Required Reading: Tips for Truly Memorable Experience Design

Customer service is founded on three pillars called the Service Trifecta

Marketers Emphasizing E-Commerce Over Advertising

Gartner uncovers more investment in digital commerce than digital ads

Nearly a Quarter of Sales Reps Are Looking for New Jobs

Gartner offers tips for attracting and retaining top inside sales reps

Customer-Centricity Is Key to Sales Success

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

Sense-Makers Are Sales Closers

Gartner finds that salespeople who help buyers make sense of their options are more successful

Verint Offers Unified VoC to Help Solve Growing Interaction Challenge

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

Required Reading: Ensuring Success Is in Your Sphere

It's in the quality, not the quantity, of your contacts

Deloitte Identifies Best Practices for Connecting with Customers

Emotional connections are the key to brand loyalty, research finds

Gartner Identifies 3 Actions for Sales Leaders Following an Acquisition

Sales leaders are uniquely positioned to mitigate risk and unlock value, a new report reveals

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

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

Companies Can Learn a Lot from Warby Parker

Research from Forrester suggests that traditional retailers can benefit from adopting aspects of the direct-to-consumer playbook

Required Reading: Making Sense of Irrational Loyalty

The right response to a crisis can lead to rabid devotion

On the Scene—Smart Customer Service: Companies Can’t Overlook the Human Element

Amid a flurry of technological innovation, people are still the best customer service tools companies have, speakers stressed

On the Scene—CRM Evolution: CRM Still Faces Challenges, Most Speakers Agree

CRM systems have been around for decades, but interoperability and data silos still have to be overcome

REQUIRED READING: Winning Business by Making The Transparency Sale

Selling transparency is key to topping competitors

The 3 Stages of Personalization

Gartner lays out the keys for personalization to help companies deliver helpful and relevant messages

Use of AI in Customer Service Doubled in 2018

Research finds massive growth in the number of companies using artificial intelligence to assist customers and contact center agents

Required Reading: Replace Managing with The Coaching Effect

Managers make sure processes are followed; coaches drive growth

To Sell Globally, Market Locally

Cross-border commerce requires attention to regional nuances, a new report stresses

6 Customer Service Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Forrester warns against assuming that customer service and customer experience are the same