Customer service and contact center
Customer service refers to the support organizations give customers after a purchase, and contact centers are the points where organizations can manage these interactions. Keep tabs on the evolution of customer service and contact center technologies and best practices to maintain service strategies properly.
Top Stories
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Feature
22 Apr 2026
Fix the service path before you optimize it with AI
Contact center AI can improve routing, self-service and agent support, but it cannot fix weak journey design, broken handoffs or service problems created upstream. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Apr 2026
How to centralize customer interaction data in one platform
Organizations often have reams of customer interaction data. But how do they centralize and unify this information? Well, a customer data platform helps. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2026
How contact centers detect and prevent fraud
Scammers may target contact centers, but comprehensive agent training, authentication techniques and advanced technologies can protect businesses and customers. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2026
How agentic AI modernizes outbound sales campaigns
AI agents can contact customers, make decisions, act autonomously and close a sale with little or no human involvement. They can also renew orders and attempt upsells. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Apr 2026
10 essential skills for modern contact center agents
Contact center agents must have a range of interpersonal and technological skills to interact with customers and resolve their issues quickly and with empathy. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Apr 2026
6 contact center trends shaping the future of customer service
As organizations look to turn contact centers into strategic assets, AI is reshaping analytics, omnichannel communications and agent workflows -- but not without trade-offs. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Apr 2026
Contact center monitoring best practices for CX leaders
A well-designed monitoring program identifies customer pain points and gathers valuable intelligence that can improve agent performance and CX, as well as products and services. Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Apr 2026
What makes contact center processes customer-centric?
Customer-centric contact center processes need better journey visibility, stronger feedback loops and solutions that extend beyond the service team. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Apr 2026
Orchestration is becoming enterprise AI's real test
Vendors can ship agents. The harder challenge is orchestrating how they work across applications, workflows and human handoffs without creating more risk. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Apr 2026
How should contact centers use AI today?
Contact center AI now helps most with routine, high-volume work such as agent assist, summaries, routing and self-service, but human agents still matter in more complex situations. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Apr 2026
Detroit Pistons' cloud phone migration enables AI expansion
The Detroit Pistons ditched their on-premises phone system for RingCentral during an arena move. The migration enabled the organization to integrate AI with its contact center. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2026
Business benefits of a customer self-service strategy
Self-service channels can save organizations money while improving CX -- if done right. Explore these benefits and tips to keep in mind when building a self-service strategy. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Apr 2026
Contact center compliance checklist for modern workforces
A contact center compliance checklist can serve as a starting point for contact center managers as they seek to comply with internal and external regulations. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2026
9 execs on why CCaaS is so busy right now
Contact centers are home to living, breathing customer interactions. AI is helping companies mine that data and refine their customer experiences. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2026
3 execs on the difference context makes in customer data
“Context” seems like a necessary quality to improve data – and agentic AI efficacy. But how do you define it? We asked the pros. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Mar 2026
B2B martech stack core components and how to build one
A B2B marketing technology stack can have several components. Therefore, integration and ongoing optimization of those tools are paramount to meet business goals. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Mar 2026
8 contact center metrics to improve agent performance and CX
These metrics measure and report on productivity and effectiveness at the contact center agent level to ensure performance aligns with the overall mission of the organization. Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2026
RingCentral AIR Pro automates CX with agentic agents
RingCentral launched AIR Pro, an agentic AI platform to autonomously handle customer interactions with enterprise integrations, prebuilt agents and no-code tools. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Mar 2026
Modern CX tech stack: The core components and how to build it
A CX tech stack should integrate key components to unify customer data and support personalization. But the stack should be simple and include only essential tools. Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2026
Agentforce Contact Center brings native CCaaS to Salesforce
Salesforce launches Agentforce Contact Center, a native CCaaS platform that unifies voice, AI, CRM and digital channels to deliver personalized, proactive customer service. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Mar 2026
5 economic models that drive AI success in CX strategies
Integrating AI technologies into customer experience workflows can cut costs. But focusing solely on cost reduction misses opportunities to accelerate revenue. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Mar 2026
How costs leak between enterprise software systems
Cost problems rarely start inside a single system. They emerge between ERP, HR and CX platforms where fragmented data, automation layers and workflow gaps quietly accumulate. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Mar 2026
A guide to contact center security best practices
Follow this comprehensive contact center security checklist that encompasses technology safeguards, customer data protection procedures and common business sense. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2026
Identity-first CX blends customer convenience and security
Identity-first customer experience is an interesting and ambitious concept that melds customer ease of use and security controls. Sounds great, but can it be done? Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2026
How to improve the contact center experience for customers
Customers expect contact center interactions to be fast, seamless and personal, but improving the experience requires balancing automation, self-service and human support. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2026
10 strategies to improve contact center agent performance
Contact center agent performance improves when organizations combine training, feedback, routing and self-service with the right data, tools and support. Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2026
Oracle drops a truckload of CX-centric generative AI agents
Oracle's tactical deployment of AI boosts Fusion Cloud Applications for sales, service and marketing. Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2026
Salesforce's acquisition of Cimulate to boost AI shopping
Agentforce Commerce is the beneficiary of Salesforce's latest startup buy. Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Feb 2026
Salesforce layoffs continue as high-ranking executives leave
Salesforce lays off more, turnover hits the top echelons, and Benioff's ICE wisecracks draw fire from the employees who remain. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2026
Call center vs. contact center: What's the difference?
Call centers focus on voice support, while contact centers manage customer interactions across channels using shared data, automation and AI to shape modern CX strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Feb 2026
8 contact center challenges and how to address them
Modern contact centers face persistent challenges around customer expectations, staffing and data access. Addressing them requires more than incremental operational fixes. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2026
Top 19 contact center platforms of 2026
By now, many contact center software providers offer similar features. But large and small enterprises should consider some key differences among vendors. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jan 2026
Customer interaction analytics spurs better business results
Collect, dissect and act on customer interaction data. Integrate it with different company departments, especially the C-suite. And watch out for privacy issues. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jan 2026
How the convergence of UCaaS and CCaaS affects businesses
UCaaS and CCaaS platforms continue to converge as organizations look to unify internal and customer communications. Integration can deliver benefits, but it requires planning and clear requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jan 2026
Proactive customer service drives satisfaction and revenue
Proactive customer outreach provides several benefits for businesses. It generates revenue, improves customer satisfaction and takes advantage of AI workflows. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jan 2026
The quiet shift that made AI unavoidable
From visual search to enterprise collaboration, AI is arriving quietly inside existing tools and changing behavior before anyone calls it a decision. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jan 2026
The gap between AI execution and enterprise accountability
AI is accelerating execution across enterprise workflows, from retail to customer service to core financial systems. Ownership and accountability are not moving at the same pace. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jan 2026
Top field service management software platforms for 2026
The rise in remote work has spawned innovations in field service management. As a result, enterprise tech buyers now have several FSM product features to consider. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jan 2026
CX trends enterprise leaders should know in 2026
Customer experience is undergoing a great deal of change. As a result, business tech buyers should take note of some key CX trends shaping the industry in 2026. Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2025
Agentic AI security focus of ServiceNow acquisition targets
ServiceNow attempts to build one (secure) platform to rule them all. Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2025
What Salesforce's AI agents can do for nonprofits
Salesforce Agentforce Nonprofit goes live, extending agentic AI to resource-constrained organizations. Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2025
Salesforce adds Informatica to Data 360, MuleSoft fold
Informatica brings a potentially stronger data foundation to Data 360 and, by extension, Agentforce. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Dec 2025
AI creating new contact center jobs for agents
While AI spawns new customer-facing and AI support roles, contact center leaders must consider the costs associated with retooling and upskilling their workforce. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2025
AWS loads Amazon Connect with customer service AI agents
AWS brings AI agents to Amazon Connect. Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2025
Toyota's plan for contact center AI deployment
Toyota wants to enable its contact center agents to provide better service, not eliminate their jobs. How AI figures in. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Nov 2025
Early adopters of agentic AI for customer service offer advice
Two successful early adopters of Salesforce's agentic AI have molded it to customer service business needs. Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Nov 2025
The human touch: A CIO's wake-up call on customer service AI
As AI reshapes customer service, many businesses risk losing the human touch that customers value most. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Nov 2025
17 real-world use cases of the metaverse, plus examples
Use cases for the still-developing metaverse are growing as the technologies that enable this next iteration of the internet mature. Here are 17 examples of enterprises and consumers. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2025
The CX universe takes on healthcare with agentic AI
Ready or not, CX tech vendors are tackling healthcare with agentic AI. Continue Reading
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Definition
15 Oct 2025
What are virtual agents and how are they being used?
A virtual agent is an AI-powered software application or service that interacts with humans or other digital systems in a human-like manner, most often using natural language. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Oct 2025
Building an internal AI call simulator: Lessons for CIOs
LegalZoom built an in-house AI call simulator that improves agent training and automates grading, showing how GenAI can offer real operational gains. Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2025
Salesforce rolls into ITSM with Slack-based agentic AI platform
Salesforce hopes to turn Slack customers into ITSM users. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2025
Oracle adds AI agents to Fusion CX applications cloud stack
Oracle beefs up agentic AI capabilities for users of CX Fusion apps. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2025
SAP CX adds loyalty management, AI agents
SAP lands and expands its CX lineup with agentic AI. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Oct 2025
MLB, Shield Companies boost engagement with Zoom CX
IT leaders from The Shield Companies and MLB discuss why they adopted the Zoom CX suite to scale operations, improve customer engagement and use AI for real-time insights. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2025
ServiceNow makes the case to users for AI management
ServiceNow keeps up its campaign to own AI orchestration, challenges Salesforce with new CRM tools as Salesforce claps back with its own ITSM offering. Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2025
Sprinklr adds AI agents for marketing, CCaaS, more
Sprinklr users get their AI agents for marketing, service and customer feedback, custom-tuned to verticals. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2025
Genesys updates contact center AI agent, orchestration tools
Genesys will add AI orchestration and agentic interoperability capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2025
HubSpot adds 200 features to platform, much of it agentic AI
HubSpot adds to its Breeze agentic AI componentry. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Sep 2025
What is Cisco Webex? Everything you need to know
Cisco Webex is an AI-powered product suite of video conferencing and collaboration tools with features for workplace communication and information exchange. Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2025
Proposed U.S. law targets contact center AI, offshoring
Contact centers are in the sights of bills before the House and Senate with bipartisan support. Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2025
AI agents evolve how automated customer service works
Thrive, a managed services provider, discusses real-world applications of AI agents for customer service. Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2025
'AI receptionist' IVR takes flight with customer service
Traditional rules-based interactive voice response technology could be on its way out. Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2025
Salesforce, ServiceNow invest in Genesys agentic AI workflow
Two rivals pump cash into CCaaS leader Genesys in hopes that their respective AI agents grow roots into its users' contact centers. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2025
How Salesforce deploys its AI agents internally
Is 30% to 50% of the work at Salesforce really done by AI, as CEO Marc Benioff claimed? We put that question to the company's chief digital officer. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2025
'Click to Cancel' left to the states, for now
'Click to Cancel' laws are still on the books in many states. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jul 2025
Help desk vs. service desk: What's the difference?
Help desks deliver tactical, immediate technical support for specific issues, while service desks offer strategic, comprehensive management of business services. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2025
Genesys Cloud AI Studio enables generative AI agents
Genesys enables custom generative AI agents for its users. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2025
Salesforce Agentforce 3 lifts the hood on observability
Agentforce 3, the latest agentic AI tool from Salesforce, focuses on observability and interoperability. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2025
Pegasystems expands agentic AI for business automation
Agents are here -- but is prompting dead? Continue Reading
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Definition
28 May 2025
What is field service management (FSM)?
Field service management (FSM) is a system of managing off-site workers and the resources they require to do their jobs efficiently. Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2025
SAP to add AI agents for catalogs, order management
SAP deepens its footprint in agentic AI. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2025
Twilio updates conversational intelligence, expands CDP
Twilio integrates its CDP and communications platform more closely. Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 May 2025
The brutal customer experience lesson of Nike's RTFKT NFTs
Nike sinks as Adidas rises in the NFT world. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2025
ServiceNow rolls into Salesforce territory with CRM agentic AI
ServiceNow makes its pitch to be a CRM, adding CPQ and order management features. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 May 2025
UCaaS vs. CCaaS vs. CPaaS: What's the difference?
It can be difficult to make sense of popular cloud communications service models. Compare UCaaS vs. CCaaS vs. CPaaS to understand their differences and how they can be used together. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2025
Salesforce releases Agentforce for HR, more
Salesforce customizes its agents for more verticals and begins benchmarking its agentic AI. Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2025
AI adoption hovers around 25% for office workers
Perficient and Thomson Reuters surveys show that AI adoption is limited in some sectors, but there's lots of experimentation and evaluation happening. Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2025
Avaya's Infinity rollout bolsters cloud, on-prem options
After acquiring Edify CCaaS, Avaya gives users more hybrid cloud options. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Apr 2025
What are customer service and support?
Customer service is the support organizations offer to customers before, during and after purchasing a product or service. Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2025
Tariffs and CX: Hold on to customers during an economic storm
Delivering excellent customer experience is a tough job on regular days. Now add rising prices because of tariffs. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2025
AI provides foundation for Atlassian customer service app
Atlassian will enter the world of customer service by extending its current internal ticketing tool to its users' customers. Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2025
Salesforce adds Agentforce to field service verticals
Salesforce spreads Agentforce's net to field service, across numerous industries. Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2025
Where AI really fits into digital customer experience tech
An interview with Calvin Cheng, partner at consultancy West Monroe, who works on digital strategy and CX teams. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Apr 2025
What is a customer service manager? Roles and responsibilities
Customer service managers are an integral part of contact centers. They are the team leaders, trainers and policymakers. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2025
The importance of being proactive in customer service
Proactive customer service can help businesses keep customers more engaged, yet tools to support the strategy might cost more than CX leaders are willing to spend. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Apr 2025
How to address common customer service gaps
Has customer service gotten worse? Customers and businesses disagree on the answer to that question. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2025
Tech buyers swamped with agentic AI choices
Enterprise tech buyers, if you're overwhelmed by the array of autonomous AI platforms, it's not just you. Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2025
OpenAI targets customer service with new audio models
The models build on GPT-4o and 4o mini architecture. With it, developers can control tone so that contact center agents can effectively help customers on the other end of the call. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2025
Qualtrics releases employee, customer service AI agents
Qualtrics joins the agentic AI free-for-all in CX. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2025
Genesys, Google add to contact center generative AI services
Genesys and Google roll out their next wave of AI tools for customer service. Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Mar 2025
What is quality of experience (QoE or QoX)?
Quality of experience (QoE or QoX) is a measure of the overall level of a customer's satisfaction and experience with a product or service and the vendor that's providing that product or service. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2025
Amplitude voice of the customer capability targets 'rage close'
Amplitude rolls out VOC features from Command AI acquisition. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2025
Data, training complexities make DIY AI agents difficult
Agentic AI is complex, so choose your development path carefully. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2025
Salesforce, Google ink $2.5B deal to bring Gemini to Agentforce
The deal gives Salesforce customers multi-cloud and LLM flexibility. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2025
How to use ChatGPT for customer service
Customer service teams can use ChatGPT to automate tasks, generate responses to customer inquiries, summarize email threads and power human-like chatbots. Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2025
Zendesk acquires Local Measure CCaaS, CX platform
Zendesk expands its CCaaS capabilities with Local Measure acquisition. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Feb 2025
What is high-touch customer service?
High-touch customer service is a category of contact center interaction that requires human interaction. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2025
How to build a customer service plan, with a template
Crafting a customer service plan is a key step to improving customer satisfaction and building loyalty for an organization. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Feb 2025
What is customer self-service?
Customer self-service is digital support that lets end users access information and perform routine tasks without requiring the assistance of live agents or representatives. Continue Reading
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Podcast
28 Jan 2025
Cisco generative AI strategy hinges on CX and agents
The vendor's GenAI approach aims to boost the user and consumer experience. Continue Reading
