Since this interview, Michael Ellies has moved to a new role. Please consult LinkedIn for up-to-date information. When you think of companies consistently delivering customer service excellence, innovation and employee engagement, it’s hard to go past Smartgroup Corporation (ASX: SIQ). In fact the company has won multiple awards in all these areas. Smartgroup’s core brand,….
Virtual queuing services take the fuss out of call queue management and raise customer satisfaction. Australia has only recently started to embrace this powerful technology – already “the standard” in contact centres in the U.S. What is Virtual Queuing? Virtual queuing is a contact centre application that keeps a person’s place in the call queue and….
A high-tech headset is a wearable technology device which uses a tiny computer to optimise sound quality and communicate wirelessly with the contact centre platform. Being purpose-built for extended use, high-tech headsets increase agent satisfaction and are capable of integration with many other parts of the business to boost efficiency. Businesses face many challenges in….
Cloud based call centre software is an unstoppable trend in Australia which presents buyers with fresh financial and delivery options compared with on-premise and legacy solutions. Let’s take a look at what to consider when looking at cloud versus premise for your customer service centre. What is a cloud based contact centre? A cloud based….
Customer experience (CX) remains the biggest differentiator in business in 2020. The good news is that there are many quick wins to make your customers’ experience “juicier” and more satisfying than ever before. Some of our tips are so simple and obvious you’ll be kicking yourself you’re not doing them already. Ask customers for feedback,….
Forrester has identified emotion as having a bigger influence on customer loyalty than “effectiveness” or “ease” of dealing with a company. Ironically, companies have neglected programs to uncover customer emotion or sentiment, despite the technology being available. Conversation analytics, also known as speech analytics, is slowly taking off in Australia as a way for companies….
Alan Kohler interviewed Matchboard’s Sharon Melamed for Qantas Talking Business. We’ve transcribed the interview for those of you who prefer skimming through text to listening to a Podcast! AK: Joining me now is Sharon Melamed who runs a business called Matchboard. Thanks for joining us, Sharon. SM: Thank you for inviting me. AK: And you’ve….
Virtually no business is immune to unpaid invoices and the stressful and time-consuming task of debt collection. For many, it becomes just too hard to chase down debtors, and the fear of a legal process is equally daunting. Savvy businesses know that there is another option: outsourcing to a collections consultancy and recovery service, which….
NPS® (Net Promoter Score) and CES (Customer Effort Score) are amongst the most popular indicators for measuring the customer experience. Many organisations have embraced these scores, implemented an ongoing survey mechanism and seen some great initial results. However, often comes a time, perhaps two years into the program, when the initial customer feedback enthusiasm wears off….
Silos may be a great way to store grain, but can cause problems when silo mentality runs unchecked in a company. We have all seen functional silos at work in individual departments, regional offices, different channels and even in different management levels within an organisation. Silos are not necessarily a bad thing; they can be….
Social media has revolutionised so many aspects of business, and the recruitment function is no exception. Just ask the Australian Defence Force, which has the world’s most popular YouTube recruitment channel, with over 5 million hits!(*) Or consider the fact that 70% of people look on social media when looking for employment (**). But what is “Social recruitment”,….
Since this interview, Michelle Redfern has left NAB. Please consult LinkedIn for up-to-date information. As Head of the Supplier Relationship Management program for National Australia Bank (NAB), Michelle Redfern is one of Australia’s foremost experts in outsourcing, offshoring and supplier management. She leads a high-performance, highly engaged team which thrives on diversity, in a complex and sensitive….
“We’ve invested in, and trained our people, so why aren’t we seeing a significant lift in (KPI) scores?” This was a question put to us by leaders at one of Australia’s largest companies. The context was a roll-out of a major new customer-first methodology, as well as a proposed multi-million dollar sales training program –….
It’s only just gone July, but savvy online retail executives have already begun planning for Xmas. And one of their highest priorities is ensuring they have the right customer experience mechanisms in place to convert the swell of consumer interest into sales. Customer experience is often a tug-of-war between marketing, operations and IT silos, resulting in a fragmented, disorganised….
B2B lead generation has come a long way since the days of cold calling, and the constantly-evolving digital realm is really hotting up. We are surrounded by a wealth of new opportunities; however, too many options can be confusing both for marketers and the clients they are vying to reach. The secret to smashing your sales….
