For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Next-Generation Contact Centers

Solutions To Keep Pace With Your Customers

by Elizabeth Herrell, November 11, 2009

Contact center customer support needs to evolve to better serve customers who no longer rely on one venue for receiving information but instead engage multiple sources. In addition to checking a company's Web site and its brochures, many customers research . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Top Customer Experience Takeaways From SpeechTEK 2009

by Adele Sage, November 10, 2009

Forrester recently attended SpeechTEK 2009, where presenters focused on using speech technologies to improve the phone self-service customer experience. Among speakers' top recommendations: Don't ignore customer experience, do focus on target users and . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

To Invest Wisely, Know The Business Value Of Diverse CRM Solutions

by William Band, September 30, 2009

To help customer relationship management (CRM) professionals make smart decisions and navigate the complex CRM technology landscape, Forrester surveyed 286 companies. The goal was to determine the business value-add adjusted for uncertainty of 19 types . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Twelve Criteria For Contact Center Outsourcers

Questions Companies Need to Ask When Engaging A Contact Center Outsourcer

by Elizabeth Herrell, September 10, 2009

Many companies consider outsourcing their contact center or customer service centers to improve operational efficiencies and to increase customer satisfaction. However, many decision-makers know little about potential contact center outsourcers, and they . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Contact Center Purchase Plans And Trends In 2009

Positive Growth For Software And Services For Core Operations

by Elizabeth Herrell, August 13, 2009

Major software investments in existing contact centers will grow at 40% in 2009 according to Forrester's recent survey of contact center decision-makers. However, new licenses for agents' positions will experience only modest growth, as expansion plans . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

The State Of Enterprise Networks And Telecommunications: 2009

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Ellen Daley, August 7, 2009

This document gives highlights of an extensive data set collected across North American and European enterprises via our Enterprise And SMB Networks And Telecommunications Survey, North America And Europe, Q1 2009. Even given the current economic crisis, . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

The State Of SMB Networks And Telecommunications: 2009

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Ellen Daley, August 7, 2009

This document gives highlights of an extensive data set collected across North American and European firms via our Enterprise And SMB Networks And Telecommunications Survey, North America And Europe, Q2 2009. Even given the current global economic crisis, . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Telecom And Networks North American Insurance And Banking Contact Center Data  (453 KB PPT)

by Ellen Carney, July 10, 2009

These data charts detail how the global recession has affected telecommunications spending and how contact center spending and support in banking and insurance are affected.

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

TechRadar™ For BP&A Professionals: The Extended CRM Application Ecosystem, Q3 2009

Social Applications Stimulate Innovation But Sales, Order Management, And Service Hold The Keys To Your Revenue Engine

by William Band, July 9, 2009

Locking in customer loyalty through deeper engagement and differentiated experiences will continue to be critical priorities for organizations in all sectors in the decade ahead, but navigating the complex customer relationship management (CRM) technology . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Small IVR Investments That Pay Off

by Adele Sage, June 23, 2009

With low phone self-service satisfaction rates, there's lots of room to improve IVR systems. Our research uncovered five low-cost techniques that improve routing, boost containment rates, increase automation, and reinforce the brand. To identify which . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Enhance Your Product Strategy With Convenient Customer Service

by Doug Williams, June 22, 2009

Customer service has become an integral part of product strategy, and, as such, it should now be a primary concern of consumer product strategy professionals. Customer service has also grown more complex: Consumers used to simply bring the product back . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Online Travel Agencies' Cross-Channel Experience, 2009

An Industry Look At This Year's Best And Worst Of Cross-Channel Design

by Adele Sage, May 22, 2009

As part of a larger analysis of 16 firms, Forrester evaluated the cross-channel experiences of four large online travel agencies — Expedia, Orbitz, priceline.com, and Travelocity. Overall, the travel agencies ended up with the highest average score compared . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Phone Self-Service Design, 2009

Forrester Applies Its IVR Review Methodology To 16 Major Firms

by Adele Sage, May 20, 2009

Forrester applied its IVR Review methodology to the phone self-service experiences at 16 US firms — four each of the largest auto insurers, discount retailers, footwear manufacturers, and online travel agencies. Among the generally weak phone self-service . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: UC IVR And IP Contact Centers, Q2 2009

by Elizabeth Herrell, April 23, 2009

The landscape for unified communications (UC), interactive voice response (IVR), and Internet protocol (IP) contact centers is talked about constantly. Forrester answered the inquiries of numerous end users from February 2008 to February 2009 on these . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Ten Steps For Reducing Contact Center Expenses

Slow Economy Necessitates You Take A Close Look At Contact Center Costs

by Elizabeth Herrell, March 13, 2009

During an economic slowdown, customer service managers need to take a close look at their contact center operations to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining high levels of customer support. Too often, customer service managers continue with established . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Proactive Outbound Notification Saves Money

And Provides A New Level Of Personalized Services To Customers

by Elizabeth Herrell, February 18, 2009

Proactive customer communications reduce costs for incoming calls by sending outbound messages of interest to customers to the device of their choice. Unlike automated robo messages that intrude rather than inform, proactive notification messages identify . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Customer Service In A Down Economy

Six Tactics For Customer Service Success In Challenging Times

by Zachary McGeary, February 13, 2009

Customer service quality will remain just as important during the recession as during good times. While investments with demonstrable, short-term ROI will still occur, technology alone will not provide first-class customer service. Tactics for not only . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Forrester's Customer Service Innovation Framework And Self-Assessment

Use Our Assessment To Improve The Customer Experience And Get Quick Wins

by Natalie L. Petouhoff, Ph.D., January 13, 2009

Customer service disappointments are often a result of poor strategy. Forrester's Customer Service Innovation Framework provides you with 150 best practice capabilities — organized into six categories — that drive customer retention, loyalty, reduced . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Forrester's Customer Service Innovation Capabilities Self-Assessment  (158 KB XLS)

by Natalie L. Petouhoff, Ph.D., January 9, 2009

This is the self assessment workbook that accompanies the document "Forrester's Customer Service Innovation Framework and Self-Assessment".

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Evaluating UC Vendors On Key Applications

How Vendors Stack Up On Voice/Desktop Call Control, Mobility, And Conferencing

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 22, 2008

Organizations considering unified communications (UC) solutions often find the vendor landscape overwhelming. During an economic slowdown it's more important than ever to invest in solutions that mirror the short-term and long-term goals of your company. . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Are Home Agents Right For Your Contact Center?

Challenges And Benefits Of Supporting Work-At-Home Agents

by Elizabeth Herrell, November 19, 2008

Faced with tight budgets, customer experience managers struggle to provide high-value customer support while also lowering operating costs. Many organizations are taking a closer look at employing home contact center agents to determine if the risks are . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Hot Companies To Watch: Q3 Update

Profiles of Emerging Companies And Technology Trends That Tech Vendors Should Consider When Planning Strategy

by Chris Andrews, September 10, 2008

In this series, we highlight interesting new vendors and important technology trends. At Forrester, we've seen a strong interest in emerging technologies among our technology strategist clients as vendors seek to stay innovative and identify the "next . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Why Talking To Your Customers Is Ruining Your Business

Five Ways To Deliver Extraordinary Customer Service Agent Interactions

by Natalie L. Petouhoff, Ph.D., August 29, 2008

To answer questions and resolve service issues, forty-five percent of consumers prefer to speak with a customer service agent. But most walk away from customer service agent interactions disillusioned, disappointed, and disgruntled. Why? Consumers and . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Phone Self-Service Design, 2008

Forrester Applies Its IVR Review Methodology To 16 Major Firms

by Adele Sage, August 15, 2008

Forrester applied its IVR Review methodology to the phone self-service experiences at 16 firms — four each of the largest airlines, banks, department stores, and MP3 player manufacturers. Among the generally weak phone self-service experiences delivered . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

2008 Contact Center Technology Trends

by Elizabeth Herrell, August 13, 2008

In 2008, contact centers are leaning toward an increased emphasis on self-service and applications that provide greater insight into customer experience. Organizations are also considering how to support their customers more proactively and reach beyond . . .