Forbes reported that poor customer service costs businesses more than $75 billion annually.   For many customers, the last few years have witnessed a business’s contact center becoming their only point of communication. It’s an uphill struggle. Year after year, little to no change in CSAT score...
The classic debate whether contact centers are a revenue center or cost center.   If they’re a revenue center, then they should be managed with less concern over spending. If a cost center, then focus on achieving service levels for the lowest cost.   It’s a serious consideration. In a...
When I ask contact center leaders how they rationalize financial decisions, I consistently hear one key metric pop up “Cost-per-Contact.” And after much research I’ve learned it’s a good-looking measure. But… it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.   This is not about cos...
Many contact centers rely on averages to base decisions, i.e.:   Average handle time (AHT) Average cost-per-contact (ACC) Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)   But the thing about averages is they should not be overly relied upon.   From the Harvard Business Review article, The Flaw of Averages:   Cons...
Optimal decision making requires the right insights based on the right information, but often we lack the right information until after the fact. How often has it been said, “If only I knew then what I know now”?   And while contact centers are managed by smart people, they many times lack the...