Recently, I was interviewed by Ziptone, the online resource for customer contact professionals in the Netherlands. It was a pleasure to talk with them about developments in customer experience, customer service and contact centers. Here is the beginning of the interview and a link to read it in full.
Brad Cleveland, co-founder of the renowned ICMI (in which he is now only involved as an external advisor), travels the world for keynotes and workshops. He also carries out consultancy projects for various global clients. In the meantime, he is working on the next editions of the books Leading the Customer Experience and Contact Center Management on Fast Forward. The latter book was first published in 1999 and last in 2019 (fourth edition).
As far as he is concerned, enough has changed in the field to work on new updates of both titles. “Many organizations are embracing AI and automation more than ever, using chatbots and self-service portals to respond faster so employees can focus on more complex interactions. In addition, we are really looking for opportunities to provide personalized service. This is all about understanding the needs of customers and creating experiences and solutions that suit them exactly. At the same time, attention to employee experience is growing. Companies are investing in tools, training and wellness initiatives that keep staff engaged and productive.”