workforce management - Brad Cleveland

Will AI cut contact center staff?

Sep 30, 2025 | AI, Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Service, Leadership, Multi-channel Support, Workforce Management

If you’ve been reading the headlines, you’ve seen plenty of predictions that AI will cut staff in contact centers—and overall in customer service. The logic seems simple: AI can handle customer interactions directly, so organizations won’t need as many people. Add to...

Contact Center Planning: From Chaos to Customer-Focus

Aug 28, 2025 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Service, Leadership, LinkedIn Learning, Multi-channel Support, Workforce Management

When I think of contact center planning, this definition from the International Customer Management Institute, ICMI, is the first thing that comes to mind. Contact center management is the art of having the right number of properly skilled people and supporting...

The Power of One in a Contact Center

Jun 4, 2025 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Service, LinkedIn Learning, Quality Management, Workforce Management

The power of one is among the most important principles for any contact center agent to understand. Every individual makes a significant impact on customer wait times and agent occupancy – even in large centers. Share this video from my LinkedIn Learning course...

Stories from the Field: Give Your Forecast More Attention

May 13, 2025 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Service, LinkedIn Learning, Workforce Management

I recall a consulting project with a company that was struggling to provide consistent service to their customers. At times, customers had to endure painfully long waits but other times their employees were sitting idle waiting for something to happen. It became...

From Timekeeper to Strategic Architect: The Evolution of WFM

Apr 11, 2025 | AI, Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Workforce Management

It was a pleasure recently to join Doug Casterton on his weWFM podcast for the episode “From Timekeeper to Strategic Architect: The Evolution of WFM.” We discussed how workforce management (WFM) has transformed from a tactical, scheduling-focused function...