October 2023

Magazine Features

Marketing’s New Game Changer: Insight Management

Companies can now have a single platform for customer data, survey results, and analytics insights.

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.

Front Office

CRM Needs to Keep the Human Element

Whether it's buying something or resolving an issue, customers increasingly prefer to help themselves.

Reality Check

AI: The Brain of Future Contact Centers

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

The Tipping Point

How Does Employee Age Impact CRM Usage?

The generation gap rears its ugly head, but there's hope yet.

Connect

When It Comes to CX, HR Is MIA, and It’s Not Their Fault

Don't overlook what human resources can bring to the table.

End Notes

An Insider’s Guide to Navigating Customer Service

Some tips and tricks I've learned, both through personal and professional experience.

Customer Experience

The 12 Major Risks of AI

Opportunities abound and optimism is warranted, but so is a degree of caution.

Insight

FTC Plans Crackdown on Fake Reviews, Influencers

New rules would prevent companies from using bogus customer comments or suppressing negative ones.

GenAI to Benefit Customer Service—Eventually

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

Generative AI Offers Significant Customer Success Benefits

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

IDC Offers a Framework for Developing a GenAI Strategy

AI requires a responsible policy position, strong architecture, and skilled staff, the IDC says.

Marketing Needs to Work with Security

The lack of collaboration can expose companies to real problems, Forrester notes.

Required Reading: Rethink Go-to-Market with a Growth Mindset

Consider naming a chief growth officer who's responsible for the full customer journey.

REAL ROI

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.