Biographical Information

Articles for Phillip Britt

Advertisers Embrace a Side Hustle

Demand-side and supply-side integrations benefit the entire ad ecosystem.

Voice AI Joins the CRM Conversation

Integrating voice technology, conversational AI, and CRM systems can vastly improve the customer journey.

Sailebots Produce Leads for City Wide

The building services franchisee boosts interest with Sailes.

DevriX Boosts Traffic for Arms Directory

Firearms website grows with DevriX's digital marketing expertise.

A Q&A with Verint CEO Dan Bodner

Dan Bodner, Verint chairman and CEO, sat down for a far-reaching interview with DestinationCRM.com during the Verint Engage 2024 conference in Orlando, Fla., answering questions on everything from the growth and future of the company to the outlook for the contact center industry.

Verint Launches Genie Bot at Engage 2024

Verint Genie Bot is an expansion of the company's Speech Analytics solution.

AI Bots' Benefits Cut Across Enterprises: Verint Engage 2024 Speakers Stress

CX automation is the only way forward, and AI technology is changing the game, Verint CEO Dan Bodner said at his company's Engage conference Tuesday.

AI Is the Magic in CX, Verint Engage Speakers Affirm

Artificial intelligence produces impressive results for companies willing to take a chance on it, speakers point out at Verint's annual conference.

Digital Doubles Are a Good Alternative to Algorithms

Consumer-owned AI agents offer real business benefits, Forrester says.

A Q&A with Clint Oram, SugarCRM's Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer

SugarCRM is celebrating its 20th year in business in 2024. Clint Oram, its co-founder and chief strategy officer, recently gave a far-reaching interview with DestinationCRM, answering questions on everything from the impetus behind starting the company to the future for himself and SugarCRM in light of the continuing evolution of AI.

GenAI Is Critical to Contact Center Success

Contact centers can use AI to improve experiences and drive growth, Forrester finds.

AI Can Be Detrimental to CX

Gartner finds that there's customer pushback against AI that hinders getting to a human agent when self-service fails.

NICE Provides the Standard with Enlightened Experience

NICE's Enlighten Autopilot improves customer satisfaction, effort, and containment scores.

Technology Investments Don’t Stop CX Decline

Two studies show that consumers are still underwhelmed by customer experiences.

The Top Customer Service Trends and Technologies for 2024: In Customer Service, AI Is Everywhere

Generative, conversational, predictive, and multimodal are among the AI flavors.

A Q&A with Barry Cooper, NICE's CX Division Head

Barry Cooper sat down with CRM magazine writer Phillip Britt at the recent NICE Interactions conference in Las Vegas for a one-on-one interview.

Customer Service Innovators More Likely to Use GenAI

Companies that use generative AI have a competitive edge, Deloitte finds,

NICE Shows the Benefits of AI-Driven Tech at Interactions Event

Artificial intelligence embedded across NICE's products has already led to great results for the company and its customers, Barry Cooper said at a Day 2 keynote during Interactions 2024.

NICE Touts Single-Platform Design at Interactions

NICE has hailed cloud, digital, and AI technologies as transformative, and proves it with the release of CXone Mpower and 1CX unified platforms at its annual Interactions event.

Pega Is iNspired by Generative AI

At its iNspire conference, Pegasystem announced expansions to its generative AI tools for building workflows and applications and an expansion of its genAI partner ecosystem.

Contact Centers See a New Focus on Onshoring

Foreign contact centers, once the darlings of the industry, have lost some of their appeal.

BYOD Is More Manageable Today

The barriers to managing employees' personal devices are coming down, helping fuel the bring-your-own-device trend.

Networking Solutions Increase Concession Sales

The New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center score big with Verizon.

AI Named the Most Transformative Tech in 20 Years

ContactBabel lauds AI-powered agent assistance and chatbots.

Generative AI Can Improve Contact Centers

CCW Digital says genAI can "elevate nearly every facet of customer contact."

AI-Powered Dashboards Give Employees and Supervisors Real-Time Insight

The advent of work-from-home contact centers has spawned a tech revolution in operations management.

CRM Now Shows Companies the Money

CRM integrations with e-commerce and payment gateways gain momentum.

Heylo Manages Membership Money with Brevo

Payments and expanded CRM capabilities grow association business.

B2B Needs to Adopt an E-Commerce Approach

Forrester urges B2B sellers to more closely mirror B2C interactions.

B2B 'Deep' Sellers Tap Contacts More

LinkedIn finds that top sellers build deeper relationships with buyers.

5 Best Practices for Empathetic Experience Design

Companies need to design customer experiences that make emotional connections, Forrester says.

CRM in Education: Vertical Markets Spotlight

Personalizing outreach across all life stages.

CRM in Telecommunications: Vertical Markets Spotlight

CRM integration challenges loom for telcos in a turbulent industry.

CRM in Transportation: Vertical Markets Spotlight

Data drives a widely diverse and highly competitive industry.

Frontpoint Locks in a Better Customer Experience

Mavenoid helps Frontpoint Security overcome staffing challenges.

Pipeliner Hits the Mark for Ernest F. Mariani

Pipeliner provides the one CRM system Mariani's salespeople actually use.

B2B Marketers Waste a Lot of Time and Resources

CMO Council gives most marketers grades of C or worse for their efforts.

Consumer Opt-Outs Are Increasingly Common

Trust issues prompt consumers to unsubscribe from company outreach, Attest finds.

Sales Analytics Are Helpful but Underused

Data problems top the concerns with analytics, Gartner finds.

Integrate Calendaring and CRM for Greater Sales Productivity

Sales teams and managers work better when everyone is on the same (calendar) page.

Golden Nugget Wins with PolyAI

The hotel, casino, and restaurant operator is handling customer calls with PolyAI virtual assistants.

Trust Is Invaluable in B2B Sales

Trusted companies garner twice as many recommendations, Forrester finds.

Marketers Need Transparency with Consumer Data

PCH finds consumers are increasingly concerned with data privacy.

Contact Centers Add Technology but Still Fall Short

CCW Digital finds that CX technologies have not changed CX delivery.

Expect GenAI to Take on Customer-Facing Roles

As large language models expand and generative AI technology advances, experts see a greater role in customer service.

How to Pick the Best LLM for Your Sales Activities

With so many options in a fragmented market, it's important to choose wisely.

Go Flooring’s Sales Hit the Ceiling

Roomvo's Visualizer tool helped Go Flooring exceed $12 million in sales in its first year.

How to Get the Most Out of Intent Data

Use intent signals earlier in the sales process, Forrester says.

CX for 2024 Offers Opportunities, Challenges

Forrester says that companies need to judiciously invest in and use generative AI and similar tech.

In 2024, Don’t Let Modest Budgets Create Complacency

Forrester urges CRM practitioners to focus investments on innovation and skills.

Calendly Routes Success to Smith.ai

BPO increases bookings with higher-quality sales leads.

SaskTel Reduces Truck Rolls with Blitzz Concierge

Canadian telco is cutting operating costs with Blitzz's self-service portal.

How to Build the Perfect Bot

New developer tools are steering automation creation.

Let Your Products Sell Themselves

Product-led growth is replacing traditional sales and marketing .

Generative AI Offers Significant Customer Success Benefits

Automated content creation can fuel growth without adding head count, Forrester finds.

GenAI to Benefit Customer Service—Eventually

Generative AI is not yet ready for customer-facing use cases, Forrester asserts.

SugarCRM Shifts Focus to the Mid-Market

The company discusses its recent moves into new markets and verticals at Analyst Summit in London.

SugarCRM Touts Generative AI's Potential at London Conference

SugarCRM is committed to generative AI, which executives see as the future of CRM, speakers said at SugarCRM's Connected 2023 conference in London.

Prosperity Becomes More Prosperous with Total Expert

The home mortgage lender boosts business with the vendor's customer intelligence tool.

The Cloud Is Where Radial Wants to Be

The move to Verint's cloud-based Workforce Management pays off.

AI Undergoes a Contact Center Expansion

Customer service teams can use full, assisted, or attended automation and should employ all three.

Self-Service Buying Goes Mainstream

B2B shoppers don't want or need salespeople, but you can still meet them on their path to purchase.

Sales Challenges Remain Consistent

There's been little change in sales priorities and problems over the past four years, RAIN Group finds.

Marketers Need Generative AI Guardrails

Forrester warns that generative AI can't be unleashed without human supervision.

For Today's Customers, Less Is More

Consumers feel overwhelmed by too many choices, Forrester finds.

Social Content Creators Gain Influence

With sharp increases in numbers in just the past two years, social media content creators are in huge demand, Forrester says.

Crisp’s Data Is Sweet for RxSugar

The sweetener manufacturer grows sales with Crisp's data insights.

Salesloft Reports Great Savings with Matik

Matik's technology lets Salesloft compile customer reports with ease.

The Top Customer Service Trends for 2023: As Remote and Hybrid Work Continues, the Cloud and AI Loom Large

Postpandemic, the pace of technology has accelerated.

The Top Sales Trends for 2023: Turning Tech Tools Into Teammates

Sales reps, buyers, and technology form a three-way collaboration.

Forrester’s Brand Energy Leaders

The research firm identifies the companies with the most energized customer relationships and passionate advocates.

B2B Marketers Are Embracing AI

But confidence is still lacking in the results generated, Forrester finds.

Pega iNspire Speakers See AI Becoming More Pervasive

AI will fuel the autonomous enterprise that Pega sees as a 2023 imperative, speakers at Pega iNspire maintain.

Verint Speakers Urge Automation to Close the Customer Engagement Gap

Presenters on Day 2 of Verint's Engage 23 touted Verint's CCaaS platform and other digital applications to address customer needs.

Verint Launches 4 Products at Engage '23

Verint opened its Engage user conference with the launch of Engagement Data Insights, Enterprise Experience Management, Open Contact Center as a Service (Open CCaaS), and new DaVinci AI capabilities.

Pega Unveils Plans for the Autonomous Enterprise at PegaWorld iNspire

Pegasystems today at its PegaWorld iNspire conference made the case for generative and analytical AI with the latest additions in Pega Infinity '23.

Regal.io Helps Kin Insurance Improve Outbound Marketing

Regal's branding solution ensures that calls go through.

Genesys Cloud 3 Solves GSG Staffing Challenge

The graphics firm increases call center productivity with Genesys' workforce management.

From Sales to RevOps

Companies are moving to a cross-functional approach that focuses on financial outcomes.

The Struggle to Raise First-Contact Resolutions

Contact centers have struggled to limit follow-ups, but tech is increasing the odds.

AI Is Not the Cure-All for Customer Service Woes

Forrester warns companies against relying too heavily on generative AI alone.

Pack Makes the Cut with Clothier

Cuts Clothing stitches together a better web experience with Pack CMS.

Power Digital Drives Lord & Taylor’s Digital Growth

The move away from brick-and-mortar didn't hurt the iconic retailer.

As Loyalty Withers, Lifetime Value Needs to Be Redefined

Customers today are far more fickle, so loyalty needs to be measured differently.

What Will It Take for Omnichannel to Live Up to Its Promise?

Omnichannel customer service technology exists. Now companies just have to deploy it properly.

Social Media, Customer Service Top In-Demand Skills

LinkedIn uncovers the skills that are most valuable to companies right now.

Sellers Need Additional Support Today

As sales budgets rise, so do seller expectations, Gartner finds.

Alignment Is Critical to Improving CX

Growth and value also increase when functions are aligned, Forrester says.

Stripers Hit a Home Run with Factoreal

The Minor League Baseball team boosts attendance and sales with email marketing.

CRM in Financial Services: Vertical Markets Spotlight

Data is the key to addressing new threats to traditional banking and investment relationships.

CRM in Healthcare: Vertical Markets Spotlight

CRM helps medical providers maintain and grow their patient pools.

CRM in Retail/E-Commerce: Vertical Markets Spotlight

CRM helps merchants and customers in tough economic times.

CRM in Travel/Hospitality: Vertical Markets Spotlight

Better bookings can come in with CRM systems.

B2B Marketing Should Focus on Revenue Life Cycles

Marketing strategies need to cover the entire series of customer activities, Forrester urges.

Companies Need to Do More CX and VoC Measurement

Forrester sees few companies maximizing their customer feedback programs.

Brimag Improves Efficiencies, NPS Scores with CommBox

Brimag Service turned to the communications platform to overcome staffing issues.

Dragon Glassware Catches Coverage with Press Hook

The glassware company used Press Hook's platform to connect with relevant publications.

The CRM and E-Commerce Convergence Begins

Companies benefit when customer data can inform e-commerce personalization.

Interaction Analytics Helps Improve Coaching/Training

Data-driven guidance provides a better agent and customer experience.

A Fifth of CX Programs Could Disappear in 2023

Forrester predicts huge declines as economic concerns intensify.

Real-Time Feedback Is Still a Major Problem for Most Companies

Only 37 percent of companies can collect and act on real-time input.

A-dec Expands Its Internal Intelligence

eGain's AI Knowledge improves information access for agents and distributors.

Keeping Keap Pays Off for Lifeonaire

The life coaching organization reaps the rewards of Keap's marketing solutions.

Conversational AI Moves from Service to Selling

Long a contact center staple, conversational intelligence is moving into sales, and there's lots of money on the table.

Emotion Detection in Marketing Is About to Go Mainstream

Technology to detect and analyze emotional states has advanced significantly in the past year alone.

Digital Commerce Now Demands Rich Media

Companies should look into more short-form video advertising, Forrester suggests.

SAP Provides Sweet Results for Ferrara

The candy manufacturer benefits from SAP Cloud, SAP CDP, and SAP Emarsys.

PreviewMe Sees Growth with ActiveCampaign

Bookings and engagements have surged since unifying sales and marketing on ActiveCampaign.

B2B Marketplaces Capitalize on E-commerce Expansion

As much of the world moved online, all sorts of B2B marketplaces have cropped up, and now marketing on them is far easier.

As Contact Centers Become More Complex, Testing Grows in Importance

Tools to optimize customer service operations have grown in scale and depth of functionality.

The 5 Elements of a Customer-Centricity Model

Innovation, consistency, intimacy, empowerment, and purpose are key, PwC urges.

Post-Pandemic Events Must Focus on Audience Needs

Virtual events are here to stay, and marketers need to revamp their strategies, Forrester advises.

5 CX Budget Recommendations for the Coming Year

Some projects can still get funded, even when money is tight, says Forrester Research.

Sugar Paints a Better Picture for Kelly-Moore

The paint retailer is saving sales reps time with SugarCRM.

Niemann Foods Brings Stores to the Digital Age

Birdzi helps the grocery retailer reach customers with online marketing.

Using AI to Boost Sales Forecast Accuracy

Effective sales predictions require the right data mixed with human intuition.

Different B2B Buyers Show Different Signals

Being able to recognize buyer intent signals is key to success, Forrester finds.

B2B Buyers Need to See the Value Today

Sellers need to know what's valuable to each individual buyer, Forrester finds.

Content Is Key to Conversational AI Success

As marketing and sales adopt AI, the focus should be on building the right messaging.

Forrester’s 5 Steps to Optimize B2B Ad Budgets

Greater attention needs to be paid to proper audience targeting, says a new report.

Staking a Spot in the Metaverse Is for the Risk-Takers

Designing experiences for the metaverse will require bold action, Forrester warns.

The Top Customer Service Trends for 2022: New Service Channels and Challenges

Investing in digital, social, and virtual will remain a post-COVID priority.

CINC Now Sees the Full Story

The real estate tech provider has gained visibility into its mobile app with FullStory.

Crisp Data Contributes to Sunday Growth

The lawn care company's retail sales are growing like weeds with Crisp's data solution.

Forrester Answers the 10 Questions for Closing the Customer Loop

Following up with consumers who offer feedback doesn't have to be difficult.

Verint Makes the Case for Its Solutions in Turbulent Times at Engage 2022

With the pandemic's effects still lingering, companies have untapped opportunities for differentiation, Verint Engage speakers stress on Day 2.

Verint Introduces Solutions to Address Engagement Capacity Gap at Engage 2022

Verint execs introduced Verint's One Workforce and Total Quality approaches at its Engage 2022 Conference.

Voice Assistants Still Underutilized for Business

Despite widespread availability, companies and customers aren't interacting with them.

Zenoti Lets Birds Barbershop Soar

Zenoti Marketing & Sales brings customers and revenue back to the salons.

Shoe Carnival Walks Away with Better Feedback

The shoe retailer is able to respond to issues faster with Verint solutions.

Sales Presentation Tools Evolve to a Go-to-Customer Approach

Sales meetings look different today, but enough tools exist to help design content for them.

Tools Can Now Uncover Real-Time Customer Behavior

Companies can respond in real time when they know what customers will do in real time.

NICE Labels Frictionless Experiences Key to Customer Service at Interactions Event

Companies need to declare war on the friction that has kept self-service from satisfying customers, speakers urged during day one of NICE's Interactions 2022 event. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Chat Ready for Takeoff; Some Companies Aren’t

Many consumers are already comfortable with the technology, Forrester finds.

2022 Marks the Advent of the Metaverse Continuum

Accenture highlights the fledgling metaverse in its ‘Technology Vision 2022' report.

Amazon Connect Boosts Customer Service for Traeger Grills

The outdoor cooking equipment manufacturer is on fire since implementing AWS contact center technology.

Airship Elevates Hagebau Connect’s Marketing Efforts

The German DIY retailer's loyalty program rises with Airship.

Sales Leaders Push for Measuring What Matters

As sales processes have changed, the metrics need to follow suit.

Low-Code/No-Code Offerings to Grow, but Some Still Want Complexity

As CRM systems get more sophisticated, they can be easier to upgrade and customize.

CX Investments Pay Off

Companies that provide good customer experiences perform much better, an ROI study shows.

Engagement, Innovation Are Keys for B2B Marketers

Social distancing proved the need for new approaches to marketing, Forrester finds

Yotpo Grows Sir Dogwood’s Business

Yotpo's SMS messaging addition leads to a 4,700 percent ROI for the pet supplies company.

Alchemer Strengthens Amdocs’ VoC Program

Alchemer's enterprise feedback platform helps Amdocs drive actionable insights from customers.

Retailer CX Fails to Impress

The customer experience dip follows two years of gains, Forrester says. Plus: Five recommendations for how to fix it.

Productivity Tools Advance to Assist Remote Workforces

Contact centers now have a wide assortment of tools to help agents work more efficiently, no matter where they are.

Keys to Keeping the Consumer Connection in a Digital World

Customers have many options today, and keeping them engaged on the right channels might keep them coming back.

AAA Northeast Provides Faster Service with Calabrio

Calabrio interaction analytics yields efficiency gains for local auto club.

Kari Gran Sees the Beauty of StoryTap

The skincare products supplier taps into video to increase customer engagement.

Revenue Operations to Dominate Marketing Operations

‘RevTech' will be key to sales and marketing success in 2022, Dun & Bradstreet predicts.

Sentiment Grows in Significance as COVID Surges

Companies see renewed interest in gaining the most from customer feedback.

Sales Embraces the Experience Economy

Virtual technologies advance to expand retail opportunities in a contact-free world.

Ada Helps Tile Find 291 Percent ROI

The device tracking app provider is saving money and time with a chatbot.

Tattle Puts Feedback on the Rib & Chop House Menu

Restaurant chain increases sales and customer satisfaction with Tattle customer insights.

A Stepped Approach Is Key to Successful Chatbots

Consumers are disappointed by chatbots, but they don't have to be, Forrester Research finds.

NFTs Continue to Gain Traction

Non-fungible tokens provide value to digital companies despite questions.

Good Agency Partnerships Are Really Needed Now

Marketers can benefit greatly from agency and tech pairings, Forrester finds.

CIO-CMO Collaboration Drives Better CX and Growth

Companies need to further close the gap between marketing and IT, Forrester says.

Bots Are Good, but They Can’t Do It Alone

The best bots know when and how to hand off complex requests to humans.

Jornaya Drives PolicyBind Growth

Insurance network expands marketing options with Jornaya LeadiD.

Plante Moran Builds a Wealth of Engagement with ON24 Target

The financial firm maintains customer contact with the online events platform.

5 Tips for Digital-First Customer Service

Companies can no longer operate siloed digital channels, Forrester stresses.

Marketers Need to Earn a Seat at the Table

CMOs often don't have a voice in executive discussions, Forrester finds.

Tips For Making Customer Interaction Data Actionable

Companies must knock down the silos to make the most of the customer information they collect.

GlassesUSA.com Sees Clear Benefits from Dynamic Yield

The online eyewear retailer tweaks its recommendations engine to increase revenue.

Tax Savings Pros Saves Time with SugarCRM

Sugar Market leads the financial planner to a full SugarCRM rollout.

‘Reimagined’ Consumers Have New Priorities

Accenture finds that post-COVID consumers value different things.

Tips for Building a Continuous Loyalty Program

Rewards have to offer a differentiated customer experience, Forrester Research urges.

Customer-Obsessed Companies Pull in 2.5 Times More Revenue

Higher profits, customer retention, and employee engagement follow CX initiatives, Forrester finds.

Gartner's Tips for Building a Lasting Marketing Framework

Gartner Marketing Symposium day 3 speakers urge better use of data to steer marketing decisions.

Ditgital Marketing Initiatives Slow to Take Hold, Gartner Reports

Digital transformation, marketplaces, and unified commerce will challenge companies for years to come, Gartner Marketing Symposium speakers contend.

Marketing Is Vital for Organizations to Flourish in Challenging Times, Gartner Marketing Symposium Keynoter Says

Marketing leaders need to be stewards of customer relationships and the data that goes with them, speakers on the opening day of the Gartner Marketing Symposium stressed.

University Answers Queries Quicker with ServiceNow

The University of South Carolina handles more requests in less time with ServiceNow's CSM

How to Fuel AI-Powered Marketing

Forrester lays out a game plan to help B2B marketers cast their nets.

AI, ABM Strategies Aren’t Just for Marketing

Gartner says sales teams can also apply artificial intelligence and account-based strategies to their craft.

4 Trends in Digital CX Point to Some Progress

Beefed-up design teams and better digital accessibility are critical, Forrester says.

The CMO’s New Role: Change Leader

Customer-centricity will only happen with top-down changes, Forrester maintains,

The Top Customer Service Trends: Digital Channels Overtake Service Options

Despite interactions moving online, the human connection is still vital.

Qualfon Keeps a Closer Eye on its Agents

Observe.AI is helping the outsourcer coach agents more effectively

Great American Home Stores Shift to Digital

The retailer built its business during the pandemic with LeadsRx

Flexibility Will Be Key to Business Continuity, Genesys xPerience Speakers Stress

Companies will need agility in technology, staffing, and processes to deal with changes brought on by COVID-19, speakers said on day two of Genesys' xPerience virtual event.

Digital Customer Service Is Here to Stay, Genesys CEO Says at Xperience Event

Amid the pandemic and beyond, empathetic customer experience trumps everything else, Tony Bates, Genesys' CEO, said in his keynote at Genesys Xperience 21 virtual conference Wednesday.

CX Doesn’t Have to Be So Expensive

Customer service costs rose during the pandemic, but now it's time to get back into savings mode.

Let the Platform Do the Work, SugarCRM CEO Says at Connected 2021 Event

CRM systems shouldn't require users to do all the heavy lifting, Craig Charlton maintains.

Digital Marketing Challenges Move Within

Organizational difficulties will be the biggest hurdle in 2021, Gartner finds

Inkit Gets Its Data Flowing In

The company's customer data is onboarded properly with Flatfile

Natural Language Works with More Than IVRs

Companies with high interaction volume can look to natural language understanding to help with the surge.

Tips for Battling Bias in AI-Based Personalization

Being aware of human flaws could lessen the chance of them becoming damaging technology flaws

COVID Spawned a Next-Gen Consumer, NICE Speakers Warn

Companies must be prepared to serve customers who got things done digitally for the past year, speakers asserted on Day 2 of NICE Interactions 2021.

Technology Got Companies Through the Pandemic, NICE CEO Says

At its Interactions virtual conference, NICE CEO Barak Eilam said companies would not have fared as well 20 years ago because certain technologies didn't exist.

Verint Execs and Customers Discuss What's Next After the Pandemic on Day 2 of Engage

Companies will continue to grapple with work-at-home requests, increased call volume, and higher expectations, speakers maintained during the second day of Verint's virtual conference.

Verint Locks in Customer Experience Focus

Verint continues to shift its focus on customer experience business, with a goal toward helping businesses rebound after COVID-19 disruptions, CEO said at Engage 21 conference.

Medallia CEO: Better Analytics Leads to Better Customer Experiences During Pandemic

At his company's Experience 21 conference, the Medallia head outlines the benefits of the right information as the business environment changes.

Marketers Who Respect Contextual Privacy Stand Out to Customers

Companies should collect and use private data as part of a fair exchange of value, Forrester urges.

ServiceNow Adds Capabilities to Help in Fighting Pandemic

ServiceNow unveils vaccine administration, field service, and healthcare-specific solutions at its online Knowledge 2021 event.

Marketers Need to Consider Post-Pandemic Behaviors

Some consumers will be ready for face-to-face contact, but other consumer behaviors that developed during the pandemic will endure.

Pega Offers Optimistic Outlook, New Opportunities for Customers at PegaINspire

Pega uses its second virtual conference to introduce Pega Platform and Pega Infinity 8.6.

Chat Adds to Retail Success

Consumers patronize companies that offer chat on their websites.

The Key to Keeping CRM in Sync

Which departments should be aligned, and which technologies can bring them all together?

Marketers Move to Chart Journeys in Real Time

Speed becomes an essential element of customer journey analytics.

Hydra-Stop Optimizes Salesforce Conversions with Saggezza

The Salesforce implementer created custom fields to prioritize opportunities.

Talroo Energizes Solr Search Engine with Lucidworks

Lucidworks' Fusion is returning faster search results for Talroo customers.

Adobe Adds to Experience Cloud at Adobe Summit

New product launches include customer journey analytics and optimizer, a customer data platform, Marketing System of Record, headless CMS, and more.

Evinced Helps Capital One Meet Accessibility Guidelines

The financial giant increases compliance across customer-facing digital properties

B2B Marketplaces Offer Opportunities for Marketers

Businesses have embraced the digital marketplace much like consumers have.

Third-Party Messaging Offers Customer Service Opportunities

Businesses can meet consumers where they are by adding messaging apps to their channel mix.

Marketing Is Turning to AI for Customer Acquisition

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are not new, but marketing have begun using the technologies to identify and target new business.

Mel Trotter Ministries Feeds More with Virtuous CRM

The charity improves donor relations with Virtuous' platform for nonprofits.

Coveo Event Speakers Urge Companies to Be Relevant

Relevance relies on a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning to deal with the flood of data, Ray Wang told attendees.

Rotary Spins Out a Marketing Win with Workbooks

The outdoor equipment dealer cuts time for marketing activities

Casey’s Is More Convenient with Mobile Apps

SAP has helped the convenience store chain build loyalty with e-commerce

CRM in the Cloud: Which Model Is Right for You?

When looking at CRM software-as-a-service, companies have a variety of deployment options

Field Service Goes High Tech Amid the Pandemic

Advances allow for remote service delivery and better customer interactions

Gartner Eyes Customer Service Shift from Mobile Apps to Messaging

Changing technology landscape focuses on team building, research finds

Chatbots, IVAs Can Help Close the B2B Digital Gap

Long used by B2C companies, digital outreach channels can help in B2B

In 2021, Loyalty Shouldn’t Be Assumed

COVID fatigue is breeding intolerance for CX shortfalls, Experian finds

Technology Alternatives to the Third-Party Cookie

Marketers need to be more proactive and attentive to privacy concerns.

Ford Recognizes Essential Workers with Lacek

FordPass Rewards drive loyalty among COVID frontline employees and first responders

Five9 Projects Get Simpler with FinancialForce

FinancialForce provides complete business visibility for the contact center provider

Fabriik Manages Growth with SAP

SAP's Customer Experience suite helps the financial services company handle rapid growth

RSVD Scales New Contacts with MountainTop

The event management solutions provider uses B2B data to enter new markets

Nuance Helps Cabify Manage Growing Customer Requests

The ride-sharing company picks up scale with a virtual assistant

Whether B2B or B2C, Buyers Are Still Human

Regardless of who's the marketing target, companies can draw on similarities to improve outreach efforts

Four Keys to Unified Customer Service Governance

Customer service assets function better when they're centrally managed

How to Choose the Right CRM

When selecting CRM systems, companies need to consider their industry, vertical, and size

Dynamic Customer Engagement Is a Business Imperative

Companies increase metrics with proactive customer service outreach

Pandemic Highlights Need for Intelligent Routing

Better routing will decrease call waiting and handling times as consumer patience wanes

SAP Launches Customer Data Platform

SAP highlights CX's importance within the company, but data will be the key moving forward, CEO says during virtual event.

Three Keys to Customer Obsession

Reliability, service, and advocacy keep customers coming back, Forrester finds

Good Customer Service Is Only Half of the Loyalty Equation

Gartner suggests building customer advocacy and wallet share as well

The Top Five Customer Service Technologies

Analytics and automation are needed to survive the pandemic, Gartner finds

Math Meets Marketing with Statistical Models

Modeling is key to marketing success, but the data needs to be better

Co-Browsing Gains as a Service Tool

COVID and the shutdowns bring a rise in technology alternatives to in-person service interactions

ERC Collects Better Information with Interactions’ VCA

Virtual Collections Agent removes basic information-gathering calls from ERC agents

Online Search Tool Suits Wildfang

The clothing retailer offers a better website experience with Searchspring

CX Becomes Essential as Contact Centers Become the Face of the Company

Companies survived amid the pandemic because their contact centers provided empathy and moved to the cloud, Cyara's CEO said during his company's Cyara Xchange.

Pandemic Challenges Companies to Master Customer Signals, Oracle Execs Say at Cloud CX Virtual Summit

Companies need to clean up their data to better serve customers during the crisis, Oracle leaders said at the company's online event today.

Better Service Requires an Omnichannel Contact Center

A CCW Digital survey highlights the need for companies to offer more outreach channels

Trust Is Key to Creating a Customer Bond

Deloitte highlights the need for companies to connect with consumers on a human level

Marketing Still Needs to Adapt Messages, Speakers Contend

As marketers and salespeople continue to work remotely, they need to tailor messaging and interactions, panelists agreed on an ABM webcast today.

The Pandemic Can’t Subvert Customer-Centricity

Customers need to remain at the heart of contact center interactions, CCW advocates

Social Media Is No Longer an Imperative

Forrester says it's OK for companies to break up with social media

The Top Customer Service Trends: Contact Centers Grow Use of the Cloud, AI, and Other Technologies

COVID-inspired remote workforces force contact centers out of their on-premises comfort zones

Speech Analytics Boosts Customer Service for Bluegrass Cellular

Calabrio helps the wireless carrier increase lower-cost Level 1 support

WestJet Customer Satisfaction Takes Off

The small airline benefits from a bot built by Netomi for Facebook Messenger

Seamless Customer Experiences Require Simplified Operations, CX Network Speaker Contends

As customer journeys become more complicated, the workflows to address them need to be much simpler, a Calabrio speaker explains during the CX Network Contact Center seminar.

When It Comes to Communications, Twilio Has Insurance Firm Covered

Cover Financial is benefiting from Twilio's Flex cloud-based platform

Navy Federal Deploys Verint for COVID-19 Response

The credit union turned to Verint's analytics to address changing business conditions

Identity Resolution Moves into the Contact Center

The popular marketing technology is aiding in routing, fraud detection, and issue resolution

Zero-Party Data: Personalization and Privacy Can Coexist

When customers provide data directly to companies, consent takes on a new meaning for marketers

Modern Advertising Needs New Strategies

Marketing needs to adapt to higher customer expectations, Forrester urges

Pandemic Heightens the Need for Analytics

Companies want to know how COVID-19 changes consumer behavior

CCW Outlines 5 Strategies for Modernizing Contact Centers

Data will forge new contact center capabilities by 2025, CCW Digital Predicts

Verint Touts Functionality, Flexibility of Solutions at Virtual Conference

As the pandemic shuttered offices, Verint solutions were able to help companies move to remote work with disruption, its CEO maintains.

CMO Responsibilities Need to Expand

Forrester says marketers need to be more customer-obsessed to succeed

4 Methods for Measuring Marketing’s Impact

With marketing budgets on the rise, Gartner details ways for leaders to identify ROI

With Customer Service Spiking, Investments Should Focus on Productivity

Gartner suggests spending on technology that will increase employee performance

Marketers Need to Optimize for Voice Search

The voice channel presents unique opportunities and challenges for marketers

Gladly Is the Right Customer Service Fit for Andie

The swimwear retailer is buoyed by Gladly's efficient self-service tools

U-Haul Call Centers Hustle to Help College Students in Unexpected Moves

U-Haul's contact centers, armed with work-at-home agents and Verint technology, are helping college students whose schools have been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Nosto Helps Industry West Furnish Shoppers with Personalization

The home decor retailer's website is optimized with AI to improve conversions

Saved by Zero (Contact Resolution)

Automation is taking away the need for agents to get involved in many interactions

Sales Analytics Show Strong ROI, Gartner Finds

Coaching and skills development uses deliver the largest benefit

Aggressive Negotiations Are Still Key to Sales Success

Sales leaders who dictate the terms of deals have a better chance of closing them

Top Companies Consider Values, Not Just Value

Consumers prefer doing business with firms with a conscience, Accenture finds

Opus, Haptik Advance Intelligence Satisfaction Score as an IVA Metric

Companies need to determine how well their conversational user interfaces, speech analytics, and text analytics work together.

Professional Services Firms Need to Embrace Digital Marketing

A study by the Hinge Research Institute has found that professional services firms grow three times faster when they employ digital marketing strategies.

Banks Struggle to Meet Customer Expectations

Customer demands from banks have changed, and financial services firms are finding it difficult to deliver, a new report from BAI asserts.

Where in the World Are Outsourcers Going?

Onshore and nearshore locations see the most contact center growth

In Modern Marketing, It’s All About Location, Location, Location

Technological advances are expanding what businesses can do with location-based marketing

B2B Needs to Align Digital and Humans

Sales require a human-centered approach supported by technology, Accenture finds

Customer Experience Measurement Must Be Consistent

Those who understand customer experience's impacts get bigger budgets, Gartner finds

Transparency Is Critical to Resolve Privacy-Personalization Paradox

Companies need to be up front with consumers before collecting personal information

Verint Portal Connects San Francisco Citizens to Services

SF311 is able to speed residents to the information they need

Verint Expands Adobe Partnership

Verint and Adobe unify data from their respective Experience platforms to help predict customer interaction outcomes.

Arxan Nails It with Direct Mail

PFL's tactile marketing program delivers hard-to-reach customers

CX Leaders Struggle to Show the ROI

Communicating the benefits of their CRM investments eludes many, West Monroe researchers find

Channels Collide as Physical and Digital Converge

In 2020, customers will demand both in-store and online touchpoints

Brand Management a Challenge, Gartner Survey Shows

Even though global brand management is critical for company success, more than one-third (35 percent) of companies struggle with it, Gartner reports in its most recent brand survey.

Gartner Hypes Blockchain as a Sales Tool

A handful of technologies are on the brink of making a splash in CRM sales technology but are still five to 10 years away from any significant adoption, according to Gartner, which recently released its "Hype Cycle for CRM Sales Technology" report.

C3i Exceeds Expectations with Avaya

The contact center outsourcer is winning back business with new technologies, replacing a string of legacy systems in phases to maintain operations while easing the burden on its IT department

Customer Service Becomes a Marketing Tool

As businesses today compete on customer experience (CX), marketers have a tremendous opportunity to leverage effective customer problem resolution to increase loyalty and, potentially, sales. This approach integrates marketing and customer service in the ways that CRM always promised.

Tips to Avoid Drowning in Data

Having tons of customer data means nothing unless companies can turn it into actionable intelligence that they can use to influence or alter the bottom line. That translation might not happen immediately, but it has to happen eventually if data projects are to sustain themselves.

Businesses See a Sales Lift with Texting

Many companies are converting leads to sales with SMS outreach

NICE Performance Manager Helps Mapfre Engage Agents

The vendor's solution helps agents set and stick to performance goals

Sales Training, Coaching Will Benefit from AI

Gartner expects artificial intelligence to make training more personalized

Mobile-Friendly Websites Are Now Essential

The need for mobile access is greater than ever, but research shows that most sites miss the mark

Verint Launches Knowledge Anywhere KM Enhancements

Artificial intelligence and increased automation better connect people to information with Verint's Knowledge Management Professional.

SugarCRM Introduces Fall 2019 Release

The new features in SugarCRM's Fall '19 release focus on self-service, automation, and collaboration.

Zendesk Unveils Gather and Sunshine Conversations Products

Gather offers peer-based customer support, while Sunshine Conversations enables social media interactions.

Spiro Adds Notes Feature to Its CRM Platform

Spiro's new Notes feature pulls data from customer interactions and ensures that necessary follow-ups are made.

Deeper Relationships Require Intelligence

Companies need new technologies to connect the dots in customer data

Customer-Centricity Is Key to Sales Success

Sellers must be able to provide perspective to customers, CSO Insights suggests

Marketers Emphasizing E-Commerce Over Advertising

Gartner uncovers more investment in digital commerce than digital ads

UJET Puts Dia&Co on the Plus Side of the Ledger

The fashion retailer has boosted customer satisfaction with its new contact center platform

SugarCRM Launches Discover Analytics Tool

Sugar Discover, based on Corvana technology, can provide historic and predictive insights.

PipelineDeals Launches SuperShare

SuperShare enables companies to share CRM data with partners.

Georgia Tech’s Football Program Sees Spike in Fan Engagement Thanks to SalesLoft: A CRM Elite Customer Awards Case Study

A smarter process and increased accountability lead to winning results

Jewelry TV Finds Gold with Riversand: A CRM Elite Customer Awards Case Study

Riversand's Product Information Management is a hidden gem for JTV's website

Spalding Scores Big Gains with Salesforce: A CRM Elite Customer Awards Case Study

The sports equipment giant expands its digital business with cloud technology

Folloze Expands AI-Driven Personalization Engine

New integrations with Demandbase round out the enhancements in Folloze's personalization platform.

Openprise Adds Attribution Capabilities

Openprise's marketing attribution capabilities reflect the dynamics of each buyer's journey.

Verint Offers Unified VoC to Help Solve Growing Interaction Challenge

Company emphasizes the need for more feedback at its Engage user conference

Agility, Speed Essential for Contact Center, Genesys Xperience Speakers Stress

Speakers on Day 2 of Genesys' user conference tout the benefits of cloud contact center deployments.

Genesys Doubles Down on AI at Its Xperience Conference

Conference speakers identify artificial intelligence and related technologies as the key to handling the explosion of contact center communications.

AI Driving Growth, Efficiencies in Contact Centers, NICE Speakers Affirm

NICE proves it's all-in with artificial intelligence at its annual users' conference

GardaWorld Freshens Its Service Capabilities

Freshworks helps the armored car services provider keep the money moving

Companies Find Gold in Identity Resolution

Advanced solutions can now sift through customer data from many sources to create a single ‘golden record'

Extraprise CRM: Extending Systems Outside the Four Walls

Companies are opening their CRM systems to partners, vendors, suppliers, and customers with new digital twin technology

Helpshift Aids VCA in Pet Wellness

Mobile app and chat feature drive successful outcomes for vet care provider

Genesys’ PureCloud Boosts Company Nurse Service: A CRM Service Elite Customer Case Study

The contact center systems helps triage workplace injuries, saving time and money

Sales Enablement: A New Role for Sellers

Improved buyer knowledge is forcing sales reps to become consultants

Georgia Tech Strengthens Athletic Department with SalesLoft

Sales and fan engagement increase for the college sports powerhouse

To Market Events, Make Them Memorable

It's important for attendees to remember the company, and for the company to remember attendees

Janrain Expands Offerings with Looker

The digital identity network provider is now far more flexible

Digital Sales Transformation Needs the Right Connections

Companies that have had strong sales in the digital world needed more than just a computer

Segmentation Enters the Sales Playbook

While a common tool for marketers, sales has started using segmentation as well

Calabrio’s Suite Is the One for Radial

The e-commerce service provider improves its call center with Calabrio ONE

Jewelry TV Unearths a Data Management Gem in Riversand

The TV retailer has tripled the amount of product information on its website

Colleges Can't Cling to Old CRM Technology

Higher education today needs CRM systems that can integrate and adapt

Booksy Increases Bookings with Bidalgo: A CRM Elite Customer Awards Case Study

The appointment scheduling app provider now sees more conversions from its video ads

Real Estate Agency Is Sold on Contactually

Engel & Voelkers improves customer follow-through with the CRM platform

Reputation.com Polishes a Property Manager’s Rep

For Garden Communities, managing online reviews is now a walk in the park

HubSpot Helps Eventige Book Business Fast

The marketing agency now grows brands while growing its own revenue streams

SendinBlue Sends the Right Message with Dataiku

Machine learning helps guarantee that millions of messages are delivered daily

Oracle Modern Customer Experience, Day 2: Oracle Provides Marketers with New Capabilities

As companies get more data, marketers have greater opportunities to increase revenue, Oracle's Marketing Cloud leader says.

Oracle Modern Customer Experience Day 1: Oracle Boosts AI, Adds Other Marketing Enhancements to CX Cloud Suite

Oracle unveiled a number of marketing and sales innovations in its cloud-based customer experience platforms.

Pulling Maximum Benefit From a Partner Ecosystem

Global companies don't become as successful as they are by going it alone

BoomTown Builds Valuable Voice Insights with Invoca

The B2B real estate software company increased conversions and ROI with call intelligence

Conga Aids Utah’s Economy

The Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development is using Conga Contracts to award business grants and incentives

Customer Reviews Require the Right Response

A smart approach can turn the tide of consumer sentiment

Oracle Buys NetSuite to Bolster Cloud Operations

The $9.3 billion acquisition could herald more deals involving the industry's big players, experts say.

Beware of False Location Data

Accuracy is just part of the battle; marketers also need to know how to interpret location data.

Mobile-First Strategies Take Hold in Emerging Markets

Improving technologies and economies enable marketers to connect with hard-to-reach consumers

Location-Based Marketing Segment Set to Soar

LBMA organizers cite apps, beacons, and geofences as tools to drive engagement.

Some of Tomorrow's Technologies Offer Benefits Today

Gartner Wireless Summit '09: Other gee-whiz technologies may not be far behind.

Mobile's No Place for a Browser

Gartner Wireless Summit '09: More than anything else, consumers want time- and location-sensitive information.

Sharp Decline Expected for Gift-Card Sales

A research firm and an industry trade group both come to the same conclusion: "Fewer people may be hitting the stores in January to redeem gift cards."

Software-as-a-Service Gets Strong Loyalty Marks

A new Gartner survey indicates that nearly 90 percent of current or intended users of on-demand software expect to maintain or grow their SaaS footprint.

The 9 Fatal Flaws of Business Intelligence

A recent Gartner report bemoans the fact that "companies tend to view business intelligence as [just] a bunch of technology."

Sprint to Subsidize Cost of WiMax Adoption

WiMax World '08: "Customers can get a lot of benefits out of WiMax if we take the complexity out of it," a Sprint executive says.

WiMax Finally Goes Global

WiMax World '08: The next-generation wireless standard is beginning to find success in several developments across the world.

U.S. Contact Center Shipments Fall for Third Straight Year

New research indicates that a 3.6 percent drop in 2007 may be followed by further declines this year -- and well into 2009.

Most Marketing Is Now Online

New research suggests that the bulk of an average marketer's budget is now spent online.

Still No Masters in Gartner's 'MDM for Product Data' Magic Quadrant

The latest assessment of master data management for product data covers 11 vendors -- and reveals no leaders. Is product data that much harder than customer data?

Nine New Vendors Join Gartner's E-Commerce Magic Quadrant Report

Magic Quadrant for E-Commerce '08: Veteran firms IBM and ATG top the field -- but the field itself is twice as big as it was last year.

The Power of Foresight: Top Companies Use Predictive Analytics

Better customer information leads to higher retention rates.

Customer Insights Breed Customer Loyalty

A new Aberdeen report says profitability is dependent on repeat buyers and a focus on lifetime customer value.

Are Small Businesses More Intelligent?

New research shows that business intelligence tools have a higher adoption rate among small businesses than their medium-sized counterparts.

Ongoing Demand for On-Demand BI

TDWI Spring '08: Real-time (or near-real-time) business intelligence continues to improve.

Self-Service Business Intelligence Is a Myth

TDWI Spring '08: Line-of-business users want access, but self-service is only a short-term solution.

The Stewards of Business Intelligence

TDWI Spring '08: The most important element in BI -- the human factor -- is also the most-often overlooked.

No Markdown for Price Optimization Applications in Gartner MarketScope

Business Intelligence Is Mission-Critical, for CRM and Others

Gartner Business Intelligence Summit '08: By 2009, 90 percent of mission-critical projects will depend on data warehouse information to drive higher revenues or lower costs.

Intelligent CRM Requires Business Intelligence

Gartner Business Intelligence Summit '08: The need for better CRM is one of the factors driving growth in the BI marketplace.

Most Web Visitors Can't Get the Help They Need

A new study finds that the majority of consumers visit a company's Web site to research products and services -- but less than half say the information to be found there meets their needs.

Virtualization Takes Hold, Says Gartner Magic Quadrant on Desktop Outsourcing

Out of a 12-company scrum assigned to the top quadrant, EDS leads the pack.

Managing Risk Is Its Own Reward

Gartner Business Continuity Management Summit '08: One industry analyst suggests that sometimes risk isn't risky at all -- but necessary.

Best Practices: CRM and Wireless

Gartner Wireless '08: By heeding lessons learned, companies can help ensure they get the maximum benefit from mobile CRM deployments.

Have Laptop, Won't Travel

Gartner Wireless '08: As the mobile workforce continues to evolve, "portable personality solutions" will be all the rage, says one Gartner analyst.

Quixtar's Quick Fix

An easy-to-use business intelligence project sparks innovative reporting without additional personnel.

Is CRM Recession-Proof?

As budgets tighten, all technology spending comes under scrutiny. A new survey, however, indicates that strategic CRM projects are more likely to be spared.

Oracle Hyperion's Performance Manages to Top Gartner's CPM Magic Quadrant

In the research firm's annual look at the consolidation-ridden corporate performance management space, Oracle's Hyperion acquisition was the only one that made the cut -- literally.

Mobile CRM Keeps Moving, and FrontRange Tries To Get Out Front

A recent spate of releases continues to expand the marketplace for mobile CRM, even as mobile stalwart BlackBerry suffers yet another nationwide service interruption.

In Magic Quadrant for Application Delivery, F5 Really Delivers

Looking at the network-technology vendors specializing in serving up the technology of others, Gartner gives glowing marks to just two out of 13.

The Suite Spot: Former Pure-Play Vendors Dominate BPM Magic Quadrant

Former pure-play business process management (BPM) providers lead the market, now that they've grown into full-suite offerings.

MicroStrategy and Microsoft Move Up in Gartner's BI Magic Quadrant

Magic Quadrant '08: The research firm's assessment of the business intelligence sector shows the two vendors joining SAS Institute, Oracle, Cognos, and Business Objects in the top segment.

Money and Mobility Sweeten Sugar's Pot

SugarCon '08: The open-source CRM provider gets a new batch of venture-cap cash, and announces a new mobile offering for BlackBerry and other smartphone users.

Small Businesses Have Large Needs for Mobility

Experts agree that the need for mobile technology support is out of proportion to smaller companies' level of adoption; even consumer solutions can help bridge the gap.

Burning Up the Paper Trail

Origen Financial turns to automation to minimize a mountain of mortgage paperwork.

Sears Outsources Its CRM

The retailing giant saddles up its customer relationships and asks an advertising agency to take the reins.

IBM Acquires an Apt App

Big Blue snaps up AptSoft, a provider of software designed to help companies make real-time decisions.

The Big Rigs Get Revved Up

With an updated GoldMine in the driver's seat, a Carolina truck dealership steers to unified customer information.

How Marketers Use Business Intelligence Intelligently

When it comes to deploying BI in marketing, best practices can light the path to "information nirvana."

The Best Companies Do Better with BI

Strong companies get more out of business intelligence than weaker ones do.

Are CRM Systems Too Complex for the SMB?

"Getting staff to use the software" remains the biggest challenge for the small and midsize CRM user.

Mapping Out CRM Opportunities

The world is flat -- and so is the battlefield for control over geographic, navigational, and site-specific information that CRM applications need to grapple with.

Oncontact Touches the Online CRM User

The vendor launches a new Web site to promote the latest version of its CRM software, giving users the same look, feel, and functionality, regardless of the channel through which they're connecting.

Genesys Acquires Informiam

The move expands the telecommunications vendor's line of reporting and analytic software.

Social Networking: You Are Not in Control

There are 3.5 billion online conversations every day. Is your company part of them, or a victim of them?

The Death of Mass Marketing?

Forget about mass products for mass customers: Many companies are better served by providing customizable products and services.

Marketers Need to Rethink Strategies

"Marketers have to work harder than ever before in order to sell," says a presenter at a search marketing conference.

Simplify Your Contact Centers!

Technology investments designed to empower agents may actually complicate access to required data.

Banks Again Seek to Improve CRM

An industry traditionally at the forefront of CRM continues to make the effort to master customer interactions.

Holiday Shopping Brings Customer Service Challenges

As the annual shopping season opens, retailers need to allocate resources more effectively.

What Contact Centers Need to Do

Systemic challenges are driving the industry toward self-service and automation.

Business Intelligence's Intelligent Leap

Not every step toward a best-in-class BI deployment is going to be a smooth transition.

SoundBite Bares Its Teeth Again

In the weeks since its delayed IPO, the on-demand voice-messaging vendor has struggled to shed the stigma of patent-infringement allegations.

Dun & Bradstreet Buys Purisma

The union of two data providers represents "a monumental acquisition," says one analyst -- though more deals are likely.

McDonald's Credits Business Intelligence for Recent Growth

A top executive tells the Microstrategy Fall Symposium that the key to successful BI is making sure the strategy is designed to deliver value, not merely to collect data for data's sake.

Working the Midstream

With a new compensation application, Workstream attempts to introduce enterprise-level functionality to the midmarket.

Nextance Launches Proposal Management

As part of the company's latest release, Nextance Proposal Management will improve the process and end result of preparing proposals.

Proper Measurements Lead to Improved CRM

Too many measurements, however, or too few mean failed CRM, according to an industry analyst at this year's BI Summit.

Market Focus: Automotive: Adapting to Altered Buy Environments

Consumers buy cars differently from how they did a generation ago. Makers and distributors must respond to the changes or become last year's model.

Midmarket CRM Grows

SaaS and open-source CRM offerings are replacing contact managers and spreadsheets as the systems of record for medium businesses.

Sage Unveils a New Taste of CRM

SageCRM 6 includes new training and search tools, along with a customizable suite of features for administrators, giving SMBs what enterprises are used to.

IP Telephony and SMBs: A Question of Security

A study reveals that only half of smaller businesses trust the security of IP telephony, ranking it less certain than many other data networks.

Automotivation: Dealers' Online Sales Zoom

As more consumers rely on the Internet to shop for cars, dealerships look to turn online leads into sales.

Analyzing Business Turnaround

The first step in embracing analytics is to have a CEO who sees analytics as a corporate differentiator.

IRS Customer Service Channels Aren't Taxing

The agency's Oversight Board report finds 80 percent of respondents are satisfied with IRS customer service when compared with other government offices.

Wireless Purchase Opens the Door to Enhanced Service Offerings

ERF Wireless snaps up Southwest Enhanced Network Services; banks will benefit from owning their own wireless equipment and dropping expensive T1 lines.

First-Call Resolutions Are Improving

Coaching and the provisioning of a knowledge base are important aspects of immediate performance gains in this vital area of customer service.

Go North: GoldMine Resellers Unite

More resources will allow expanded services, making Core Solutions more attractive to some prospects at the larger end of its target market.

WebTrends Launches Dynamic Search

The company's new multivariant testing app automatically uses advertising resources where they're the most effective; one analyst says the paid search market is open for WebTrends.

Voxbone Expands With Stealth

As part of Stealth Communications' Voice Peering Fabric, the company's intercontinental direct connection capabilities will achieve enhanced quality and reliability.

Sage Climbs Up VerticalFalls to Spawn

The CRM fixture will use the technology obtained to deliver a new integrated bundle aimed at financial services advisory firms, including some of the larger enterprises.

New Capabilities Will Drive Smartphone Sales

Different regions favor different kinds of applications; offline entertainment vies with online utility among mobile users.

Diverse Options Are Still Available in SFA

SaaS and mobile options continue to grow while buyers can choose from best-of-breed or suite vendors, according to Gartner; SFA will grow more than 13 percent annually through 2010.

Email Overwhelms Communications Professionals

Workers spend too much time sending and receiving emails, with PDA users the most overwhelmed group, according to a new study.

Mobile Phones Get a Boost from Billing

Relationship calling plans lead to large mobile phone usage among young consumers; coverage and reliability trump newer capabilities.

Avaya Launches Unified Communications ''Editions''

A suite approach to offerings and the acquisition of a mobile unified communications solutions company will strengthen Avaya's presence in the UC marketplace.

EDS Will Acquire GEMS

The deal will help expand EDS's capabilities in the SAP CRM market and help provide stronger capabilities for enterprise-level customers installing or planning to install SAP applications.

Chordiant's Lending Platform Unifies Decisioning

New software designed for large, multiline lenders pulls together facets of mortgage, auto, and credit card lending into a single system.

How the Well-Heeled Hunt

Hours of Web research almost always precede purchasing at brick-and-mortar locations; marketers must understand several degrees of online buying comfort levels.

Mobile Enterprise Strategy: More Money for '07

Executives are spearheading investment efforts in mobile sales productivity tools, according to a new study.

Marketers Miss the Mark on Privacy Crisis Containment

Securing brand trust is crucial for success says a new study; consistency in security and privacy is needed across the enterprise, yet execs and marketers are not in sync.

Data Sharing Continues to Grow

More decisions are being made based on enterprisewide data; lower level execs are taking on more data-driven decision-making.

Most ROI Calculations Are Incomplete

Developing multiple strategies and values will improve the business performance of a CRM implementation, according to Gartner.

Evaluate On Demand

An analyst recommends taking a close look at IT's needs and capabilities, the contract, overall usefulness to the business, and other factors in making the decision.

Top Call Centers Integrate Systems and Personnel

Transformation from service to sales requires different skill sets for agents, and an environment that supports their efforts.

The Compleat Traveler

Active data warehousing trumps the traditional for Travelocity by supporting event-based decisions.

Retailers Get Higher Marks in Answering Emails

Firms have begun to respond to customer demand for quicker replies, strengthening brands and relationships in the process.

Focus on Revenues with Customer Experience

Too many customer programs focus on cost, which misses the point of CRM, according to an ICCM keynote speaker.

Call Center Jobs: The U.S. Is Still Number One

Lost jobs get much more press and attention than new positions, according to the National Association of Call Centers, but the country still has the highest rate of closings.

Conventional Wisdom

Phoenix flies high with effective travel, hospitality, and convention business marketing.

Every Day I Stand the Queue

Contactless payments and line-busting techniques are penetrating busy retail venues, to the delight of shoppers and staff.

Siebel Rules the Magic Quadrant for SFA

Magic Quadrant for SFA '06: Salesforce.com is the challenger and SAP the visionary, while Onyx and SSA Global take time off to cope with changes.

Retailers Show Signs of Intelligence

But many are only in the early stages of implementing BI systems; periodic data review still overshadows ad-hoc reporting.

The Quality Is Missing in Data Quality

Integration of marketing and sales data is still the biggest challenge facing businesses; a survey at DM Days reveals that companies have tuned out the breakdown-the-silos mantra.

Instinct, Not Technology, Rules Pricing Decisions

Pricing decision-makers don't understand the profit-and-loss impact of their choices, according to a BPM Forum study.

IDC Tracks Full-Track Uptake

Wireless consumers are poised to up adoption of OTA music services by end of the decade; drivers include broadband deployment and music-enabled handset penetration.

New Devices, New Challenges

Broadcasters need new approaches to content delivery as media territories transform, a recent study finds.

Search Tools in the House: Online Mortgage Shopping

Payment calculators and software applications that help shoppers decide what type of loan is best for their needs are key to converting prospects to applicants.

India Is By Far No. 1 for Outsourcing

Twenty-three of the 30 top-ranked offshore providers are located there; neighbors in the hemisphere are beginning to make progress in the industry.

Is Africa the New India?

Several African nations show good potential for call center development and growth; Botswana, Ghana, Morocco, and Tunisia will all start to compete for agent positions.

Market Focus: Retail: How (and Where) May We Serve You?

Big-box stores are putting the multichannel remote control in consumers' hands.

Autobytel's Key to Automotive Success

A full-service car dealer turns to a marketing app to compete against large automotive service and repair chains.

Boosting Text Chat ROI

The keys to improving payback are to use automation and limit chat technology.

An Upbeat Outlook: Memorial Day Web Sales

High gasoline prices and brick-and-mortar shopping hassles continue to push consumers to the online channel.

The Webolution of Retail Continues

Customer input is becoming part of the development cycle, according to industry bigs at the Retail Systems 2006 conference.

Know Me, Show Me, Entice Me

Teradata tells the Conference Board how significance, relevance, and timing help maximize customer relationships.

The Fee For Speed: Paying More to Rush

One in five households make "panic" payments, according to a new study; mailed checks are still the single most common bill settlement method.

Not As I Do: CRM Firms Don't Follow Best Practices

Vendors are not very responsive to prospect emails and don't optimize their Web sites, despite what they advise their clients.

Luxury Auto Renters Prefer Hertz

A study by the Luxury Institute rates the top car rental companies in various categories, including a company's ability to deliver on its promises.

New Products and Partnerships Bolster Small Vendors

New deals by Neocase and LiteScape focus on collaborative efforts with the big dogs.

What We've Got Here Is Failure to Communicate

Businesses take marketing and promotional actions before understanding customers' expectations.

CRM Pitches a Help-Desk Tent

Blazing a better results trail for a camping company.

Wireless Customer Satisfaction Has the Power

Better bundles and more aggressive pricing are cited as major reasons for improvement in a new J.D. Power study.

Dynamic Distribution Aids Customer Service

Better technology integration and closer attention to customer needs rank among the best-in-class behaviors of distributors.

Loyalty Is in the (Private) Cards

Contactless payments combined with private label credit cards help speed transactions and consumer access to loyalty program information; 2007 could be the big year for no-touch checkout.

Consumer Trust in FS Sites Weakens

Although consumers polled indicate that site usability is up, customer information sharing leads to below average score.

Call Your Mother

Wireless carriers' family calling plans are increasingly popular with customers; pricing is an important factor.

Is Wi-Fi Too Sci-Fi?

A more manageable, single-security standard is expected this year, as current measures are deemed too cumbersome for most users.

Cookie Jar Control

Many online consumers still see cookies as spyware, and because those who want to opt out will, one analyst advises that firms make it easy for them.

Come Up to the Marketing Lab

WebTrends adds a marketing data warehouse to its all-new analytics package, responding to marketing execs' expectations of future growth and the need for individualized data.

Mobile Service Providers Must Face the Music

Cell services that fail to listen to customers will find nobody downloads music; customers are willing to pay a little more than iPod rates, but not the premiums they pay now.

Decisions, Not Data, Drive CRM Improvements

Proper analysis provides continuing ROI without the need for additional investment; an analyst at the Gartner BI summit lays out the basics.

BI Will Be Pervasive

Gartner analysts predict more business intelligence usage throughout enterprises, with increasing focus on seamless deployment into strategy and business processes.

Salesforce.com Goes Limitless

The on-demand giant's new Unlimited Edition includes increased support, storage, and development objects to put entire companies on the platform.

Customers Give Credit to Card Companies' Web Sites

A good Web site leads to customer acquisition and retention. Discover, American Express, and Chase have the best sites for experience, according to a new report.

Hotel Employee Behavior Is a Business System

Fully realized marketing plans help managers define the customer segments most important to their financial and strategic goals, according to a new study.

Cell Phones Get Smarter

Japanese cell phone users are using new technology that allows consumers to gather company information by pointing the phone at a building.

Retailers Gain CRM Vision

Retailers have advanced in their use of CRM technologies, but continue to struggle to get CRM information to the proper corporate users.

Scheduling Tool Traction

Agent hours have been reduced by 20 percent.

Network Security Expands in Asia Pacific

Adoption is slow in developing countries, but will speed up as infrastructure improves; acquisitions are also on the upswing.

Shoppers Stay Close to Home

When costumers go to stores to buy, they care most about price, selection, and convenience.

Getting Carded: An Early Holiday Sales Report

Gift cards help retailers beat some holiday sales forecasts, with spending up 8.7 percent.

Consumers Will Switch, Not Fight

Poor service increasingly opens the door to churn, as the Internet is perceived to allow a fresh start for customer loyalty.

Best Steps for CRM Deployment

A research firm culls information from leading companies to discover the best practices to achieve success.

Superior Care Helps Telecoms Succeed

As most companies expand or develop new products, they fail to recognize the need to improve their customer care strategies at the same time.

Salespeople Need to Prepare More

Reps who spend some extra time planning and analyzing while possessing the more traditional sales skills are the ones who excel.

E-Retail's Great Expectations

A recent report reveals the best and worst retail Web sites evaluated by online shopping experiences.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday

Web merchants are offering ways to lure in customers as online retail sales are expected to jump 25 percent this holiday season.

A 'Second Wave of Firms' Moves Toward Outsourcing

More companies are considering business process outsourcing, but deal sizes are dwindling.

Banking on Big Green

Financial services firms have retargeted their investments in customer-facing processes and are reaping the rewards.

Better Info Leads to Better Campaigns

SPSS Software provides quick analysis and answers.

The 2005 CRM Elite, Part 3

It is impressive when CRM vendors promise business performance improvements never before possible, but it is more impressive when their products actually deliver on those promises. The CRM Elite awards showcase six companies that have achieved significant returns on their technology investments that have either met or surpassed their expectations.

The 2005 CRM Elite, Part 1

It is impressive when CRM vendors promise business performance improvements never before possible, but it is more impressive when their products actually deliver on those promises. The CRM Elite awards showcase six companies that have achieved significant returns on their technology investments that have either met or surpassed their expectations.

The 2005 CRM Elite, Part 2

It is impressive when CRM vendors promise business performance improvements never before possible, but it is more impressive when their products actually deliver on those promises. The CRM Elite awards showcase six companies that have achieved significant returns on their technology investments that have either met or surpassed their expectations.

Teradata Announces a Power Threesome

Relationship Manager Version 6 contains 'the three most important dimensions of customer dialogue'--relevance, timing, and significant customer offers.

CRM Gets the Call

Hosting, performance evaluation solutions, and a creative call center layout help telecoms improve their customer relationship efforts.

Is It Done Yet?

eSuds eliminates the guesswork around college washing machines' availability.

SugarCRM Unveils Enterprise Edition

The new version's enhanced functionality targets midsize companies.

The Bunny Hops Into Marketing Performance

A new data warehouse and software help improve customer retention efforts.

2006: Customer Management Spending Will Rise Again

Manufacturing is expected to see the largest gain; money will be spent in areas that include online sales/e-commerce, Web self-service, and IT outsourcing.

New Converged Services Can Aid CRM

Technologies offer more promise than actual usage right now.

Manufacturing Builds On Customer Relationships

CRM software is becoming as important as nuts and bolts.

Making Use of Analytics

Gartner analysts offer tips on how to use business intelligence.

Revitalizing Your CRM Solution

An industry analyst speaks out on breathing life back into sluggish customer relationship efforts.

Good Ethics Equals Good Business

Violating corporate integrity and consumer trust can cripple sales.

The 2005 Service Elite Awards

Our Service Elite awards, chosen by the editors, are presented to the customer care operations that have delivered impressive results by achieving satisfaction and customer return on investment that set the standard for the rest of the industry. We recognize Elite customer care implementations in the fields of knowledge-base tools, agent-facing desktop applications, quality monitoring, workforce management, speech solutions, and contact-center outsourcing services.

5 Ways to Master Customer Loyalty

Look at branded experience, shaping demand, people and technology, marketing productivity, and performance objectives.

The Coming of BI Competency Centers

Many organizations have a long way to go before they achieve true business intelligence success.

NetSuite Serves the Services Industry

The hosted CRM provider brings advanced calendaring functions and customized fields to the vertically focused solution.

Consumers Are Feeling the Pinch of Rising Rates

The recent increase in interest rates is already affecting the spending habits of low- and middle-income consumers.

Rules of Attraction Change as More Americans Grow Affluent

Luxury marketers need to provide experiences to draw this consumer segment.

How to Maximize Analytics' Effectiveness

Siebel's group vice president focuses his DCI keynote address on best practices for valuable analytic data.

Love, Romance, and CRM

Accurate customer data helps UrbanFlorist.com manage its Valentine's Day spike, as well as orders for the rest of the year.

Small Businesses See CRM Success

Two thirds of SMBs say they have positive ROI, although only 30 percent of them say they now measure it.

Studies Reveal That Consumers Talk, and That Positive Email Experiences Win Loyalty

A good online customer experience can have extended word-of-mouth benefits; slow response times jeopardize millions in potential revenue gains.

Banks Are Failing to Provide Service Excellence

A new study cites high frontline employee turnover and the complexity of financial institutions' CRM programs as the primary culprits.

Trends Driving CRM Growth in 2005

Unisys predicts that integration will have a leading role in CRM initiatives next year.

Shoppers Unanimously Agree: Service Influences Purchasing Decisions

An NRF Foundation survey finds that most retailers are investing in CRM and most customers are satisfied with their service experience.

VoIP Is a Good Call for the Dallas Cowboys

The NFL franchise is using the technology to improve customer communication and service.

Self-Service Options May Displace Offshore Agents

Cost savings will prompt organizations to offer customers better ways to serve themselves.

Online Banking Clicks With Consumers

Safety, ease of use, and bill payment services lead the way to customer satisfaction, but institutions must compete with other channels.

The Next Outsourcing Destination

Datamonitor predicts that South Africa will see tremendous growth as a customer service hot spot.

Banking on CRM to Maximize Growth Opportunities

Retail banks are targeting small-business owners to build the profitability of those relationships.

To the Rescue: VoIP Helps Deliver the Vote

Miami-Dade relies on its IP call center to help get voters to the polls.

Maximizing Relationships With Moms

Companies need to improve their communication strategies with customers who are mothers, according to a new study.

Handle e-CRM With Care, Por Favor

Organizations are missing the mark when trying to connect with the Hispanic market.

The Next Great CRM Success Strategy

Too many companies in the past looked at CRM and related technologies as magic bullets that would solve their CRM challenges.

Keeping Pace With Sales

There is increasing adoption of mobile and wireless devices, with tablet PCs expected to gain more and more in popularity in the next few years.

Datamonitor Projects Drastic Decline in U.S. Call Center Operations

The majority of the call centers and agent positions will move to nearshore/offshore positions, but others will be lost due to increasing self-service options available to customers and DNC regulations.

Missed Opportunities and Bad Service

There's a high correlation between poorly delivered email support and [poor] customer loyalty.

Press 1 for Fries

A handful of McDonald's restaurants have drive-through voice communications routed via a high-speed line to a call center, rather than to an employee on location.

The 2004 Market Leaders

The time has come once again for CRM magazine to reward excellence and achievement among vendors in the CRM industry. CRM vendors have individually and collectively worked to build confidence in the discipline, and those efforts are paying off. According to AMR Research, companies are still making modest-but-measurable increases in their spending on customer management tools and strategies, to the tune of an additional $600 million in spending expected for 2004. Interest is strongest among midmarket and SMB firms, which we classify as those companies under $1 billion and under $100 million in annual revenues, respectively. But there was plenty to stir things up this year. Read on to see what companies prevailed from 2003, and how others are leaving an indelible mark on the industry.

The 2004 Market Leaders (Part 2)

The time has come once again for CRM magazine to reward excellence and achievement among vendors in the CRM industry. CRM vendors have individually and collectively worked to build confidence in the discipline, and those efforts are paying off. According to AMR Research, companies are still making modest-but-measurable increases in their spending on customer management tools and strategies, to the tune of an additional $600 million in spending expected for 2004. Interest is strongest among midmarket and SMB firms, which we classify as those companies under $1 billion and under $100 million in annual revenues, respectively. But there was plenty to stir things up this year. Read on to see what companies prevailed from 2003, and how others are leaving an indelible mark on the industry.

The 2004 Market Leaders (Part 1)

The time has come once again for CRM magazine to reward excellence and achievement among vendors in the CRM industry. CRM vendors have individually and collectively worked to build confidence in the discipline, and those efforts are paying off. According to AMR Research, companies are still making modest-but-measurable increases in their spending on customer management tools and strategies, to the tune of an additional $600 million in spending expected for 2004. Interest is strongest among midmarket and SMB firms, which we classify as those companies under $1 billion and under $100 million in annual revenues, respectively. But there was plenty to stir things up this year. Read on to see what companies prevailed from 2003, and how others are leaving an indelible mark on the industry.

The Customer's Voice: A Powerful Boost for CRM Effectiveness

Companies attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of their CRM programs based on benchmark data, but these evaluation methods tend to ignore the customer's opinion.

CRM Vendors Embrace Open Source CRM

The server market is moving toward Linux, so it only makes sense that CRM application vendors make their products available on the platform.

Mobile CRM Heats Up

Consumers use these hot spots, but the driving force behind the installations is the needs of traveling salespeople and other mobile professionals.

Salesforce.com Files Amended Prospectus

Salesforce.com, citing the quite period surrounding IPOs, would not comment on the amended prospectus.

Union Workers Rally to Bring Service Jobs Back to the U.S.

The settlement covers nearly 100,000 SBC workers, including those working in call centers, technicians, installers, and telephone operators.

Call Center Jobs in Latin America Are New, Not Lost from the U.S.

Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina lead the rapidly growing Latin American call center market. Most notably, Mexico and Argentina are gaining popularity among U.S. firms for their call center needs.

Hosted CRM Goes Vertical

The company has announced what it calls verticalized on-demand CRM solutions designed to meet specific industry needs.

Convergence in the Contact Center Market

The acquisition of CenterForce Technologies by Concerto will present some challenges for Concerto, but will solidify its offerings.

Taking a Cautious Approach to CRM

Eight Building Blocks for CRM Success

Gartner consultant Ed Thompson offered eight building blocks for successful CRM projects.

CRM in ACTION: Streamlining Customer Contact

Finding the Right Partner

To achieve enterprisewide strategies and solutions, companies will need to blend an enterprisewide strategic vision with business intelligence expertise and business process management skills.

Wireless CRM's Potential and Challenges

When adopting or building a CRM program, companies should make sure that the needs of their wireless users are considered early on.

Choosing the Right Call Center Technology

As customer interaction centers struggle to implement technology, speech recognition technology is emerging as a viable tool--but not a complete solution.

Mobile Power Suppliers Focus on Efficiency

Semiconductor component manufacturer and supplier Diodes introduces a more efficient rectifier for handhelds, as PowerSmart and Intersil partner to develop more effective mobile power management solutions.

"I Want to Add Functionality to My Contact Center."

"I'm looking at different vendors some of whom have very innovative, cost effective solutions. But they don't have long track records. Is it worth it do go with a smaller player in today's economy?" 3G technology will revolutionize the wireless industry, and the wireless user.

All in One: The New Smartphone

Traveling salesmen and other mobile professionals who want to have a phone, text messaging and multiple methods of Web access have needed to carry several different devices to client meetings, which leads to much fumbling with the devices and an increased probability of leaving one or more behind. The new smartphones will make this common dilemma a thing of the past.

Nextel Expands Services for Mobile Workers

Nextel Communications is providing new applications for mobile workers in the transportation, delivery and warehousing industries, as well as four-in-one digital wireless capability.

Connecting Wireless Devices to the Enterprise

An examination of the middleware required to connect wireless devices to the enterprise.

Planning Ahead for Data Disaster

In the age of e-business, anything that interrupts your data systems can spell disaster--from acts of nature to human interference to mechanical failure. So advance planning is more important than ever.

A Little Help From My Friends

Internet commerce demands a high level of real-time customer service. Today's desk systems can, well, help.

CRM Analytics in Action

CRM analytics solutions are helping companies learn more about the value of customers in an effort to plan processes and strategies.

Safeguarding Your Customer Data

While the security industry and mainstream media have spotlighted high-level cyber-attacks, less sophisticated assaults could bring down your business.

Plugging in to Web-based CRM

Now that the utility industry is facing deregulation, electric and natural gas companies are looking to customer relationship management systems to help retain current customers and to recruit new ones. Even so, the development of interactive customer services is still in its infancy in this industry.

Safeguarding Your Cyber Secrets

Widespread attacks on the Internet present a plethora of business problems.

Power to the People

Gas and electric utilities are turning to the Internet to retain customers in the face of deregulation and growing competition.