Contact center management
Contact center management puts the customer at the center of every decision. Measuring time-to-answer, hold times and response quality are all key metrics, as are customer satisfaction and retention.
Top Stories
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Tip
05 Oct 2022
10 tips to enhance and promote self-service platforms
Self-service platforms should be visible to customers, emphasized across all touchpoints and meet customers' needs. These tips can help enhance and promote self-service. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2022
Best practices for initiating chatbot-to-human handoff
Contact centers perform a balancing act between AI and human agents. Support teams must train bots on chatbot-to-human handoffs and design AI aware of customer frustration. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Aug 2016
Crafting your mobile app strategy is like online dating
Your mobile app strategy should accommodate both newer prospects who haven't developed loyalty and long-standing customers who are ready to download an app. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2016
Salesforce Inbox adds another layer of integration Calendar
Salesforce hopes to reduce the need for sales reps to toggle between apps while on the go by combining email and calendar events in one app. Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2016
Inside Ted Cruz's presidential campaign management software strategy
Sen. Ted Cruz didn't clinch the Republican nomination, but not for lack of technology. Campaign management software on Salesforce tracked donations, volunteers and voters. Continue Reading
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Podcast
11 Aug 2016
Salesforce acquisition spree continues unabated
Salesforce has been on a fast and furious buying spree since December 2015 with no sign of a letup. Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Aug 2016
NetSuite acquisition may fill out pieces of CRM puzzle for Oracle
The CRM market has undergone another shift with Oracle's acquisition of NetSuite. Whither NetSuite's fate? Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Aug 2016
Accenture serves up data for all via Salesforce Wave analytics
Accenture rolled out Wave analytics along with other Salesforce tools to 25,000 users within five months. Though the project moved quickly, it's also being done carefully. Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2016
Quip joins growing stable of Salesforce apps
With the addition of Quip, Salesforce users can perform word processing tasks without leaving the CRM provider's platform -- which may spell bad news for Microsoft. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Jul 2016
Why does AWS as a cloud infrastructure provider matter for Salesforce?
After experiencing a data outage in May, Salesforce turned to Amazon Web Services. It was a huge move, but probably a necessary one, expert Brent Leary explains. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Jul 2016
Customer experience gathers steam with IoT analytics
Companies are moving from gut feel to rely on scientific tools, such as IoT analytics data, to develop customer experience strategy. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jul 2016
Salesforce rallies in retail with purchase of Demandware e-commerce
Now that Salesforce has purchased Demandware, it's positioned to compete with vendors like Oracle and even Amazon for market share. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jul 2016
Four features of contact center evolution
Contact center evolution is explored through four key features, identifying how contact centers have changed through the past, present and future. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Jul 2016
Mobile location-based services teeter on ethical line
Mobile location-based services can yield information about customers, but companies need to travel a careful line with the information they gather. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jun 2016
In customer personalization, explicit data matters
By utilizing explicit data, companies can increase brand engagement and enhance the customer journey through customer personalization. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Jun 2016
LinkedIn purchase may signal new era of open APIs
Microsoft's LinkedIn purchase may open up APIs and enable new competitors to take advantage of the treasure trove of social CRM data in LinkedIn. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Jun 2016
Microsoft buys LinkedIn database for treasure trove of CRM contacts
Microsoft bought the LinkedIn database. How will the professional contacts data enhance existing information in Dynamics CRM? Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2016
Understanding Salesforce App Cloud licensing
Salesforce App Cloud opens important doors to building new functionality into Salesforce. But it's important to read the fine print on licensing options. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 May 2016
Consumers still waiting for Godot on personalized marketing?
Personalized messaging can be an invaluable tool for marketers. Unfortunately, these marketing campaigns aren't living up to their potential, according to consumers. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2016
Maximize growth through sales collaboration
OHL, a global supply chain management company, grew sales with successful collaboration between sales teams and marketers. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2016
Salesforce Government Cloud, app sharing ease agency collaboration
Salesforce Government Cloud Lightning eases government agencies' security concerns, allows for app sharing and improves communication among agencies and citizens. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 May 2016
How Salesforce1 app promotes mobility in sales and service
The Salesforce1 app has brought new productivity and efficiency to mobile workers' tasks by allowing them to update and access customer account records and enabling on-site sales. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2016
Can Salesforce Wave answer data integration challenges?
Like other products, Salesforce Wave promises to make it easy to stitch together data silos. Is data integration as easy as it sounds? An expert offers some insight. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2016
Mobile marketing strategy isn't a bolt-on to existing strategy
Too often, companies falter in their marketing strategies by tacking mobility onto what they already do. Instead, you should create 'mobile moments.' Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2016
Blockchain as a service may be in your future -- like it or not
Although consumers have been reticent about digital payments, new services -- such as Venmo and blockchain -- are making the benefits of mobile payments difficult to deny. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2016
Is user adoption of Salesforce Analytics Cloud the next wave?
Salesforce Wave filled an analytics void when it was released -- but there are caveats. Learn more about the benefits and challenges of moving to Salesforce Analytics Cloud. Continue Reading
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Guide
09 Mar 2016
Inside the Salesforce platform: The Salesforce clouds
Salesforce began as a cloud-based CRM provider but has stretched its tentacles into several new areas of operation with the Salesforce clouds. Is it truly a platform provider? Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Mar 2016
How marketers are reining in the sales funnel process
The sales process, captured by the sales funnel, is no longer as linear as it once was. How can marketing teams use sales funnel management to gain control of the customer journey? Continue Reading
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Opinion
29 Feb 2016
Sales intelligence tools prevent tone-deaf sales efforts
Sales intelligence tools are helping sales teams home in on truly valuable prospects, rather than waste time on duds. But they require some culture change. Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2016
Users discontent with data insights from analytics apps
Companies use analytics apps to derive meaningful data insights, but survey results indicate they are discontented with their BI tools. Can Salesforce Analytics Cloud fill the void? Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2016
Salesforce exec discloses plans to boost one-to-one marketing
Traditional mass marketing methods don't cut it anymore. Salesforce discusses its plans to bring one-to-one marketing to customers. Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2016
Omnichannel customer service is no small feat
Seamless, efficient customer service is the elusive goal of omnichannel. Salesforce expects to deliver it using IoT to give contact centers 'spooky intelligent' systems. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2016
Salesforce IoT Cloud still on road to maturity
Offerings such as Salesforce IoT Cloud are open for business. But are IoT-connected devices ready to generate meaningful data? Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2015
Emerging CRM technologies took center stage in 2015
New CRM technologies such as the Internet of Things and native analytics apps piqued interest in 2015. But adoption of these technologies has yet to reach critical mass. Continue Reading
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Podcast
17 Dec 2015
Marketing automation adoption takes off: 2016 technology trends
As we look ahead to the 2016 IT trends to watch, one key CRM theme is marketing automation adoption, which is poised to grow, says an expert. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2015
Handling unwieldy data with Salesforce Wave Analytics
With sales teams struggling to access and consume data, Salesforce Wave Analytics promises ease of use and accessibility. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2015
Box-Salesforce partnership brings ECM features to CRM
A new partnership will bring the cloud file-sharing capability of Box to Salesforce. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Dec 2015
Customer communities aren't credible without legwork
Customer communities can't be credible sources of customer support if companies don't do the up-front work to make the information authoritative. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Dec 2015
Despite cloud-based CRM success, data silo issues remain
While cloud-based CRM tools are making inroads in bridging data silos, smaller, niche tools are becoming more necessary to solve data management challenges. Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2015
Oracle Marketing Cloud updates mobile capabilities
Updates to the Oracle Marketing Cloud aim to give marketers and salespeople more mobile customer engagement options, as well as testing capabilities for marketing content. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Nov 2015
CRM marketplace could undergo new competition
While the CRM market has long been dominated by a small cohort of established providers, new niche players could shake up the landscape. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2015
Despite spruce-up, is the Salesforce Lightning UI fully baked?
Salesforce Lightning UI was updated this fall, enabling even greater ease of use, but pain points still exist in the platform. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Nov 2015
What does Salesforce Lightning, Wave enable for users?
Salesforce's latest upgrades to its Lightning and Wave platforms show that the cloud CRM company is trying to bring analytics closer to the individual user. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Nov 2015
What to expect from the Salesforce Sales Cloud platform
Salesforce Sales Cloud is a CRM platform featuring a number of sales and CRM tools, which help businesses of all sizes manage their B2B and B2C engagement and sales strategies. Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2015
Oracle Marketing Cloud updated, with focus on data
Oracle's latest updates to its Marketing Cloud are designed to help marketers make better use of data to segment and target customers, as well as manage campaigns more efficiently. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Oct 2015
LBS powers personalized intranet design
Frustrated by its needle-in-a-haystack approach to locating pertinent corporate info, Citrix geared its intranet to specific employee needs worldwide. Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2015
Will Salesforce Wave Analytics' upgrade be persuasive for users?
After a year on the market, Salesforce Wave, the BI platform, gets an upgrade. But there are continuing question marks about its value. Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Sep 2015
Challenges hinder Salesforce Lightning, Wave adoption
One year after they were released, users are looking before they leap into Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Wave. What is crimping adoption? Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2015
FinancialForce project management tool boosts Lexmark's ECM services
When Lexmark took on FinancialForce to manage its technology services projects, its ability to provide services blossomed Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Sep 2015
Wearable technologies still need to hit their enterprise stride
Wearable technologies represent a $7 billion industry, but they haven’t yet made their stake in the ground for knowledge workers. Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Sep 2015
Communication essential to sales and marketing alignment
A lack of communication between sales and marketing teams can derail internal processes. Here's how to ensure collaboration between the two factions. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Aug 2015
Cloud-based CRM enters new territory for Salesforce partners
Channel partners are pursuing increasingly sophisticated Salesforce implementation projects, helping customers integrate and optimize complex systems. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Aug 2015
Zoho CRM platform overview
Zoho's cloud-based CRM platform helps businesses manage the key aspects of their customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2015
Oracle Sales Cloud update aims to boost sales, efficiency
Oracle updates its Sales Cloud to increase sales; Infer announces new lead gen product; and Xactly Strategic Services aims to drive workforce management. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jul 2015
Social customer service needs to be integrated with larger business
For social customer service to be effective, it needs to be integrated with other aspects of the business, including sales, marketing and product development. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jul 2015
Location-based service apps yield trove of information
When customers come into a store with offers from location-based service apps, like mobile wallets, it indicates a new level of buying intention greater than just window shopping. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2015
Cloud-based marketing tools need integration to work
When companies don't integrate their cloud-based marketing tools, customer data can easily become out-of-date and out-of-sync among various systems. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jul 2015
Improving customer engagement strategies with CRM tools
There are several different types of CRM tools that can be used to improve your customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2015
Salesforce releases Wave Analytics Apps and Sales Wave Analytics
Wave Analytics Apps, the latest offering from Salesforce, makes crunching the numbers easier through tighter integration with Salesforce 1. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jun 2015
Enterprise video metrics a must to measure success
Increasingly, companies have turned to video for customer service, product demos and branding. But they need to measure success with enterprise video metrics. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2015
CRM documentation paves way to successful release management
As companies use a CRM system in the wild, they need to be able to make tweaks, and those changes need to be well-documented. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jun 2015
Sales management software helps teams get a jump on leads
As customers become more knowledgeable about products, sales reps can't just rely on the gift of gab. Today they need sales management software that help target people who are ready to bite. Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jun 2015
The secret to selling more? Sales intelligence
Sales teams have a basic but ever-challenging task: Sell stuff and make money for the company. But they can't do that without proper insight into the business. Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2015
Salesforce ties Wave analytics tool to big data platforms
Salesforce is getting more involved in big data analytics, with new partnerships that open up its cloud-based Wave analytics technology to Hadoop and other big data systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 May 2015
Enhancing customer engagement strategy through a mobile experience
Consumers use mobile devices constantly. Marketers can capitalize on this by developing a rich, engaging mobile experience to drive sales. Continue Reading
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Answer
04 May 2015
Have customer-centric processes arrived in the contact center?
It's been a long journey, but are companies finally ready to incorporate customer-centric processes into their contact center operations? Continue Reading
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Quiz
01 May 2015
360-degree view of the customer quiz
Companies constantly chase the "360-degree view of the customer," aiming to merge different data sources to provide timely, consistent service. Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2015
Could Oracle, Microsoft, or IBM buy Salesforce?
Only a few companies could afford to buy Salesforce.com. Is a buyout on the horizon, though? Continue Reading
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Answer
15 Apr 2015
Are Microsoft customers cooling on cloud concerns?
As cloud platforms mature and become more mainstream, on-the-fence Microsoft users are taking another look at adopting them. Continue Reading
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Podcast
13 Apr 2015
Microsoft Convergence focuses on analytics, cloud
Microsoft Convergence attendees explored the new cloud-based Power BI analytics tool at the conference. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Mar 2015
Has Microsoft cloud strategy evolved?
Microsoft is trying to lead customers to the cloud with hybrid offerings, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. But will that succeed? Continue Reading
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Guide
17 Mar 2015
CRM leadership: Buying, managing and running a system
Implementing a CRM system is more than just buying software. Executives need to tap into their leadership skills to select the right CRM system and ensure that it brings the desired benefits to the organization. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Mar 2015
CRM skills training essential for system management
The right CRM training is crucial to the management and development of a CRM system. Make sure your staff has the right CRM skills to survive. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2015
Mobile customer service gives citizens a voice with government
Philly 311, a new mobile customer service app for the city of Philadelphia, helps citizens report neighborhood incidents and engage more deeply with city government. Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2015
Customer data becomes the turf for companies' competitive advantage
Corporations are using customer data to gain a competitive edge in the market, but new analytics technologies pose privacy downsides. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Feb 2015
Salesforce vs. Microsoft Dynamics: Why I choose Salesforce
While Salesforce can be more costly than Microsoft Dynamics, ease of use and a healthy ecosystem of support can make it a persuasive choice. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Feb 2015
Improving data quality with better CRM system design
If your CRM system isn't designed for ease of data entry, it can undermine data analysis and decision making. Here's how to promote cleaner data. Continue Reading
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Podcast
02 Feb 2015
The double-edged sword of location-based technologies
Location-based technologies like personalization are yielding valuable consumer data, but companies need to be careful stewards of the information. Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Jan 2015
BPM backbone builds new paths to customer engagement
Pega, a business process management software forerunner, is using BPM to deliver new customer engagement and CRM software for its customers. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jan 2015
Want to get into mobile marketing? Know your customer
In this book excerpt, author and industry watcher Chuck Martin shows how customers' mobile behaviors should dictate companies' marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jan 2015
Are marketing automation tools the greatest asset in the sales arsenal?
The more your sales reps know about prospects, the faster they can close deals. Here's why marketing automation tools deliver real sales intelligence. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2015
Customer data integration needs strategy to derive meaning
Your approach to customer data integration needs to be guided by another strategy to determine which information is relevant. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Apr 2014
A 360-degree view of customers requires better data analytics
Companies want to use better data analytics to get a more comprehensive understanding of their customers. But today's reality suggests that is in the distant future. Continue Reading
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Quiz
05 Jun 2013
Call center operations quiz
Call center operations are working hard to keep up with the technology revolution. Find out why the call center is not just for telephones anymore. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jan 2013
Oracle Siebel vs. Salesforce faceoff: Siebel is more versatile
In this Oracle Siebel vs. Salesforce faceoff, one consultant says Siebel users have more options without paying much more than Salesforce customers. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Mar 2012
Desktop analytics: A game changer for contact centers, back offices
Expert Donna Fluss says companies should consider a new type of analytics -- desktop analytics -- to accurately provide feedback on the contact center and the back office. Continue Reading
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Report
05 Jan 2012
CRM user interface guide
This guide provides an at-a-glance look at Oracle, SAP, Microsoft and Salesforce.com’s user interfaces for their mobile client, Outlook integration and sales dashboards. Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2011
Customer experience analytics: Separating hype from fact
SearchCRM expert Donna Fluss compares the latest types of customer experience analytics applications. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2011
PCI DSS offers call center PCI compliance tips
The payment card industry compliance standards body has released a new document to help contact centers protect sensitive customer data. Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2010
Switching your focus from B2B to B2C with social media and CRM
Getting the word out to your customers isn’t just a matter of buying simple advertising anymore -- it’s about engaging with them socially. Denis Pombriant explains the ideas behind this new trend. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Dec 2009
Which call center billing model should I use?
What’s the best call center billing model measurement – charging for calls per month or per call? Expert Donna Fluss explains the methods behind both and how to best apply them in the contact center. Continue Reading
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Answer
17 Sep 2009
How can I measure call center agents' unavailable and "not ready" time?
Find out how to measure call center agents' unavailable and not ready time in this expert tip and get a formula for calculating unavailable time in your call center. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Jul 2009
Three management tips for overseeing call center agents on night shift
There are psychological and medical challenges for call center agents working the night shift. Hear management tips from Donna Fluss for managing night shift call center agents. Continue Reading
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Report
03 Jun 2009
Five call center sales tips and techniques
In difficult economic times, ramping up sales in the call center can provide another outlet to help companies meet sales quotas and drive sales effectiveness. We've gathered these five tips for companies looking to improve call center sales and train call center agents to become effective sales professionals. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2009
New SAP CRM ordering system helps Coke roll out new dispenser
A new beverage dispenser designed to revolutionize Coke's distribution system demanded a new way for the soda giant to service customers. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Feb 2009
Does hot seating in the call center affect agent morale?
Learn about hot seating in the call center and find out how it can have a positive and negative impact on agent morale and productivity in this expert tip. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2008
Creating positive customer retention strategies
Is your organization deploying positive customer retention strategies or negative ones? In this chapter excerpt, learn about a number of positive customer retention strategies, including how to add customer-perceived value, create social and structural bonds and build engagement to delight your customers. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2008
Understanding customer commitment
Research shows that there are three forms of customer commitment: relational commitment, instrumental commitment and value-based commitment. In this chapter, learn about all three types of customer commitments and get key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer retention programs. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Nov 2008
SIP in the call center: Top 10 buzzwords
In many of today's call centers, session initiation protocol (SIP) allows customers and call center agents to connect through various forms of multimedia communications. We've gathered these terms and definitions to help you better understand SIP in the call center. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Sep 2008
Pros and cons of auto-response software in the call center
Auto-response software often gets mixed reviews from both call center professionals and customers. Learn the pros and cons of using auto-answer and auto-response software in the call center from expert Donna Fluss. Continue Reading
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Answer
19 May 2008
Call center rules and regulations: Why are they so strict?
Learn the purpose of call center rules and regulations in this tip from Donna Fluss, including how and why call center managers control the number of scheduled agents according to the forecasted call volume, using workforce management (WFM) applications. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 May 2008
Salesforce.com for dummies: Creating daily reports
Use this step-by-step guide to create daily reports from scratch in Salesforce.com. Continue Reading