09/03/2010
Accord and Ashram housing associations have invested in new communications infrastructures in order to improve customer service levels.
05/03/2010
Customer contact agents must be equipped with the knowledge required to handle complaints, it has been suggested.
04/03/2010
International energy provider Scottish Power has attempted to improve customer service levels by deploying a new queue-management solution.
26/02/2010
North American contact centres are failing to provide effective multichannel customer service, a new study has indicated.
25/02/2010
Customer contact professionals should ensure they always frame questions effectively, it has been suggested.
24/02/2010
Ipswich Borough Council has chosen to centralise its customer contact operation in order to improve the customer experience.
23/02/2010
Contact centres should attempt to make response times as fast as possible as they aim to improve customer service levels, it has been claimed.
22/02/2010
Australian Unity has announced plans to invest in customer relationship management (CRM) and workflow solutions.
22/02/2010
Obtaining customer feedback is an important way of ensuring a high quality customer experience in the contact centre, it has been claimed.
11/02/2010
Traditional customer relationship management (CRM) solutions are holding many companies back as they aim to improve service levels, it has been reported.
10/02/2010
Call centres should view each customer interaction as an opportunity to gather feedback and business intelligence, it has been suggested.
09/02/2010
Customer contact firms are risking customer attrition by failing to respond to complaints, it has been reported.
05/02/2010
If customer contact centres offer multichannel communications, they must ensure that a response is provided to every single enquiry.
01/02/2010
UK firms are continuing to invest in customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, it has been reported.
29/01/2010
Premier League title-chasers Arsenal FC have also been scoring goals off the field courtesy of a new telephony infrastructure, it has been reported.
28/01/2010
The way call and contact centres use performance metrics is changing within the customer contact industry, it has been suggested.
28/01/2010
Contact centres should inform the customer as quickly as possible if they realise an agent has provided incorrect advice, it has been claimed.
26/01/2010
Commercial real estate firm Mercer Oak Realty has invested in a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, it has been reported.
26/01/2010
The London Borough of Brent has deployed call centre technology in a bid to better manage and record calls.
19/01/2010
Wessex Water has been shortlisted for the Citizens Advice Customer Service Award, it has been revealed.
19/01/2010
Contact centres which offer 24/7 customer service are most likely to see high levels of customer satisfaction, it has been reported.
18/01/2010
Customer contact agents can take a number of steps to avoid entering auto-pilot mode, it has been suggested.
15/01/2010
A new study has indicated that consumers rate customer self-service higher than live agents for some straightforward interactions.
15/01/2010
Being put on hold for an indefinite amount of time is the biggest consumer frustration with UK call centres, a new study has revealed.
14/01/2010
Businesses cannot trick consumers into thinking they offer better customer service than they actually do, one telecommunications expert has stated.
14/01/2010
Every call handled by a customer contact professional should appear to be their first – in terms of interest and enthusiasm.
12/01/2010
The Lloyds Banking Group has invested in customer relationship management software, it has been revealed.
12/01/2010
Customer Contact Association (CCA) members are proving popular with customers in terms of the service delivered through contact centres, it has been reported.
11/01/2010
Customer service should be viewed as the primary business for all companies and organisations, one telecommunications expert has suggested.
31/12/2009
Communication managers should be proactive as they bid to instill good practice within the contact centre, it has been claimed.
29/12/2009
Improving web-based customer service operations must be a priortiy for many businesses in the new year, it has been suggested.
29/12/2009
Agents should always aim to be realistic in their dealings with consumers, it has been suggested.
24/12/2009
Call centre desktops must provide a 360 degree view of the customer, if agents are to succeed in maximising the value of relationships, it has been suggested.
23/12/2009
Businesses help establish customer loyalty by offering small complimentary gifts to clients, it has been claimed.
21/12/2009
Northampton Borough Council has won the UK's Customer Service Excellence award after making a series of call centre technology investments.
21/12/2009
Customer service agents should ensure they are open and honest with callers at all times, one expert has advised.
18/12/2009
The shortlist for the Contact Centre Innovation Awards 2010 has been published, naming 19 customer contact firms who have delivered excellent financial results this year in difficult trading conditions.
17/12/2009
Melton Borough Council has managed to improve customer service levels using call centre technology, it has reported.
17/12/2009
Contact centre agents should shape the customer service experience to satisfy individual callers, it has been suggested.
11/12/2009
A local government office has deployed customer relationship management technology to improve its front-line service provision.
11/12/2009
Agent engagement holds the key to providing an excellent customer experience, it has been claimed.
11/12/2009
Organisations need to consider the viral impact of poor customer experiences, it has been suggested.
10/12/2009
Consumers are increasingly likely to return purchased goods after suffering a poor customer experience, it has been reported.
10/12/2009
Inadequacies in the Student Loans Company (SLC) call centre were responsible for many university students failing to receive finance on time, it has been revealed.
09/12/2009
More than one in five British consumers are ashamed of the way they have spoken to call centre agents in the past, a study has found.
08/12/2009
Firms seeking a great return on investment (ROI) should invest in customer relationship management (CRM) technology, it has been claimed.
03/12/2009
Many firms may be underestimating the power of customer retention at the contact centre level, it has been suggested.
03/12/2009
Embracing technology can help companies retain loyal customers, one business leader has commented.
03/12/2009
Consumers are more concerned about the levels of customer service offered by banking institutions than any financial rewards they may offer, a new study has indicated.
02/12/2009
Consumers may be willing to pay more for products or services where a quality customer experience is guaranteed, it has been suggested.
01/12/2009
Too many call centre agents have poor communication skills and are unable to deviate from written scripts, a new study has indicated.
01/12/2009
Younger consumers, aged between 27 and 43, are more than twice as likely to leave a company due to poor customer service as those aged over 44.
25/11/2009
The Queen's English is still the preferred accent for someone working in a call centre, according to a new study.
24/11/2009
The relationship between businesses and customers holds the key to organisations emerging from the recession in a strong position, one expert has stated.
20/11/2009
The learndirect call centre, operated in conjunction with bss, has been named as the best in the UK's public sector.
19/11/2009
Companies need to invest in cohesive strategies that straddle all channels of customer communication, it has been suggested.
19/11/2009
The majority of people still prefer to contact companies by telephone for customer, billing or support enquiries, according to a new study.
18/11/2009
Quantity of calls is no substitute for quality in outbound call centres, it has been claimed.
16/11/2009
New service models are needed for businesses that want to maximise the profitability of their customer relationships, it has been claimed.
13/11/2009
Companies expanding into emerging markets after the downturn may be able to attract consumers away from their rivals by providing a superior customer experience, it has been claimed.
12/11/2009
Data quality management is increasingly important for firms working in the telecommunications sector, it has been claimed.
10/11/2009
Collaboration tools can be used to avoid caller frustrations and improve the customer experience, it has been suggested.
09/11/2009
Many call centres are failing to deliver a quality customer experience, a new study has indicated.
06/11/2009
Leading Irish energy provider Bord Gais Networks has been named as the best overall contact centre of the year by the Customer Contact Association (CCA).
06/11/2009
An eagerness to cut costs means too many businesses are forgetting about providing a great customer experience, new research has shown.
05/11/2009
Call and contact centre teams can improve the efficiency of their operations by paying close attention to the needs of their customers, it has been suggested.
03/11/2009
A Warwick-based contact operation has been named as one of the 2009 Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service.
03/11/2009
Businesses can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency by upgrading their unified communications systems, one leading technology provider has claimed.
02/11/2009
MOT and car service specialist Nationwide Autocentres has implemented a call centre technology solution to help generate feedback.
29/10/2009
Firms seeking to ensure great customer experience should provide the facility for them to establish contact via a number of channels.
29/10/2009
Delivering great customer experience has never been more crucial for call and contact centres, a new study indicates.
28/10/2009
US satellite TV provider DIRECTV has extended its use of on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) software, it has announced.
27/10/2009
A third of UK organisations have cut customer service training this year, according to a new study.
22/10/2009
A new customer experience study has highlighted the need for firms to invest in call centre technology to improve service levels.
21/10/2009
The call centre has been "reborn" as a key component of businesses' customer contact strategies, it has been claimed.
21/10/2009
A new study has indicated that large amounts of customer feedback are going unread in many businesses.
19/10/2009
Contact centres are focusing on increasing customer satisfaction and reducing operating costs as the recession ensues, a new study has indicated.
16/10/2009
Travel companies should concentrate more on improving online customer support as they bid to improve service levels, it has been claimed.
14/10/2009
Customer service teams are still unable to efficiently deal with website enquiries, a new survey has indicated.
12/10/2009
Firms are set to increase their efforts to measure customer experience, according to new research.
12/10/2009
The expansion of mobile voice and data services is set to drive the global telecoms market in the coming months and years, a new report indicates.
09/10/2009
Business telephone numbers and directory enquiries service 118 24 7 has won the title of Best UK Service at the International Directory Assistance Awards.
08/10/2009
A new study has indicated that customers are increasingly carrying out online transactions as a result of the economic climate, meaning firms must pay closer attention to their web services.
08/10/2009
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has launched a new customer service quality initiative focused on improving its offering across all communication platforms.
07/10/2009
Call centres should focus on desktop integration as they work towards delivering customer contact strategies in ways that satisfy consumers, a new study has indicated.
06/10/2009
Outbound call centres can use intelligent voice messaging technology to adhere to Ofcom rules regarding silent calls, it has been suggested.
06/10/2009
Customer service is "the vital differentiator in business today" and companies must recognise its importance, an industry expert has claimed.
01/10/2009
Research company GfK NOP has named the Comet call centre in Hull as one of the 2009 Top 50 call centres for customer care.
28/09/2009
Some businesses are relying too much on the internet as part of their customer contact strategy, forgetting about the value of human interaction, it has been suggested.
28/09/2009
Firms are increasingly realising that maximising customer experience must be central to their contact strategy, according to a new report.
28/09/2009
Tristar Homes, which is responsible for the management and maintenance of Stockton Borough Council's housing stock, has improved its customer service efficiency by investing in a new contact centre.
25/09/2009
Voice self-service is the most challenging communication channel, according to a study conducted by Genesys Telecommunications.
25/09/2009
Customer attrition costs UK firms £15.3 billion every year, according to a new study.
24/09/2009
Support has been gained for a proposed new code requiring all government departments to make a live call agent available to handle complaints.
23/09/2009
RIAS has been shortlisted in the Customer Services Initiative of the Year category at the 2009 Insurance Times Awards.
21/09/2009
Financial firms have been named and shamed about levels of customer satisfaction in a new report.
17/09/2009
TUI Travel, the firm behind and Thompson and First Choice, claims customer satisfaction is vital for all firms during the tough economic climate.
17/09/2009
Customer contact operations can drive revenue by providing high service levels, it has been suggested.
16/09/2009
Call centres should be attempting to limit avoidable customer contact as they bid to improve efficiency and save both time and money, it has been suggested.
10/09/2009
NHS Direct has been named one of the UK's top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service following a mystery shopper exercise carried out by GfK NOP.
02/09/2009
Avaya is set to offer customers enhanced speech self-service options for a broad range of advanced contact centre solutions, it has announced.
28/08/2009
Firms operating within the communications sector are likely to increase their use of call centre technology over the coming months and years, an expert has predicted.
26/08/2009
A local authority team has been recognised for its commitment to providing the highest levels of customer care.
21/08/2009
Oxford City Council has used an enterprise case management (ECM) system to bolster front and back-office integration across its housing, workforce scheduling and repairs booking systems.
21/08/2009
Firms should view customer relationship management (CRM) as an investment rather than a cost if they wish to encourage brand loyalty, one expert has suggested.
20/08/2009
Firms in the travel sector are losing millions per year due to transaction failures brought about by increasingly complex IT systems, it has been reported.
19/08/2009
Next month will see the staging of International Contact Centre Week, in association with Contactcenterworld.com.
19/08/2009
Customer service agents can help improve consumer loyalty by ensuring they are always helpful and polite during calls, it has been suggested.
18/08/2009
South Ayrshire Council has deployed an Enterprise Case Management (ECM) solution in a bid to achieve the dual goals of increasing efficiency and improving customer service.
17/08/2009
The number of implementations in the contact centre surveying and feedback market grew by 18 per cent during the last year, according to DMG Consulting.
17/08/2009
Businesses suffer significant losses each year as a result of customer service failings, a new study has indicated.
13/08/2009
Over 17,000 UK call centres are to be rated for their customer service provision under an initiative launched by Call Centre Focus magazine, it has been reported.
12/08/2009
ACF Car Finance Limited has made further call centre technology investments in order to enhance the services it provides to customers.
12/08/2009
Online postage and shipping software solutions provider Stamps.com has deployed a new on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) solution to raise service levels, it has announced.
11/08/2009
Online marketing firm Vistaprint has invested in a new customer relationship management (CRM) system to improve its service capabilities.
11/08/2009
Insurance firm RIAS has been recognised for its customer service excellence at two prestigious industry award events.
10/08/2009
Consumers in Scotland would prefer to reduce expenditure on eating out, holidays and home improvements than give up communications services, it has been reported.
06/08/2009
Online financial trading firm CMC Markets is investing in a global IP telephony communication hub, it has been reported.
31/07/2009
The majority of smartphone users would prefer to purchase a product which makes use of interactive voice response (IVR) technology, it has been suggested.
31/07/2009
Fortis Insurance Solutions has deployed email management technology to reduce costs and improve online communication service and efficiency, it has announced.
30/07/2009
Customer service technology can be used to provide call agents with the information they need to do their jobs properly and improve service levels, it has been suggested.
30/07/2009
VisitScotland, the nation's tourism agency, has significantly increased revenues since investing in a hosted customer analytics application, it has been reported.
29/07/2009
Call centres may need to improve customer service levels and adapt if they wish to survive in the modern business world, it has been suggested.
28/07/2009
Insurance customers are increasingly choosing to select providers which offer UK-based customer call centres, it has been reported.
27/07/2009
Basildon District Council has invested in new call centre technology to increase efficiencies and meet customer service level targets, it has announced.
27/07/2009
An asset management company has successfully deployed interactive voice response (IVR) technology to boost customer service levels, it has been reported.
24/07/2009
The main reason contact centres invest in call centre technology is to improve customer service levels, it has been reported.
21/07/2009
A housing group from the south of England is launching a new initiative to improve customer service for its clients.
16/07/2009
Leading electrical goods retailer Comet has boosted customer choice by deploying an optional phone self-service solution.
15/07/2009
The London Borough of Hillingdon has been recognised for its commitment to providing the highest standards of customer experience, winning four prestigious national awards.
14/07/2009
Providing free internet use in public places could help those who cannot afford their own connection to get used to using the web, it has been suggested.
08/07/2009
Personalisation of interactive voice response (IVR) systems may be key to improving customer experience and boosting retention levels, it has been suggested.
08/07/2009
Businesses investing in customer relationship management (CRM) applications should seek feedback from other companies over particular products, it has been suggested.
07/07/2009
First call resolution rates have been raised to over 80 per cent at Chichester District Council following an extensive programme of customer service investment, it has been revealed.
06/07/2009
A Lancashire local government department has deployed new call centre technology in a bid to reduce avoidable contact and improve customer experience.
24/06/2009
NHS Direct has achieved certification to the Customer Contact Association (CCA) Global Standard across its 35 contact centres in England.
23/06/2009
Outbound contact centres should remain committed to up-selling and cross-selling, despite concerns over customers' willingness to embrace such offers, it has been suggested.
22/06/2009
Empowering call centre employees with knowledge and responsibility can help improve customer retention rates, on expert has claimed.
18/06/2009
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has reduced customer contact times by deploying customer interaction management tools, it says.
18/06/2009
RIAS has been named as a finalist in the Customer Care Award category at the 2009 British Insurance Awards.
16/06/2009
Virgin Games says it is offering an average customer email response time of less than five minutes thanks to the implementation of multimedia contact centre technology.
15/06/2009
The aim of the government's plan for universal access to broadband in the UK is to make sure that anyone who wants to use the internet can use it, it has been suggested.
05/06/2009
Police in Scotland have warned banking consumers that a gang of scammers has been seeking to obtain personal financial information over the telephone.
03/06/2009
A new report has found that utility companies are falling behind other sectors in providing high-quality customer service.
03/06/2009
An international air carrier has installed interactive voice response (IVR) technology to help improve customer service levels, it has been reported.
01/06/2009
Consumers are buying mini-note PCs (netbooks) over notebook computers because they are practical and portable, it has been claimed.
29/05/2009
Businesses have been reminded of the need to adhere to outbound and proactive call regulations by a leading industry figure.
28/05/2009
Inverclyde Council is reshaping its customer service offering in a bid to provide better value for money, it has been reported.
28/05/2009
Six debt management businesses and four cold-calling companies have been ordered to stop using unsolicited and misleading calls to advertise their services.
26/05/2009
Businesses across the UK need to rethink their approaches to keeping customers loyal to their operations, a new study has found.
22/05/2009
Ofcom has accredited a price comparison service that allows consumers to get cheaper mobile phone deals by monitoring their online bills.
20/05/2009
Headsets play a vital role in shaping the experience shared between sales representatives and their customers, new research has indicated.
20/05/2009
A European award has been presented to an Edinburgh call centre, it has been reported.
20/05/2009
A council contact centre is changing its opening hours in an attempt to increase efficiency while maintaining customer service levels.
20/05/2009
Ofcom has announced new rules to reduce the time consumers have to wait to seek an independent resolution to their disputes with communications providers.
18/05/2009
Business communications firm Avaya has launched a new Media Phone solution that allows direct access to call and internet services through a large, colour touch screen.
18/05/2009
The global Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) market grew by 33 per cent to be worth an estimated £20 billion, new research has suggested.
15/05/2009
Vodafone UK has today announced plans to abolish roaming charges for the summer and to permanently cut the price of calling abroad from the UK.
14/05/2009
A Middlesbrough call centre has seen its environmental performance improve radically over the last year after launching a sustainability drive.
14/05/2009
Most broadband advertising cannot be described as misleading since connections are advertised as being 'up to' a certain speed, it has been claimed.
14/05/2009
Industry recognition has been given to the Highways Agency Information Line, which provides motorists with details about the latest traffic situations and planned roadworks.
13/05/2009
The winners of the prestigious Call Centre Management Association (CCMA) awards 2009 have been announced following a presentation ceremony in Manchester.
13/05/2009
A new Ofcom report has documented the enforcement action taken by the media regulator to protect telecoms customers last year.
12/05/2009
Call centre bosses and other business executives should remain on guard against the threat of online fraud, it has been suggested.
12/05/2009
A Cardiff call centre boss has been nominated for a prestigious honour at the annual Call Centre Management Awards (CCMA), it has been reported.
07/05/2009
The internet is now central to family life because of its ability to help people stay connected to each other, it has been suggested.
07/05/2009
A new 24-hour call centre has been launched in East Anglia to improve the customer service levels provided to housing tenants.
07/05/2009
A new study indicates that consumers are increasingly worried about data security.
29/04/2009
The value of unified communications (UC) solutions can be increased by incorporating customer experience, a new study has indicated.
28/04/2009
The establishment of a national telephone and internet surveillance database has been ruled out by the home secretary, it has been reported.
27/04/2009
The European Parliament has voted in favour of new rules on SMS and data roaming charges.
24/04/2009
Opportunities exist for offshore call centres committed to providing the highest levels of customer service, it has been suggested.
23/04/2009
British Gas is planning to roll out new customer feedback software following a trial period at its call centre in Cardiff.
23/04/2009
Altitude Software's Altitude Unified Desktop has been awarded a 2009 customer relationship management (CRM) excellence award.
20/04/2009
A north-west travel call centre has been named as the best in its industry for the seventh year in succession.
20/04/2009
Lord Carter's Digital Britain report must set a more ambitious standard for broadband speeds in the UK, according to the results of a recent study.
17/04/2009
Call centre solutions are increasingly being integrated with discussion groups and social communities such as Twitter, Facebook and Google to improve service levels, it has been suggested.
15/04/2009
The contact centre function is undervalued by most business leaders, despite its crucial nature, it has been suggested.
15/04/2009
Many of the 1,000 virtual call centre jobs to be created in the UK by US firm Arise Virtual Solutions will be located in and around Leeds, it has been suggested.
15/04/2009
Advanced speech-enabled, self-serve interactive voice response (IVR) systems are increasingly replacing existing dual-tone multi-frequency equivalents, it is claimed.
14/04/2009
West Sussex County Council's contact centre has been recognised for its commitment to building great customer experience.
14/04/2009
Wakefield Council is set to invest over £3 million in an Internet Protocol (IP)-based unified communications infrastructure, it has been announced.
09/04/2009
British Gas has announced it is implementing a new call monitoring service to improve client retention.
08/04/2009
Businesses which operate in telemarketing need to ensure their customer service calls are done with the right attitude, according to an industry expert.
06/04/2009
The value of customer service contact centres is undervalued by many business leaders, according to the latest research.
03/04/2009
Traditional telephony companies such as BT will remain active in the communications market even if internet protocol (IP) technology renders standard mobile calling redundant in the future, it has been claimed.
02/04/2009
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has told call centre managers that customers need to be treated with respect to ensure future relationships with them.
02/04/2009
Building great customer experience is crucial for firms wishing to succeed, in bad times and in good, it has been suggested.
02/04/2009
Business telecommunications giant Avaya has launched a new contact centre solution that uses advanced Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology to help businesses improve customer experience.
01/04/2009
Praise has been offered for a Devon call centre providing information on council services.
01/04/2009
Many contact centre firms have yet to fully comply with Treating Customer Fairly (TCF) requirements as required by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), it has been suggested.
31/03/2009
Leading telecommunications firm O2 has won the thinkbroadband.com gold award for customer service in a Large Internet Service Provider, largely thanks to the success of its call centre.
31/03/2009
A new study indicates that the number of silent calls received per month has fallen from 9.6 per month in 2005 to 2.1 in 2008.
25/03/2009
Call centres must ensure their interactive voice response (IVR) systems work properly before they go live, in order to avoid any customer service hiccups.
25/03/2009
The importance of understanding, strengthening and preserving existing customer relationships has never been more profound than in the current market, it has been suggested.
24/03/2009
Consumers need greater protection against nuisance calls, it has been suggested.
23/03/2009
A local transport agency is localising its customer service operations in a bid to improve user satisfaction levels, it has been reported.
20/03/2009
A new survey has found that small gestures from call centres can improve the happiness of customers.
19/03/2009
O2 and IDNet have been commended for their customer service in a new survey of the broadband industry.
18/03/2009
Telecommunications firm BT has been praised for the customer service experience provided by its employees to consumers.