ICMI Contact Center Expo 2019: Connecting With Customers Is Key

A customer-focused culture also requires collaboration and a special focus on contact center employees, speakers say. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

SMBs Failing to Urge Customers to Leave Positive Reviews, Research Finds

Only 40 percent of small businesses encourage customers to leave positive online reviews, Clutch Research's The Manifest has found.

Anxious Customers Prefer Human Customer Service, HBR Research Finds

As companies increasingly defer customers to self-service and automated channels, there's a cohort of customers that may not benefit from this approach—anxious ones. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Folloze Launches Personalization Engine

The Personalization Engine aims to empower B2B companies to engage customers and prospects in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Swiftpage Launches Act! Growth Suite

The solution is an all-in-one sales and marketing platform for SMBs.

SAP Unveils 4 Qualtrics CX Offerings at Its Sapphire Now Conference

Months after completing its acquisition of Qualtrics, SAP is launching a host of products for commerce, sales, customer service, and marketing based on the Qualtrics CustomerXM platform.

SAP Strengthens CX Suite

New features improve the usability, training, collaboration, data quality, and targeting within the SAP suite of products.

With CX, Sometimes the Little Things Have Big Impact, Smart Customer Service Speakers Assert

Little things, like cookies and good writing skills, have can have a huge impact on how customers perceive companies, according to several speakers on Day 3 of the Smart Customer Service conference. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

CRM Still Plagued By Integration Challenges, CRM Evolution Town Hall Concludes

Decades after their introduction, CRM systems still struggle with data diversity and system interoperability, speakers at a town hall discussion on Day 3 of the CRM Evolution conference concluded.

Employees Can Be Your Best Brand Ambassadors, Smart Customer Service Speakers Affirm

Smart Customer Service day 2 speakers outline a strategy for turning employees to advocates and get the most out of data. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Companies Need to Embrace Digital Transformation, But They Have A Dilemma to Overcome, CRM Evolution Keynoter Contends

CRM Evolution Day 2 keynoter Barton Goldenberg suggests that digital transformation leaders grow revenue twice as fast as laggards.

Conversation Can't Outweigh Content, CRM Evolution Panelists Contend

When it comes to AI, the conversation is only as good as the data feeding into it, speakers maintain.

AI Is Transformative, But Be Careful of Its Disadvantages, CRM Evolution Keynoter Warns

Artificial intelligence is the future of customer service, but it can alter consumer attitudes and behaviors, Jarno Duursma advised conference attendees. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

SMBs Increasing Advertising in 2019, The Manifest Research Finds

Most small businesses are prioritizing advertising this year and will increase spending on social media advertising and other online advertising.

Freshworks Announces New AI Capabilities

The new tools are able to predict which customers are most likely to close, reformulate common FAQs via chat or voice, and proactively engage with users at risk of churning.

Samsung Launches ‘Connected Care—Anytime, Anywhere’ Initiative to Better Train Customer Service Agents

Samsung's smart appliances require customer service providers to have a new skill set and be knowledgeable about servicing not only hardware, but also software. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Contact Center Performance Can Improve with AI, NICE Interactions Day 2 Speakers Affirm

AI is being used to help with agent performance feedback and scheduling with very positive results, conference speakers confirm. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

AI Drives Contact Center Efficiency, NICE Stresses at Its Interactions Conference

Artificial intelligence has so much potential, but companies need to do more with it, conference speakers pointed out. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Salesforce.com Announces New Einstein Platform Services

The new Einstein Platform Services include translation and optical character recognition capabilities.

Engagio Announces Sales Activation Tools

The tools aim to empower marketing and sales to collaborate more easily.