If you’re like most Australians, you’re overwhelmed with boring bills, statements, and welcome letters from providers of products such as banking, insurance, superannuation and utilities. Many of these emails or printed statements make it no further than the junk folder or trash. Now there’s a way to actually engage customers in these often time-sensitive, important communications, and….
In theory, the world is getting smaller, and we can now reach out to customers around the globe from the comfort of our desk. So it’s sometimes tempting to think that going global should be easier than ever. But in our experience, whether a big or small company, the market entry issues that companies face….
Australian businesses have an increasing array of choice when it comes to low-cost locations for business process outsourcing. Each country has its unique focus and strengths. For finance and accounting outsourcing, Sri Lanka has emerged as a very compelling option, and here are eight reasons why. 1. Global rankings Sri Lanka is ranked 23rd on….
The ability for modern sales leaders to manage their team’s performance has never been greater. While old school sales leaders obsessed over managing their teams around revenue, modern sales leaders realize that revenue is a result of sales activities. They understand that to achieve specific business results, they must have reps perform specific activities. This….
Since this interview, Deborah Barndon has moved to a new role. Please consult LinkedIn for up-to-date information. The Sydney Control Centre of NSW Ambulance is one of the largest emergency call centres in the Asia-Pacific. In this exclusive interview with Matchboard, Deborah Barndon (Director, Strategic Initiatives, NSW Ambulance) speaks about the critical role of the….
Once upon a time, direct mail, letterbox drop and print advertising were the primary forms of marketing. While companies have not abandoned these paper-based approaches altogether, there has been a steady shift towards more environmentally friendly marketing options. Here we review 10 “green” approaches to lead generation which don’t involve paper! Proactive web chat If….
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….
Customer feedback software platforms measure key customer experience metrics – such as customer effort, customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS). The technology can be implemented across multiple channels in contact centres and online. “Please rate the performance of your customer service representative,” or so the message goes at the end of a call to….
Proactive outbound is a platform for outbound customer engagement which goes beyond telephone-based cold calling to encompass “warm calling”, email, SMS, web chat, mobile app, instant messaging, and social media communications. Organisations that contact their customers proactively benefit from reduced churn, greater share of wallet and revenue growth. Further, customer experience improves when customers receive….
Successful customer loyalty programs have the capacity to attract and retain high-value customers who drive advocacy, and in turn help transform the brand. The world’s best loyalty programs have 3 things in common. They are: Simple – to join, participate, understand Emotional – by making members feel pleasure; important as individuals; and a sense of belonging to something meaningful Valuable –….
It’s been a big year for creative new solutions in the customer engagement space. Matchboard has picked five top innovations which build bridges between the contact centre and marketing to deliver great customer experience – and business results. Smart lead allocator In a telemarketing environment, imagine a tool that enables you to get the right….
The term culture can at times be the elephant in the room. All managers will boast that they have the best culture or that they need to hire staff who fit in culturally. But what does this really mean? How does an organisation find people who are in tune with its direction and the behaviours it wants exhibited? Let’s….
Calls are going through the roof, your social media assets are on fire, and you’re in panic mode…sound familiar? Every day, this scenario plays out somewhere around the country – after all, no organisation is immune to surges in customer contact, whether planned or unplanned. The good news is that through Rapid Deployment and planning,….
Peaks and troughs in call traffic have historically been considered something contact centres just have to deal with, through effective workforce management strategies. But what if the tables were turned and there was a way to smooth out those call arrival times in the first place? A simple technology interface now offers just such a….
Since this interview, Brian Beveridge has moved to a new role. Please consult LinkedIn for up-to-date information. Brian Beveridge, Head of Customer Service at Staples Australia/New Zealand, speaks with Matchboard in our series of exclusive client interviews. What are the most important metrics to your contact centre? Our Customer Service teams cover a broad range of….
Let’s put things in perspective: we’ve all heard about social media crises, and what companies need to do to prevent them. However, if we look at the definition of a crisis: “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger”, we need to be careful not to create storms in teacups. Not every negative comment on a company….
