It’s time for the contact center industry as a community to step up and help those in need.

Omnichannel customer service is about to revolutionize the industry’s understanding of first-call resolution.

As the cloud becomes a defining force for contact centers, it is important to keep data security worries in perspective.

2015 will be an important year for the deployment of customer survey software in the contact center.

A look at the past year, and a George Bailey-style revelation about life in the contact center industry.

As digital marketing begins to push aside tried-and-true marketing strategies and social media channels morph into customer service channels, it becomes clear that we either have to jump on the bandwagon or get out of the way. 

Military members and veterans turn to the veteran agents at Navy 311 for help and answers.  It's November once again, and, chances are, you are reading this column somewhere around Veteran's Day, which is the national holiday we celebrate on November 11th in honor of those who have served our country in the armed forces.  

Sometimes even the simplest of acts in the contact center creates an instant hero.  As we grow older, and more skeptical, finding heroes becomes a bit more difficult.  Despite Gene and Roy's sparkling white teeth, crisply fringed white shirts, and polished boots with fancy tops, I eventually learned that most cowboys aren't like Gene and Roy after all.

Over a three year period, speech analytics has moved from last place to first in terms of buyer interest.  I'm not sure of the origin of the familiar phrase that claims something-or-another "rules."

A major separation exists between the customer service solutions that are available and those that are actually in use.  In 1991, author Geoffrey A. Moore published a book titled Crossing the Chasm.

IOE-enabled solutions allow centers to monitor connected devices and get agents involved when they can add value.  As I write this column, the newspapers and television are full of stories of the arrival of the Beatles in the U.S. 50 years ago. 

Death, taxes and turnover are the three absolutes of life in the contact center.  The first two we can’t do much about, but the third absolute, personnel turnover, is a problem that is within our grasp to fix, yet the industry doesn’t seem have the wherewithal to do so.

I admit I used to be a trade show junkie.  I loved seeing all the new contact center products in one place and meeting with company executives that I rarely got to see otherwise.  I met with customer service professionals from many different industries and never failed to learn something.  It was time well spent.

For the last two issues of this magazine I’ve harped on about Web 2.0, social media and social networking.  As much as I like that stuff, it’s time to shift gears and talk about an issue that is the polar opposite of a discussion regarding the latest trendy software.  In this issue I’m going to harp on about the contact center industry’s opportunity, and responsibility, to help our veterans get back to work.

Contact Center Pipeline - The View from the Saddle - Paul Stockford - February 2011

The Web 2.0 desktop allows agents to personalize their desktop workspace with widgets and gadgets for increased productivity.

Contact Center Pipeline - The View from the Saddle - Paul Stockford - January 2011

It just wouldn't feel right if I didn't use the occasion of my first column in Pipeline to weigh in on the issues of social media in the contact center.