Biographical Information

Articles for Donna Fluss

GenAI: Reaping the Benefits and Navigating the Challenges

The technology is well on its way to being a contact center fixture.

GenAI Is Revolutionizing Conversation Analytics

The solutions can uncover deeper insights, operationalize findings, and generate improvements to the CX and EX.

A Practical Approach to GenAI in the Contact Center

Start slowly with the technology—but definitely start.

5 Ways AI Can Enhance CX (and EX)

It's not a question of will you use AI, but when.

AI-Enabled WFM Promotes Efficiency and Flexibility

More advanced workforce management empowers employees and improves CX.

Cultivating Employee Satisfaction and Engagement

Studies show the factors that can reduce attrition in the contact center; it's just a matter of implementing them.

Thanks to AI, the CCaaS Sector Comes on Strong

Although sales cycles are slower, companies are buying.

Real-Time Guidance: Practical AI Tools for Contact Center Agents

The ability to analyze live conversations as they occur helps the customer and employee experience.

AI: The Brain of Future Contact Centers

Contact centers are highly complex, and they need lightning-fast decision makers.

Workforce Management for the 21st Century: Helping Deliver a Great CX

With a big assist from AI, these solutions are delivering better experiences for customers and employees.

Which Department Should Handle Digital Interactions?

Companies are still, surprisingly, trying to work this out.

Why Does Customer Service Keep Getting Worse?

Execs talk a good game about the value of great CX, but reality doesn't measure up.

The Transformation of Workforce Engagement Management

After a strong year, these solutions are poised for a wave of innovation, thanks to AI.

5 Applications to Boost Contact Center Performance in a Tough Economy

These innovations are ready to be rolled out and are positioned to help contact center managers achieve their departmental and corporate objectives.

Interaction Analytics Helps Companies Hear their Customers

These solutions can be a company's eyes and ears on both customers and employees.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming CX

Contact center systems were long overdue for a major refresh. AI is obliging.

IVAs: Self-Service Solutions that Work

It's time to give the customers what they want.

Aligning People, Process, and Technology: The Key to a Successful Contact Center

This bit of wisdom never goes out of style, no matter how advanced our tools become.

The Cloud Contact Center Land Grab Is on

The future is in the cloud, and CCaaS vendors are battling to stand out.

Contact Centers: The Next Big Thing

Yes, really. But why are software vendors jumping on the contact center train?

The Contact Center’s AI Revolution

AI technology is driving a rapid pace of innovation and change in the service sector.

Interaction Analytics: What’s Driving Adoption

IA solutions can identify the issues that are preventing good CX. (Featured on Speech Technology.)

WFO/WEM Solutions Prove Their Worth in a Pandemic Economy

When contact centers sent their employees home to work, workforce optimization/workforce engagement management tools helped ease the transition.

The Contact Center Agent Hiring Gap

The difficultly in hiring agents worsened during the pandemic because many companies didn't have the procedures in place to hire remote employees—and it's getting worse now with agents being asked to return to the office

The Contact Center WFO Market Is Transforming

The story of this market is explained not by the pandemic but by digital transformation and the migration of contact center solutions to the cloud, both of which were accelerated by COVID-19.

The Transformational Value of Interaction Analytics

With so much in flux, IA can alert executives about the state of their customers and employees

Contact Centers’ Road Map to Success in the New Normal

The pandemic helped companies discover unforeseen and valuable possibilities

Workforce Optimization Solutions Help Companies Through the Pandemic and Beyond

As digital transformation became a necessity, so did new and improved WFO

Contact Centers’ Digital Transformation Has Only Begun

The process was hastened by the pandemic, but with COVID's end hopefully in sight, businesses need to rethink the service experience.

Is It Knowledge Management’s Time?

Institutional knowledge at your fingertips is a big plus right now.

Contact Center WFO Remains Healthy, Despite the Pandemic

But to thrive moving forward, WFO needs to go beyond the contact center.

Customer Experience in the Post-Pandemic World

It's time to move ahead and not wait for things to go back to "normal," because the meaning of normal has changed, and consumers' expectations have been permanently altered.

IVAs: The First Responders for Customer Service

Whether call volume surged or slowed to a trickle, intelligent assistants have proved effective on the front lines

Post-COVID-19, Contact Centers Should Reinvent Themselves

The pandemic has sped up changes that were overdue

Why Can’t We Just Put Customers First and All Get Along?

Disharmony can impact customers, employees, and the bottom line

In Times of Crisis, Contact Center Agents Must Practice Mindfulness

During COVID-19, agents will experience plenty of secondhand trauma. Here's how to keep agents healthy during stressful times

AI Will Change the Service Game, Eventually

In times of unprecedented uncertainty, one thing seems clear: artificial intelligence will drive the next business revolution

5 Customer Service Trends That Point to a Promising Future

Leaders finally realize what's best for customers is what's best for the company

The WFO Market Continues to Beat All Odds

Buoyed by productivity and innovation, workforce optimization remains a perennial enterprise software success story

The Hybrid Contact Center Workforce of 2030

Make way for the ‘interaction center,' staffed with humans, IVAs, and robots

The Workforce Optimization Market Adapts to Ever-Changing Rules of the Road

A rapidly changing business landscape, featuring AI, automation, and employee-centricity, leads to complex customer journeys for vendors and companies alike

The Reality of AI—Once You Get Past the Hype

Artificial intelligence is widely claimed, but practical uses are not widely found just yet

New Workforce Management Transfers Power to Agents

With flex staffing, agents can self-serve their way to a better work-life balance

Will Robotic Process Automation Replace Human Workers?

Automation will bring changes that rival those of the Industrial Revolution

Workforce Optimization Ushers in the Real-Time Contact Center

AI, automation, and analytics are leading to an era of self-service and sophisticated agents

Customer Service Is Everyone’s Responsibility

Companies have to start organizing their culture around putting the customer first

Thanks to AI and RPA, the WFO Market Surges

Workforce optimization moves to the cloud and embraces AI and analytics, and the market responds

Smarter Bots Mean Greater Innovation, Productivity, and Value

Robotic process automation is allowing companies to re-imagine and re-invest in all aspects of their businesses

Innovation Is What Makes Us Great

Customer service flourishes in a climate where people are free to innovate, and fail, and start over again

Knowledge Management Is Poised to Keep Companies Informed and Efficient

Artificial intelligence, increases in self-service, and a younger workforce all point to a bigger role for KM solutions

Contact Center Management Is Both an Art and a Science

A lot of skill is required, but even the most talented manager has to rely on data

Cloud Contact Center Solutions Continue Upward Trajectory

There's plenty of cloud-based excitement, though proliferation, compliance, and security remain issues.

WFO Solutions Must Be Rebuilt From the Ground Up

A truly multitenant architecture—supporting cloud, on-premises, and hybrid solutions—is becoming a necessity.

Speech Analytics Enters Its Next Act—Maturity

Speech and text analytics have become indispensable to the customer journey, and increased adoption and a replacement cycle are the next stage.

Robots Are in Your Contact Center’s Future

Robotics, in tandem with desktop analytics, will drive productivity improvements.

Chat Is Not Replacing the Voice Channel for Customer Service

Is it a must-have for contact centers? Yes. But it remains a complement to voice.

As the WFO Market Evolves, Will Vendors Adapt?

New targets, the demand for personalization, and the need to adjust sales models are among the challenges.

These 8 Technologies Are Transforming the Contact Center

The need to understand and engage newly empowered customers (hello, Millennials) is driving innovation.

WFM Solutions and Vendors Are Not All the Same

A buyer's guide for a market in which one size does not fit all

Will Customer Journey Analytics Be the Next CRM?

CJA looks to capture the kind of customer knowledge—spanning channels and touch points—enterprises have long sought

Real-Time Adaptive Scheduling—WFM’s Next Evolutionary Step

With ever-increasing demands for personalized service, contact centers need workforce management that can adjust to life's uncertainties

Cloud Solutions Are Rising in the Contact Center

Increased reliability, flexibility, and security of solutions make them an increasingly obvious choice

Workforce Optimization Is Under Siege

The sector has slowed of late, but innovation shows a way forward

The AI Revolution in Customer Service

The contact center market is finally ready for virtual bots, and not a moment too soon for self-service

Speech Analytics Can Help Alter the Service Paradigm

To create outstanding and personalized experiences for customers, you have to know them

Forget Annual Reviews: Use QA to Appraise Agents

Contact center staff can get timely feedback—and will stay more engaged

Workforce Optimization Is Poised for Big Changes

The cloud, integrated suites, and Big Data are transforming the market, and vendors must adapt

Great Customer Service Isn’t an Accident

To bring about outstanding service experiences, your employees have to actually be put in a position to deliver them

Workforce Management’s Best Years Lie Ahead

Back office and branch solutions, as well as channel and scheduling flexibility, will drive growth

Outstanding Customer Experience Is Still Your Top Service Goal

It ranks ahead of cutting costs or adding new technology

Cloud-Based Contact Centers: Bringing Clarity to a Crowded Market

A glut of vendors poses a challenge to buyers

Workforce Optimization's Winners and Losers

As the market moves toward analytics, many solutions will see their growth rev up—but a few will stall

Workforce Optimization Enters the Analytics Era

As the sector's products evolve, the challenge for vendors is getting customers to bite.

Cloud-Based Contact Centers: The Sky's the Limit

The market is starting to soar thanks to flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and ever-increasing reliability

Speech Analytics Is Important to Your Future

Analyzing what your customers say to agents can have huge operational benefits across an enterprise

It's Time for a Customer Service Revolution

Creating a frictionless customer experience will require a service rethink—and a companywide effort

The Outlook for WFO: Optimal

The workforce optimization market stays strong, and better analytics and back-office features could make it stronger

Say It Ain't So, Salesforce!

The company has made it easier for vendors to integrate and innovate. Will a sale change that?

Make Choice Your Calling Card

Preference management enables your customers to choose how, and when, to interact

WFM Finds a Better Direction

Algorithms and simulation address a key mathematical challenge

Contact Center Hall of Shame

The 11 worst customer service practices.

10 Top Enterprise Trends for 2015

Service excellence is finally taking a starring role.

Grow Motivation Through Gamification

Packaged solutions offer contact centers far-reaching potential.

Navigating the Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market

Ease of use is key consideration for potential buyers.

Speech Analytics Is Starting to Make a Difference

With skilled analysts behind them, these solutions can enhance the customer journey.

Is It Time to Move Your Contact Center to the Cloud?

Make sure you understand the myths and realities.

Outbound Solutions Engage Customers and Enhance Relationships

Mapping out the ultimate next-generation product.

Buzzword Battle: Omnichannel Versus Multichannel

When the contact center industry takes notice, we all win.

Is It Time to Replace Your Complaint Management System?

Flexibility is key to meeting evolving business challenges.

Use Desktop Analytics to Improve Your Servicing Environment

Adoption of these solutions is poised to take off over the next few years.

WFM Growth Brings Choices and Challenges

For some companies, ease of use is winning out over functionality.

Speech Analytics Is an Enterprise Change Agent

Expanding beyond the contact center is a challenge to overcome.

Exploring the Role of Cloud-Based Contact Center Solutions

Adoption is growing, but concerns remain.

A TCPA Warning for Outbound Dialers

Companies that don't keep up with the latest regulations will pay the price.

Outbound Dialing Makes a Comeback

Changing rules give vendors new opportunities.

Suite Versus Best-of-Breed: Is Less Really More?

When not all solutions are created equal, choosing one is no easy task.

Meeting the Social Media Challenge

Build a system that works for your company.

The Black Hole of Customer Surveys

Don't ask for feedback if you're not going to act on it.

Workforce Management: Better but Not Good Enough

What makes an ideal solution?

The Rise of Social Customer Care

Best practices for staying on top of the new service landscape.

Transform Your Contact Center Into an Essential Corporate Contributor

Operations at risk must take a proactive approach.

Changing the Face of Workforce Optimization

Predictive and real-time analytics offer tremendous potential for contact centers.

Surveys Alone Are Not the Answer

Offering great customer service means knowing how to respond.

Why Contact Centers Are Moving to the Cloud

Low cost and flexibility make this a win-win solution for many enterprises.

Why Contact Centers Don't Adopt Performance Management

Despite excuses, catching up with other enterprises is only a matter of time.

IVRs Get a Bad Rap

There's no excuse for not investing in these systems.

The Revitalization of the Workforce Management Market

One-size-fits-all solutions are no longer the answer.

In Contact Centers, WFO's Star Is on the Rise

A host of innovations are adding new dimensions.

Social Media Belongs in the Contact Center

When marketing works with customer service, customers and enterprise benefit

Making Sense of the Hosted Contact Center Infrastructure Market

A 2012 buyers' guide.

Using Social Media for Customer Service

Are you reaping the benefits of this valuable resource?

The Argument for Desktop Analytics

This new IT sector offers visibility, real-time guidance, and process automation.

Speech Analytics in the Voice of the Customer Era

A valuable application increases its role

Redefining CRM

Why one size fits all no longer does

Using Social Media for Customer Service Is a Strategic Imperative

Protect and enhance your company's image.

Hire, and Empower, a Chief Customer Officer

This customer-centric position can unite siloed departments

Future of Contact Centers Clearly Lies in the Clouds

Too compelling to ignore, the benefits include low startup costs and no capital investment

New-Gen WFM Solutions Make a Real Difference

But many contact center offerings require a trade-off between accuracy and ease of use

Use Social Media Proactively

Leveraging sites like Facebook and Twitter is critical

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear About WFO

Suites embrace analytics, debunk idea core components are commodities

Realizing the Benefits of Speech Analytics

Initially for contact centers, the Holy Grail for marketing and customer service organizations has widened its scope

Customer Service Initiatives for 2011

Tough economy erodes customer loyalty, but there are ways to rebuild it

How to Listen to the Voice of the Customer in a Multichannel World

Contact center surveying/enterprise feedback is a vital first step

Separating Fact From Fiction

Speaking of Solid Payback

Optimizing your interactive voice response system may require only a small investment

The Golden Age of WFM

What contact centers must do to manage workforce management.

The Growth of Social Media in Customer Service

In a space this new there's nowhere to go but up.

The Siebel Effect—And Its Survivors

Failed CRM projects of the past may lead to a promising future.

Analyzing the Workforce

Analytics and on-demand offerings are changing the nature of workforce optimization.

6 Steps to a "Greener" Contact Center

What it means for the contact center to focus on the size of its carbon footprint.

Speaking of Customer Insights

Speech analytics can help improve customer experience, cut costs, reduce attrition, and minimize risk

Contact Center Innovation: What to Expect in 2010

Organizations must change their mission and culture to benefit from new technologies.

Presence Is Accounted For

Is unified communications the next disruptive technology for customer service?

Voice Self-Service to the Rescue

When live agents can't be had, interactive voice response systems may suffice.

Doing More of What You Already Do

Performance management is a contact center requirement.

Contact Centers and the Age of Analytics

A variety of applications promise revenue generation and cost reduction.

Workforce Optimization Is the Optimal Goal

Helping contact center managers achieve four primary goals.

Will Customer Service Be Another Casualty of the Recession?

In a tight economy, companies try to cut operating expenses wherever they can.

Top 10 Contact Center Goals

The contact center is part of a larger organization—and its goals must reflect that.

Contact Centers in the Web 2.0 World

Web 2.0 technologies can support your customer service processes.

Feedback Is the Future

Contact center surveying is evolving into enterprise feedback management.

A Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Business continuity and disaster recovery are often overlooked.

The High Quality of Quality Management

New solutions continue to make an impact inside and outside the contact center.

The Hosted Contact Center: A Paradox No Longer

Vendors were waiting for the market to pick up. End users were waiting for enhancements. Both waits are over.

Hold On to Your Customers

Why the contact center may be your last line of defense.

Performance Management Requires Process Improvement

Contact center performance management isn't about measuring flaws -- it's about fixing them.

The Contact Center Identity Crisis

You are who you talk to.

Productivity and Workforce Management

WFM solutions typically pay for themselves in under a year -- can you afford not to have one?

Monitoring the Quality Monitors

What you need to know about quality management and liability recording solutions.

2008 Contact Center Challenges

Before managers can tackle primary goals, obstacles must be overcome.

Contact Center Surveying Is Essential

The surveying market may be fragmented, but that doesn't diminish its importance.

A Weak Connection

Ignoring customer needs is extremely shortsighted and expensive.

Analytics Is the Answer

What do contact center managers need to generate revenue? New tools and technologies.