The November 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Striking the Right Chord: Balancing Automation and Human Touch in Call Centers by Genevieve Carrenard
Strike the right chord between automation and the human touch in the call center to create unforgettable customer experiences. . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Don’t Forget the Human Touch by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Being able to offer the human touch will distinguish contact centers from their technology-only counterparts. . . . read more >>

Reducing Work Friction Helps Retail Call Center Agents Hate the Holidays Less by Christophe Martel
Today’s retail call centers face a chronic problem: crushing call volumes for most of the calendar year, followed by a holiday spike. . . . read more >>

Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges in Answering Services by Justin Massey. . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Ten Reasons to Move Your Contact Center to the Cloud by Liz Osborn
Deploying a contact center in the cloud is better, faster, and cheaper than an on-premise system. . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: How Good Are You at Customer Service? by Nancy Friedman
Put one of these customer service tips into action and watch what happens. If you use all ten, you can expect happier and more loyal clients. . . . read more >>

Industry News

• Genevieve Carrenard Joins the Connections Magazine Team
• Mobius Vendor Partners Celebrates Twenty-Five Years

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, and telephone answering services.

For more information, contact us.

The September 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

AQM Enhances CX and EX, by Donna Fluss
Given an increasing volume of complaints, most companies need to enhance their customer experience with analytics-enabled quality management (AQM). . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Consider How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Us in the Call Center, by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
We need not fear artificial intelligence. There is much we can do to make our call centers function faster and more accurately than ever. . . . read more >>

Guest Column: A Protocol Droid for Your Call Center
Imagine having a protocol droid in your call center. Startel’s CMC RestAPI can accomplish much the same thing. . . . read more >>

Unmasking the Threat of SMS Pumping Attacks, by Justin Massey
Adopt these proactive measures to protect your call center operation against SMS-pumping attacks. A failure to act could be costly. . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Best Practices for Implementing New Programs with an Outsourced Call Center, by Richard Hamilton
Implementation of a call center campaign begins with a good start-up plan. Best practices address three critical elements. . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Protect Yourself and Your Employees from Identity Theft, by Rachel Kuntz
How can employers protect the workplace and employees from the growing concerns of identity theft? . . . read more >>

Industry News

AnswerNet Celebrates Twenty-Five Years

Send us your call center articles and news for consideration in the next issue of Connections Magazine.

Marketplace Directory: Connections Magazine listing of leading Contact Center Vendors

About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, and telephone answering services.

For more information, contact us.

The July 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Knowledge Management Will Enhance CX, by Donna Fluss
Today’s knowledge management solutions apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to make them much easier to use and maintain. . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: 7 Tips to Conduct Engaging Customer Surveys, by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Discover seven essential tips to conduct engaging customer surveys that will drive your business, inform decision making, and increase profits. . . . read more >>

Vendor Profile: Startel Vendor Profile 2023
Discover why Startel customers depend on solutions and services to increase efficiencies, identify opportunities, and communicate 24/7. . . . read more >>

Guest Column: Improve Agent Performance and Customer Satisfaction with Analytics, by Kevin Beale
Automated call analysis can evaluate agent performance, positively impacting the day-to-day call center operations and the bottom line. . . . read more >>

3 Cost-Effective Tips for Brands Looking to Boost Customer Experience, by Rei Kasai
Implementing innovative technology, engaging with customers on their terms, and investing in employees will boost the customer experience (CX). . . . read more >>

Integrating ChatGPT with Advanced Answering Service Platforms, by Michael C. McMillan
The collaboration between ChatGPT and answering service platforms promises to revolutionize the industry by leveraging the power of AI. . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: 7 Ways to Keep Young Sales Reps from Crashing and Burning, by Lance Cooper
Building a productive sales team from millennial candidates requires paying attention to recruiting and coaching. . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Effective Employee Management Begins Before You Hire, by Joseph Sefcik
We’ll be more effective managers if we focus on selecting the right people to hire, which requires an effective selection process. . . . read more >>

Industry News

• Active Insights: Automated Call Scoring, Quality Assurance, Detailed Analytics

Send us your call center articles and news for consideration in the next issue of Connections Magazine.

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, and telephone answering services.

For more information, contact us.

The May 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

How Conversational AI Can Power Up Your Contact Center, by The SingleComm Team
Conversational AI can help your call center and your business handle queries faster, free agent time, and raise customer satisfaction. . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Avoid the Covid Excuse in Your Call Center by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Avoid using the covid excuse to justify poor customer service. Instead, accept responsibility for your center’s success and fix the problems. . . . read more >>

Vendor Profile on Amtelco
Learn the latest news and information from the team at Amtelco. . . . read more >>

How Remote Video Calls Can Transform the Customer Experience, by Rama Sreenivasan
The best remote video call technology integrates seamlessly into the call center’s current workflow software. . . . read more >>

AI in Answering Services, by Michael C. McMillan
With AI in answering services, companies can expect higher profits and better compensation for their employees. . . . read more >>

Data Driven, Multi-Channel Contact Centers Elevate the Customer Experience, by Renaud Charvet
Discover how data driven, multi-channel contact centers can elevate the customer experience and increase business effectiveness. . . . read more >>

Do Your Call Center Employees Believe They Receive Adequate Recognition? by Mike Hill
Discover how to know when you are meeting or even exceeding your employees’ desire to be recognized. . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: How to Handle a Challenging Customer on Live Chat by Jeff Mason
Live chat is a terrific way to provide customer service, but chat uses different skills than live voice communications. . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: How to Manage More Creatively by Stephen Manallack
Creativity and management make an effective team. Here are some tips to help senior management become more creative. . . . read more >>

Industry News

• Wisconsin State Journal Names Amtelco Winner of Madison, WI Top Workplaces 2023 Award
• Amtelco Goes Green with Solar Energy
• 2023 NAEO Annual Conference/Advanced Technical Workshop Update

Send us your call center articles and news for consideration in the next issue of Connections Magazine.

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The March 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Making Contact Centers More Secure, by Donna Fluss
Contact center agents must balance their primary job of delivering a great customer experience with real world security threats. . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Artificial Intelligence in the Call Center by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
There are three responses when it comes to implementing artificial intelligence in your call center operation. . . . read more >>

Contact Center Software Boosts Agent Productivity
Selecting the right technology helps simplify agents’ workflow while increasing their productivity and job satisfaction. . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Why Traditional Methods For Motivating Salesforce Don’t Work by Joe Laipple
Tips to find new and successful ways to motivate your salesforce to deliver exceptional performance. . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Don’t Put the Technology Cart Before the Horse, by Eric Miller
Thoughts on the effective implementation of technology in the call center. . . . read more >>

Industry News

• nCall v4 Released
• AnswerNet Expands Traditional Answering Service to Include Text Support

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The January 2023 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Contact Center Pain Points: Tips for Improving Processes or Adopting New Technology, submitted by SingleComm
Process-improving technology is a must for contact centers to stay competitive putting new technologies to use can mean growing pains. . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Developing Your Callback Strategy by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Calling customers back when you’re busy is a feature consumers increasingly expect call centers to offer. . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Breaking Bad Habits: How to Create Change That Sticks, by Joe Laipple
To breaking bad habits, start now in taking these keys steps to move you down the path to the long-term changes you desire. . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Errors and Omissions Insurance Case Study: Alarm Monitoring, by Laura McCormick
A claim scenario involving teleservices companies, based on combining facts from actual claims. . . read more >>

Industry News

• Amtelco Adds Staff to Support Increasing Customer Base
• New Sales and Marketing Book: Sticky Sales and Marketing, by Peter Lyle DeHaan

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The November 2022 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Knowledge Management: What You Need to Know, by Donna Fluss
The current generation of KM solutions are excellent and have proven benefits. The next generation of KM solutions will be even better. . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Going Beyond the Call by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Turn negative interactions into positive outcomes: Three ways your call center can go beyond the call to better serve your callers and customers. . . read more >>

Guest Column: The Power of the Bot, by the SingleComm team
By using AI systems and solutions, you are not taking anything away from your human team members. Instead, you are empowering them. . . read more >>

Using Knowledge Management to Simplify Complex Customer Queries, by Trey Norman
Quick and efficient support is key to retain business and maintain happy customers. With the right tools in place save money and reduce stressful phone calls. . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: How to Develop a Customer-Focused Culture, by Matt Rocco
Discover tips to form a call center culture that has a customer-first focus. . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Managing A Small Call Center, by Tim Montgomery
Understanding a few key concepts of small call centers can significantly minimize the obstacles by helping you improve operating efficiencies. . . read more >>

Industry News

• Rochester Telemessaging Center Receives Gold Call Center Certification For 5th Time

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The September 2022 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

Six Ways Attended Automation Can Transform Your Call Center, by Jeff Fettes
Attended automation in the contact center has the potential to deliver happier agents, happier customers, and a happier bottom line. . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Chat Availability by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Offering customer service is key for business success, and chat is a popular choice. Just make sure that chat availability isn’t a problem. . . read more >>

What’s the Future of Virtual Reality Simulation in Call Center Training? by Jim Iyoob
Virtual reality (VR) simulation technologies may seem expensive, but VR can positively influence business results and make call center training more proficient. . . read more

How the Modern Contact Center Can Drive Better Results, by Rod Brownridge 
With advances in technology, we’re able to deliver more consistent results while focusing on managing relationships instead of managing problems. . . read more >>

AI and the Contact Center: An Interview with Talkdesk’s Ben Rigby
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology will continue to evolve and adapt to new business needs, and no-code solutions will ease the challenges of adoption. . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Disaster-Proofing Your Call Center, by Nicolas D’Alleva
Effective disaster response means ensuring the highest priority activities continue uninterrupted and reverting to normal operations as fast as possible. . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Being a Better Manager, by Lisa Olson
Practical tips to become a better manager. This will result in increased company performance and enhanced employee improvement. . . read more >>

Industry News

• Research Shows that Consumers Judge Brands Based on their Customer Service Experience

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The July 2022 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

The Agent Attrition Problem Can be Fixed, by Donna Fluss
Reversing agent attrition won’t happen by talking about agent engagement, but it can be solved by fixing the policies that created the problem. . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Is Your Management Style Hurting Your Call Center? by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
If your call center is short-staffed and you can’t find enough qualified employees, shift your focus to the retention side and evaluate your management style. . . read more >>

Vendor Profile on Startel
Learn about Startel and how they seek to balance allocating customer resources today with the development of the solutions they’ll need tomorrow. . . read more >>

Guest Column: Hiring, Training, and Retaining Remote Contact Center Agents, by April Forer, Amtelco
Check out these tips to hire, train, and keep remote agents in your call center or contact center. . . read more >>

It’s Time for a More Agile Contact Center, by Einat Weiss
The agile contact center addresses scheduling flexibility to keep agents happy and engaged amid evolving customer expectations for speed and service. . . read more >>

Increase Personalization in Call Centers by Accessing Relevant Data, by Daniel Fallmann
Innovative companies are well underway in transforming their approaches to customer service and customer experience. . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Ten Key Elements of Your Next Contact Center CRM Solution, by Cesar Vallejo
Ask these questions when considering vendors, solutions, and options for the right call center platform. . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Maximizing the Margin: Operational Cost Modeling, by Eric Miller
Convincing the client to outsource is half of the challenge, but selling them on your operation is the second mountain to climb. . . read more >>

Industry News

• Tom Curtin Receives 2022 ATSI Hall of Fame Award
• Peter Lyle DeHaan Publishes Healthcare Call Center Book
• Telescan Announces Spectrum Updates and New Features
• Quality Contact Solutions Named Top 10 Healthcare BPO For 2022

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.

The May 2022 Issue of Connections Magazine, covering call centers and the teleservice industry

Feature Content:

AI is Transforming Contact Centers, by Donna Fluss
AI technology has already demonstrated its ability to improve productivity and reduce costs in contact centers while delivering benefits to customers and employees alike . . . read more >>

From the Publisher: Embrace SaaS Flexibility, by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Tap SaaS to maximize outcomes. Using internet provided services for your call center provides many advantages. It is affordable, scalable, and portable. It’s always up to date . . . read more >>

Vendor Profile on Amtelco
As Amtelco grows they remain committed to developing innovative technology solutions to streamline communications and increase efficiency for their clients . . . read more >>

Veterans: An Untapped Pool with Rich Skill Set, 
Countering the great resignation with niche recruiting—of Veterans. The reward for a concerted effort to target niche veteran candidates is a dedicated, loyal workforce . . . read more >>

Talent, Tech, and TAS
Leverage cloud-based automation tools to help your team deliver exceptional results and pursue actionable customer insight that allows them to work smarter, more coherently, without waiting for another hire to arrive . . . read more >>

Ten Years Ago: Learn How to Handle Irate Customers, by John Tschohl
When you successfully handle irate customers and their complaints, you will be rewarded with a satisfied customer who will be loyal to you and your organization . . . read more >>

Twenty Years Ago: Call Center Burnout: A Personal Story of Truth and Admission, by A Call Center Veteran
Discover a wise approach to effectively deal with burnout in this firsthand account from an call center industry veteran . . . read more >>

Industry News

• Amtelco Receives Madison, WI Top Workplaces 2022 Award

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About Connections Magazine 

Connections Magazine is the premier publication for the call center industry, providing news and information for call centers, sent at no cost to qualified readers at call centers, contact centers, teleservice agencies, phone answering services, and telemessaging companies.

For more information, contact us.