The Real-Time Contact Center: Strategies, Tactics, and Technologies for Building a Profitable Service and Sales Operation
208
The Real-Time Contact Center: Strategies, Tactics, and Technologies for Building a Profitable Service and Sales Operation
208Paperback
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780814414439 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AMACOM |
| Publication date: | 08/26/2005 |
| Pages: | 208 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d) |
| Age Range: | 17 Years |
About the Author
Donna Fluss is Principal of DMG Consulting LLC, delivering customer-focused business strategy, operations, and technology for Global 2 and emerging companies such as Nortel Networks, RealNetworks, J. Jill Group, Stride Rite, MCI, NICE, HBCS, and Roadway Express. She is a recognized leader and visionary in contact centers and real-time analytics, and a highly sought-after writer and speaker. Ms. Fluss is the author of the industry-leading annual Quality Management/Liability Recording Product and Market Report and the Guide to Successful Contact Center Offshore Outsourcing. She is widely quoted in leading business publications, and writes regularly for Call Center Magazine, ICCM Weekly, Line56.com, Europecontactcenter.com, CRMXchange, Speech Technology, CRM Guru, 1to1 Magazine, and GreaterChinaCRM. She previously was a Vice President and Research Director in Gartner's CRM practice, where she doubled the revenue of the customer-service strategy area, and consulted to more than 3, clients. Ms. Fluss was also a senior manager and leading business transformation and merger expert at Chase Manhattan Bank. For more information, visit the DMG Consulting website, www.dmgconsult.com, or contact Ms. Fluss at donna.fluss@dmgconsult.com.
Table of Contents
" Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Transforming Contact Centers into Real-Time Enterprises
Twelve Top Trends in Contact Centers
Seizing Opportunities for Growth
Contact Center Maturity Checklist
2 The Development of the Real-Time Contact Center
What Is a Real-Time Contact Center?
How the Real-Time Contact Center Impacts the Corporation From Call Router to Service Provider: The Expanding Role of the Real-Time Contact Center
Achieving Outstanding Service: Optimizing People, Process, and Technology
Contact Center Cost Structure
Contact Center Performance Management
Optimizing the Performance of Contact Center Agents
Added Value of the Real-Time Contact Center to Sales and Marketing
Real-Time Contact Center Evaluation Checklist
3Contact Center Infrastructure
The Changing Business Landscape Alters the Contact Center’s Mission
Essential Components of Contact Center Infrastructure
Operational Enhancements: Complementary Systems
Service Flexibility: Multi-Channel Support
Role of Internet Protocol in Real-Time Contact Centers
Acquiring Appropriate Contact Center Infrastructure
Contact Center Integration Requirements
Security and Back-Up
System and Application Requirements
Four Key Technology Factors to Consider Before Purchase
Contact Center Infrastructure Best Practices Checklist
4 The Power of Speech Recognition for Self-Service
Self-Service: From Cost-Saving Necessity to Customer Requirement
Adapting Service to Changing Customer Behavior
Speech Recognition Is Ready for Prime Time
Speech Recognition Return on Investment
Speech Recognition Costs
Expanding Self-Service with Speech Recognition
Speech Recognition Application Development Standards: Paving the Way for Future Growth
The Speech Recognition Market
Getting Started Self-Service: From Cost-Saving Necessity to Customer Requirement with Speech Recognition
Adapting Service to Changing Customer Behavior
Getting Started with Speech Recognition
Speech Recognition Implementation Checklist
5 Designing, Building, and Maintaining a Vibrant eService Strategy
Designing a Compelling Web-Based Self-Service Environment
Standard eService Modules
Selecting an eService Vendor
eService Application Selection Guidelines
Email Customer Service
Internet Security
eService Return on Investment eService Best Practices Implementation Checklist
6 Strategic Role of Quality Management and Liability Recording
The Financial Benefits of Quality Management
Overview of Quality Management/Liability Recording Market
Quality Management Product Capabilities
Quality Management/Liability Recording Market
Quality Management/Liability Recording Trends
Quality Management Best Practices
Keeping Quality Management Procedures Relevant and Up-to-Date
7 The Role of Performance Management in Real-Time Contact Centers
What Is Contact Center Performance Management?
Fundamental Functions of Performance Management
The Benefits of Performance Management
Building a Successful Performance Management Program
Winning Organizational Support for Performance Management
Cross-Organizational Benefits
Performance Management Market
Performance Management Readiness Checklist
8 Productivity and Quality Enhancement Systems in Real-Time Contact Centers
Optimize Staffing: Workforce Management Applications
Surveying Software
eLearning: Computer-Based Training
Implementing a Knowledge Management Program
Cost-Justifying Contact Center Technology Investments
Productivity and Quality Enhancement Systems Checklist
9 Real-Time Analytics: Conquering the Unstructured Data Challenge
Real-Time Analytics Defined
Integrating Contact Centers into Corporate Strategy with Real-Time Analytics Applications
Benefits of Real-Time Analytics
How Real-Time Analytics Work
Early Adopters Enjoy Great Results
The Real-Time Analytics Market
Real-Time Analytics Best Practices
Real-Time Analytics Readiness Checklist
10 Contact Center Staffing and Management
Organizing and Staffing a Real-Time Contact Center
Common Contact Center Job Descriptions
Combating Agent Attrition: The Contact Center’s Role in Career Development
Hiring Best Practices
Training: Key Component of a Successful Contact Center
Evaluating the Performance of Contact Center Agents
Managing Agent Attrition
Universal Agents
Determining Optimum Staff Size and Site Location
Managing the Culture of Constant Improvement
Contact Center Management Success Checklist
11 Building and Managing Contact Centers
The Pros and Cons of Different Acquisition Models
Building an In-House Contact Center
Determining if Outsourcing Is the Right Choice for You
Hosted Solution: On Demand Application Service Providers
When to Use Consultants
Building In-House vs. Outsourcing Checklist
12 Navigating the Offshore Landscape
The Offshore Outsourcing Economics Argument
Non-Financial Site Selection Criteria
Offshore Contact Center Models
Contact Center Selection Process
Service Level Agreements
Contract Terms and Conditions
Managing the Relationship
Offshore Outsourcing Best Practices
Offshore Outsourcing Market
Offshore Outsourcing Checklist
13 Creating a World-Class Real-Time Engaged Contact Center
What Is World-Class Service?
Role of Senior Management in Providing World-Class Service
Building a Culture of Constant Change
Roadmap for Transforming Your Contact Center into a Strategic Player
Migrating from a Call Center to a Cost-Oriented Contact Center
World-Class Contact Center Checklist
14 Maximizing the Benefits of the Real-Time Contact Center
Real-Time Contact Centers: Revenue Generators and Competitive Necessity
Technology: An Essential Enabler of Real-Time Contact Centers
Contact Center Investments: The ROI and TCO
Do It Yourself, Hire Consultants, or Outsource?
Building a Real-Time Contact Center
A Final Word
Appendix: Offshore Outsourcing Project Plan
Glossary
Index"
What People are Saying About This
"""Donna Fluss really gets it. She knows firsthand how to get the most value
out of that under-appreciated asset, the contact center. Whether you run a
contact center or run a company, in this very practical book, Fluss
brilliantly guides you to the best use of your most precious resource:
customer contacts."" -- Keith Dawson
Editorial Director, Call Center Magazine
& CallCenterMagazine.com
""The Real-Time Contact Center is a great resource for helping contact centers take a proactive approach to sales and service, while reducing operating costs. This book covers all of the hot topics in the industry, and helps readers find the most profitable course for their company. If you're going to read just one book on contact centers, this is the one you should choose."" -- Art Schoeller
Senior Analyst
The Yankee Group
""I truly welcome The Real-Time Contact Center for its comprehensive coverage of the complex web of technology, service, and people that makes up the contact center. In my 25 years in the industry, I have never before come across a book that so thoroughly explores and provides such practical guidance on the crucial areas of contact center strategy and deployment."" -- Aleksander Szlam
Szlam Enterprises, Inc. (formerly the founder and CEO of Melita International)
""Not only is this the definitive book on the 21st century model for contact centers,
but Donna's extraordinary expertise and writing style make this both
important and fun to read! Not a bad combination for something so good for
your business."" -- Paul Greenberg, author, CRM at the Speed of Light"