, says Mark Simpson of Maxymiser.
08 March 2010
In the past 10 years, the worldwide web has gone from being foreign and out of reach, to a fundamental part of every business and organisation. Paul Hudson believes that additonal revenue strategies should always be undertaken with the customer in mind.
25 February 2010
The shorthand used for webchats and social media is unique: most of us will recognise 'lol', but how many who are not of the Millennial generation will know that '4COL' is a sign of customer frustration? Keith Pearce tells us what it means.
05 February 2010
Penny Power often thinks about how executives in industry and within the public sector feel about all the noise going on in the world of social media. The desire to see it as a fad, or as something not relevant to their business must be very strong for some.
28 January 2010
A KDB survey reveals that UK marketing decision makers are moving away from recession strategy aimed at retaining business. The study found that, while marketing decision makers in the UK channelled spend into customer retention during the recession, with the economy on its way to recovery the focus is shifting to a more even balance.
22 January 2010
A survey of contact centre operations directors that we ran late last year came up with the interesting finding that 82 per cent of them thought that voice would cease to be the dominant communications channel in their contact centres within the next three years.
22 January 2010
'We would like to improve our multi-channel communications so have looked at several systems that fit our requirements. They are all offered as Software as a Service. Is this a wise move? Our experts give the answers.
20 January 2010
Call centre customers demand consistent service but are always looking for cheaper rates. Unifying communications can reduce costs but call centre managers are concerned they will not see a return on their investment in new systems.
24 November 2009
If you travel on the tube, surfed the web or watched TV, there's a good chance that you've seen an advert encouraging rail passengers to book online with thetrainline.com. The advertising campaign is the culmination of a multi-faceted brand development strategy.