Features

Features

• 5 common call center terms to know

  Businesses interact with customers in a variety of ways, including via phone calls and chatbots. Here are some call center terms that define these interactions.  Continue Reading

• Software CDP features don't equate to CDP branding

  While many tech companies have software with customer data platform attributes, some vendors, such as Salesforce and Oracle, don't put the CDP label on them.  Continue Reading

• Customer engagement strategies focus on mobility, loyalty programs

  The Miami Heat and JetBlue both use mobile apps and loyalty rewards programs to engage their customers -- inside their places of business and at home.  Continue Reading

• Big retailers share their CX strategies

  Effective customer experience strategies have a big impact on business success. Hear what Carnival Corp., Ritual Cosmetics and Ashley Stewart have to say about CX.  Continue Reading

• 4 voice of the customer methods to improve CX

  To improve customer experience, organizations can use mystery shopping programs, social CRM and surveys to gather data from interactions with consumers.  Continue Reading

• AppExchange, acquisitions key to the future of Salesforce

  In the first 20 years of Salesforce's history, acquisitions and products drove rapid growth. In the next 20, AppExchange partners will play a crucial role in the company's growth.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce Trailblazer community must keep pace to fuel growth

  Salesforce Trailhead's mission is to provide current and prospective customers with admins and developers. Growing that talent pool is crucial to Salesforce's health.  Continue Reading

• How Netflix uses emotional analytics to improve CX

  Emotional analytics enable businesses to obtain customer feedback without words. Netflix employs this tactic as a means to engage and retain customers.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft CDP helps businesses unify customer data

  Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights takes data from disparate sales, service and marketing systems to bring it all into one golden record of the customer.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce customers supplement CRM with AppExchange tools

  Salesforce customers are turning to the AppExchange to supplement their CRM function. Many find AppExchange tools to be more cost-effective and to integrate better with the CRM.  Continue Reading

• Small customer data platforms fend off big tech with service, features

  With Microsoft, Oracle and Adobe releasing customer data platforms, to be followed by Salesforce and SAP, small CDPs defend their turf with more features, better service and pricing  Continue Reading

• Have success with SAP C/4HANA on-premises-to-cloud migration

  There is no one way to complete a CRM platform migration, but a little planning and asking questions along the way can ensure you are on the road to success.  Continue Reading

• Influencer marketing best practices to reach millennials, Gen Z

  To reach the millennial and Gen Z consumer, you need to build trust and create experiences. Follow these tips to spin up an influencer marketing campaign.  Continue Reading

• These are the ABCs of marketing in the digital age

  Audience understanding, behavior analysis, marketing convergence and accessible design are the ABCs of marketing in the digital age, according to Microsoft's Purna Virji.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce Einstein Vision sinks teeth into shark recognition

  Using drones and a modified version of Salesforce's Einstein Vision, marine biologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, can track and identify great white sharks.  Continue Reading

• Gen Z marketing strategies can benefit from new technology

  Gen Z expects companies to be on the cutting edge of CX tech. New technology can help companies keep up with these demands, without having to spend a fortune on strategy or software.  Continue Reading

• Field service providers drive CX, engagement, retention

  Manuel Grenacher, general manager of SAP Service Cloud, offers tips for using CX best practices to improve the lives of both field service providers and the people they service.  Continue Reading

• Customer engagement fuels retail success

  Down, but not out? It's a fitting description for the current state of traditional retail stores. But there are many ways retailers can still win against online competition.  Continue Reading

• Martech strategy, Agile marketing are trends to follow

  As the marketing model changes, businesses can adopt thousands of different marketing technologies to better reach customers and improve customer experience.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• How business messaging benefits customer experience

  Who wants to call a company and wait on hold? Or, worse, send an email and wait for a response? Business messaging can avoid these hang-ups and help brands improve all stages of CX.  Continue Reading

• Organizations reap benefits of mobile CRM apps

  Salesforce now offers organizations such as Cornell University the ability to render CRM systems as apps, making it easy to manage students and faculty at a number of colleges.  Continue Reading

• SAP CX tools evolve in the face of data privacy, AI

  'Experience data' from Qualtrics will help SAP boost its customer experience offerings. The company is also considering how AI can help and where privacy concerns fit into the CX landscape.  Continue Reading

• To predict customer buying behavior, stop, look, listen, analyze

  Determining customer wants and needs to devise personalization strategies based on that data takes advanced technologies and the old-fashioned direct approach.  Continue Reading

• Customer personalization relies on tools, tactics, metrics

  Measuring the success of personalized engagements across multiple channels and making adjustments can help improve CX, differentiate offerings and increase sales.  Continue Reading

• Princess Cruises puts real-time customer experience into action

  The Ocean Medallion provides real-time CX to passengers on Princess Cruises. The technology enables vacationers to automatically open stateroom doors, locate companions and more.  Continue Reading

• Businesses use AI to improve customer experience

  Chatbots, virtual agents, computer vision and other AI-related technologies on display at a recent tech conference are being used to improve customer experience.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• Autonomous, self-service technology can't replace human touch

  Self-service and autonomous technology can be found in any number of businesses, including hospitals, restaurants and retail -- but they are not a substitute for human interaction.  Continue Reading

• Uber mall kiosks act as brick-and-mortar storefronts

  Uber uses digital mall kiosks as storefronts to recruit drivers, and an integrated video conferencing app enables users to interact with remote agents.  Continue Reading

• Enosix CMO, who branded SAP Leonardo, talks martech strategy

  Shawn Reynolds, the former architect of SAP's Leonardo AI brand, moves to SAP-Salesforce integrator Enosix. He discusses marketing strategy in this age of overwhelming martech choices.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• Contact center-as-a-service platforms here, but face hurdles

  Cloud contact center platforms offer promise, migrating agents into a flexible environment. Contact centers, a long-established on-premises IT world, are slowly starting to adopt them.  Continue Reading

• Businesses see increasing importance of video conferencing

  Video chat is another channel for businesses to interact with employees and customers. Learn why businesses are placing increasing importance on video conferencing and about its effects on CX.  Continue Reading

• Cattlemen group uses Google AI to build a chatbot

  Wondering 'where's the beef?' Ask Chuck, a chatbot created by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association -- one of hundreds of bots being deployed thanks to AI tools.  Continue Reading

• Pega Cloud is Pegasystems' preferred platform

  In a Q&A, Alan Trefler, Pegasystems CEO and chess master, ruminates about the cloud, the symbiotic relationship between chess and AI, AI inflation, and the pivot to CX.  Continue Reading

• Oracle's CX strategy points toward real-time responses

  As data increasingly becomes key to an effective CX implementation, Oracle's CX strategy points to what technology it's focusing on to win over corporate customers.  Continue Reading

• Online scheduling platforms open new channel for customers

  New customer-centric tools book demos in Salesforce at a customer's bidding, automating processes that took multiple email messages and forms -- sometimes losing leads in the process.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce buys Salesforce.org: What that means for customers

  Salesforce.com bought Salesforce.org. Nonprofit Cloud customers mull changes they hope to see now that all Salesforce products are under one umbrella.  Continue Reading

• Add real-time customer experience to your CX strategy

  At its recent CX conference, Oracle emphasized how important it will be to provide real-time CX. Users and analysts weigh in on how plausible that actually is.  Continue Reading

• AI customer self-service platforms show analytical maturity

  AI-enabled self-service platforms graduate from traditional customer support activities to more sophisticated methods of analyzing data on customer wants, needs and behavior.  Continue Reading

• AI sales forecasting tools soothe sales-marketing rivalries

  Sales forecasting vendors such as Clari extend reach into enterprise marketing, leveling the data and, with AI, solving an old problem: conflicting numbers on quarterly forecasts.  Continue Reading

• 7 features of CX management tools to consider

  Using CEM tools can help companies monitor, improve and manage the customer experience. Read on to learn what to look for when choosing CEM tools.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• 5 must-read CX trends uncovered at Adobe Summit

  As CRM, customer service, marketing and e-commerce morph into customer experience, Adobe speakers, partners and users pinpoint five trends in CX to watch develop in the next two years.  Continue Reading

• Marketing automation tools deliver personalization, customer focus

  When buying a marketing automation product, it's important to consider key features, how the tool addresses the organization's size, deployment options, support and pricing.  Continue Reading

• Ensure a good customer experience with CEM software

  CEM software helps companies track, measure and manage the customer experience. Read on to learn just how it differs from CRM software and what a good CEM system should include.  Continue Reading

• Maximize and manage customer experience with CEM tools

  CEM software provides the technological support necessary to successfully manage the customer experience. Discover the extensive benefits the right platform can provide.  Continue Reading

• Make marketing automation software choices to fit business needs

  Examine what core features leading marketing automation software vendors -- including Adobe, HubSpot and Oracle -- and CRM vendors -- including Microsoft, Salesforce and SAP -- offer.  Continue Reading

• A martech stack is vital for successful marketing operations

  When building a marketing tech stack, project stakeholders should consider what tools the organization needs, the level of automation it's trying to achieve and the overall budget.  Continue Reading

• 6 must-know customer experience technology trends

  Our customer experience technology trends survey of 250 North American tech buyers and influencers reveals that the CRM to CX migration is well underway.  Continue Reading

• Trends to follow: Voice SEO and CX personalization

  Voice and personalization are CX trends to follow as businesses place more emphasis on customer experience, according to analysts at Oracle's Modern Customer Experience conference.  Continue Reading

• 4 ways to use chatbots to improve Gen Z customer experience

  More and more chatbots are entering the marketing, customer service and sales spaces. Here are four tips for brands looking to make their chatbots stand out from the others.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of customer service AI

  AI is growing deep roots into cloud-based support services, but there remains a question of whether it can provide the empathy and understanding that brand loyalty requires.  Continue Reading

• How Philanthropy Cloud streamlines workplace giving

  Perpetual Energy used Salesforce.org's Philanthropy Cloud to create content, track charitable donations and better engage with employees during its annual United Way campaign.  Continue Reading

• Q&A: How to narrow down your CRM vendor choices

  SaaS consultancy Lunar goes over the dos and don'ts for choosing a CRM system, whether you're licensing one for the first time or migrating to a new system.  Continue Reading

• AAA discovers benefits of Salesforce Service Cloud software

  Using Salesforce Live Agent and Salesforce Service Cloud, AAA Carolinas increased member engagement by 330% and reduced service response time by 54%.  Continue Reading

• Liferay digital experience platform helps company improve CX

  Jack Maina, group chief operations officer of Britam, talks about how the financial services group rebuilt the way it interacts with customers and partners using Liferay.  Continue Reading

• How Salesforce Einstein machine learning makes AI practical

  As it evolves, Salesforce's Einstein AI serves the needs of a growing number of organizations and takes the guesswork out of why certain decisions are made.  Continue Reading

• Customer success tools pave the way for business advancement

  Quick Base launched an online university with the help of Skilljar to offer ongoing training, improving CX and increasing the likelihood of customer retention and loyalty.  Continue Reading

• CEO plots course for Televerde women's prison call centers

  Working at a Televerde women's prison call center outpays many inmate jobs and sets agents up for careers on the outside. CEO Morag Lucey discusses how the company keeps current.  Continue Reading

• How Lucky Brand improved its online customer experience

  As retailers try to keep up with customers' changing expectations, more and more brands are trying to mesh their online shopping experience with their in-store experience.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce makes push for diversity in technology

  Salesforce is maneuvering into industry leadership, making a diverse IT community a priority. Its product development strategy seems to have been crafted with such diversity in mind.  Continue Reading

• Giving inmates a second chance as prison call center agents

  Televerde staffs contact centers with incarcerated women, where they are paid the federal minimum wage. CEO Morag Lucey and COO Vince Barsolo discuss the model.  Continue Reading

• CRM for nonprofits helps organization streamline work

  Wolverine Human Services' adoption of the Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud halved foster care licensing time and improved productivity within the agency.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce-Apple partnership deepens with new SDK for iOS

  The updated Salesforce mobile SDK makes it easier for developers to build native Salesforce apps for iOS devices using Swift, Apple's programing language.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce.org's CRM for education helps UVA students succeed

  The University of Virginia is one of a number of institutions using Salesforce.org's Education Cloud CRM to recruit students, track student success and manage alumni relations.  Continue Reading

• LA Metro pursues integrated CRM system with Salesforce

  The Los Angeles Metro system integrates the Salesforce CRM with existing payment infrastructure, helping to bridge the gap between old and new technologies.  Continue Reading

• Industrial engineering company chooses integrated CRM for CX needs

  Through partnering with only Oracle for all of its CX needs, Schenck Process realizes the benefits of an integrated CRM over multiple products.  Continue Reading

• AMAC prioritizes first call resolution for a better CX

  AMAC uses TetraVX unified communications and the cloud contact center platform Five9 in its three call centers to improve agent workflow, as well as member experience.  Continue Reading

• CRM vs. CX: How companies are pivoting in philosophies

  It might be time to retire the decades-old concept of CRM now that CX is appearing everywhere. Learn how embracing CX alters the thinking of enterprise leadership.  Continue Reading

• CRM for government, Salesforce improve D.C.'s 311 agency

  The Office of Unified Communications in Washington, D.C., said it improved its constituent relationships with Salesforce Service Cloud and Einstein Analytics.  Continue Reading

• 6 ways high-performing agents improve customer loyalty

  Sandy Rogers of FranklinCovey offers tips for customer service managers on how to encourage positive traits in agents, such as empathy, responsibility and generosity.  Continue Reading

• Assess priorities before purchasing a marketing automation platform

  The promise of marketing automation is exciting, but the proliferation of tools can be intimidating. Learn how to dispel the confusion when buying a marketing automation product.  Continue Reading

• Customer data to play important role in CX software in 2019

  Analysts see customer data continuing to be the main objective for CX companies, and that integration between platforms and third-party applications will grow in importance.  Continue Reading

• Acquia transforms from WCM to digital experience platform

  Acquia's product roadmap is a metaphor for many WCM vendors, which must focus on digital experience to remain competitive in a quickly evolving market.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce Service Cloud Einstein AI's Next Best Action, Bots

  Salesforce closes the distance between its cloud Einstein AI and IBM's Watson with flashy new features, as Service Cloud bows a no-code bot builder and a next best action tool.  Continue Reading

• Use smart workflows to personalize customer experience

  Smart workflows that automate certain decisions must become part of personalization strategies in order for CX teams to better guide customer journeys.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft adds CRM for nonprofits to Dynamics 365 lineup

  CRM for nonprofits, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Nonprofit Accelerator, helps nonprofit organizations take advantage of business tools and shared data.  Continue Reading

• Guidelines for navigating the sales software market

  Figuring out whether your organization needs sales force automation, sales enablement or sales forecasting tools can be challenging, and that's before factoring in AI.  Continue Reading

• CRM for nonprofits rewires charitable giving

  Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud and marketing automation tools help charitable organizations gain and retain valuable donors, giving them a more positive experience.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• Customer support automation for B2B requires human touch

  Robert Johnson of TeamSupport and Sandy Crowley of ICANotes offer tips on how B2B companies can use automation to supplement human customer support services.  Continue Reading

• Omnichannel customer service improves customer experience

  Customers have come to expect brands to provide omnichannel customer service, but many companies are still overwhelmed by the idea of introducing new channels and training agents.  Continue Reading

• Marketing automation tools make personalization possible

  Marketing automation software can be a game-changer for sales and marketing departments, as it helps simplify campaign management and gauge the performance of marketing efforts.  Continue Reading

• Using Shuttle to track sales leads and close deals

  Using Shuttle to track sales leads, sales reps at CBC Settlement Funding can focus less on coordinating follow-up emails and nurturing campaigns and more on closing deals.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce salary survey details pay among professionals

  A new survey of Salesforce professionals, published by Mason Frank International, analyzes Salesforce salary data, employment trends and diversity.  Continue Reading

• 4 signs Salesforce skills demand outpaces talent pool

  Survey points to four reasons the demand and salaries for Salesforce admins, developers and other professionals is high, but talent pool can't meet it.  Continue Reading

• Will Salesforce decaNLP model live up to the hype?

  Salesforce's decaNLP model made a big splash at Dreamforce. But can it deliver on its promises? Here's what to expect from the natural language processing initiative.  Continue Reading

• Q&A with IBM Watson's call center AI tech lead

  We sit down with IBM's contact center AI lead to talk about chatbots and their evolving role as human customers and support agents learn to coexist with them.  Continue Reading

• Invest in people for better customer experience in marketing

  At the MarTech conference, analysts discussed the importance of customer experience in marketing, customer data protection and designated martech leadership.  Continue Reading

• Voice commerce rides on the backs of little smart speakers

  The use of voice assistants and smart speakers continues to rise, but now companies are looking for ways to apply voice commercially in B2B and B2C sales.  Continue Reading

• Loyalty rewards program fuels convenience store's CX

  Since launching a loyalty rewards program last year, convenience store and gas station Yesway has driven 45.2% of loyalty members from the pump to the store.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce implementation offers window into partner management

  Implementing Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Cloud and Community Cloud has enabled a national window treatment company to streamline its operations.  Continue Reading

• Sales planning tools sport a B2B customer experience focus

  Sporting goods giant uses sales performance and planning tools to upend traditional product-centric approach, tackle engagement issues and pitch a better story to customers.  Continue Reading

• Sales enablement tool uses AI to hone pitches

  Sales enablement AI goes beyond Einstein lead scoring as Brainshark applies sentiment and other analyses to practice videos that salespeople create before meeting customers.  Continue Reading

• Customer service chatbots gain ground

  As chatbots begin to replace email as the go-to customer service channel, more and more companies are using AI and natural language processing to improve their chat services.  Continue Reading

• Salesforce Health Cloud for Payers brings CRM to insurance

  With its CRM system for payers, Salesforce is targeting a competitive market in which health insurers are fighting for members seeking lower costs and better health outcomes.  Continue Reading

• Tea Forte steeps value from new B2C CRM

  B2B CRM vendors like Marketo and Salesforce have tailored their wares for consumer-facing businesses, but B2C CRM vendor Zaius proved to be the right cup of tea for one company.  Continue Reading