2022-05-21 19:24
How you take care of your customers determines the growth and success of your business. Studies show that a consumer’s decision to buy a product or service not only depends on price a… Read More
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Read Corporate Connect's blog for the latest news on technology, telemarketing, the role of the call centre and the trends that shape its future.
2022-04-21 19:23
Talk to any marketing manager and they’ll tell you the importance of the creation and maintenance of customer touchpoints. Email marketing may sound like an old hat but it’s one… Read More
2022-03-27 22:00
If you build a B2B email marketing list full of useful contacts and potential leads, your business will be better able to communicate with your audience and increase your conversion rate. He… Read More
2022-02-27 21:46
No matter how great your product or service is, complaints are bound to come up occasionally. Here’s how to manage and learn from customer complaints.
Why should you review and improv… Read More
2022-01-26 22:23
Feeling the post-holiday blues? Us Kiwis have been lucky to have exceptionally good weather over January in 2022, and the opportunity to reunite with loved ones from all over the country as… Read More
2021-12-16 19:26
Christmas time can be hectic for even the most competent customer service teams! Retail companies in particular are often dealing with overwhelming call volumes as not-quite-right gifts are… Read More
2021-11-21 02:04
As Covid-19 lockdowns and public health measures in New Zealand (and globally) have pushed millions of people out of their offices to work-from-home setups, several companies are considerin… Read More
2021-10-27 21:59
Social media is an important way for businesses to engage with their target audience. Figuring out the best ways to manage your company’s social media accounts can be a frustrating pr… Read More
2021-09-20 01:10
Here’s how an outsourced call centre can take your customer experience from average to awesome and foster ongoing loyalty to your business.
Outsourced call centres enable your busines… Read More
2021-08-23 23:19
Call centre outsourcing is becoming an increasingly common strategic business decision for New Zealand companies. It enables businesses to manage their customer service functions through a… Read More
2021-07-19 01:24
Which workflow software tool is best for your business?
Having the right workflow management software enables teams to streamline business processes, prioritise and collaborate more effectiv… Read More
2021-06-21 01:23
Many workplaces have seen major upheaval in the past 18 months, as lockdowns, Zoom calls and economic uncertainty have drastically changed the way we do and view our work. In New Zealand, w… Read More
2021-05-21 01:18
The way you sound when speaking on the phone can make a huge impact on how your callers engage with the conversation, particularly if you are trying to make a successful sales pitch or hand… Read More
2021-04-14 21:32
Fact: Retaining customers is more profitable than finding new customers. The time, cost and effort involved to attract new customers can be as much as 10 times more. So, it come… Read More
2021-03-31 06:52
If you want to stand out and improve your chances to grow in your current role it’s important to show employers your rock star skills and prove your worth within the company.
Skills d… Read More
2021-02-25 22:24
Research confirms when we meet someone for the first time we subconsciously form an opinion of them in 4 seconds. Tough crowd, right? Well, there’s more – you then have 30 secon… Read More
2021-01-20 23:52
New year new opportunities. Let’s get this year started and take our challenges from 2020 and return them into a chance to grow.
Have a clear vision
This is your elevat… Read More
2020-12-14 02:12
Over 60% of Christmas holiday shopping is done online. Though that’s fierce competition it also presents an opportunity for businesses to collect consumer information (location and em… Read More
2020-11-22 21:34
First things first. What is customer service technology?
It’s making sure your systems, technology (eg: apps, shopping cart etc) and strategies are all working seamlessly together t… Read More
2020-10-22 00:39
About Us
Based in Wellington, we’re proud to be New Zealand owned and operated. Since 1998 we’ve handled millions of phone calls, texts, emails and social media re… Read More
2020-09-17 06:14
Non-for-profit organisations and fundraisers have a hard time getting the script right when it comes to asking for donations. Especially when you’re doing it over the phone. The… Read More
2020-08-24 04:40
As a business you aren’t just looking for feedback, you are looking for quality feedback. Feedback which is honest, constructive and give your business genuine insight into how custom… Read More
2020-07-20 00:02
At Alert Level 1 many businesses are still working remotely. Here are some top tips to keep your team motivated, accountable and enjoy going to the office each day.
Create a work en… Read More
2020-06-28 23:03
New Zealanders are shopping differently since the shakeup of Covid19. You only need to walk through a shopping mall to see the effects. Many stores aren’t staying open fo… Read More
2020-05-21 04:43
Wanting to retain customers is a no-brainer. It’s historically cheaper than finding new customers and businesses use the information from current customers to up-sell and re-mar… Read More
2020-04-21 06:56
Well, who’d have thought we’d see days like these?
A mix of… Read More
2020-03-23 07:38
Today, so much is automated by technology, you could be forgiven for thinking why you need humans to run the customer service side of your business anymore! Yes, there are many frequ… Read More
2020-02-20 01:28
China is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner so if China is having a crisis, so are we (along with many other countries).
Take tourism for example. As New… Read More
2020-01-07 20:41
Looking for business opportunities to win, retain and grow your customer base in 2020? Start the year off with a bang by instigating these consumer trends.
Socially and environmentally co… Read More
2019-11-10 03:37
Hired the wrong person before? It’s an expensive error, isn’t it? The wrong skills, unable to get along with others or lack of experience can be a heavy blow to your brand, espe… Read More
2019-09-25 03:21
For marketing to achieve great things the marketing plan must include a mixture of channels.
You would only have a Facebook page in your marketing plan, just as you wouldn’t have only… Read More
2019-08-16 00:47
Customer care used to be pretty straight forward. You phoned the business number, spoke to the right department who hopefully resolved the problem over the phone or had someone visit… Read More
2019-07-09 08:49
Call centres are known for dealing with and solving customer service problems. Why? So in-house staff aren’t landed with the time, effort and expertise it takes to do it right… Read More
2019-06-18 23:42
Do you really know your customer? Understanding their buying behaviour, needs and wants is the backbone of any business. Mystery shopping and customer surveys is a powerful one… Read More
2019-05-10 04:30
Two things New Zealanders absolutely love: 1) DIY and 2) shopping. Can’t purchase what you’re looking for? Well, chances are a local business has seen that gap… Read More
2019-04-26 04:46
It’s hard to make good business decisions without any evidence. Actually, that goes for all major decisions in life. Imagine buying a home with a dollar amount you simply… Read More
2019-03-07 20:39
Call centre staff wear lots of hats these days. Long gone are the times when they answered the phone and that was pretty much that.
Today, staff deal with emails, texts, online… Read More
2019-02-20 20:52
When it comes to building a cohesive brand for your business, customer service is usually overlooked. And this is where the business can really suffer when not handled properly.
Brand… Read More
2019-01-09 19:18
Business is booming, clients are placing larger orders, and everything points towards expansion on a nearby horizon.
But with those plans to expand you’d need more customers, and that… Read More
2018-11-20 03:47
Typically, Christmas is a time when your permanent staff are slowing down and planning their summer holiday. However, Christmas is also infamous for customer care centres to be… Read More
2018-10-27 23:09
You’d be forgiven for thinking call centres were the fashion back in the 1980’s, or that they’re all based in a far-off land which has no real connection to the company th… Read More
2018-09-01 12:13
Scripts are undeniably useful in a contact centre when you need to give customers specific information such as contractual terms, to ensure that nothing is left out. It also helps your call… Read More
2018-08-15 13:21
Creating a truly useful survey requires upfront planning. Although, theoretically, the results obtained from it should match fairly well customer satisfaction scores, there are too often si… Read More
2018-08-01 13:53
There is an abundance of ways in which businesses can improve customer service through automated communication channels. Emails are good for detailed instructions but people don’t alw… Read More
2018-07-15 12:07
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) can greatly increase the efficiency of your contact centre but it is important that it be designed with customers in mind so that it remains useful to them… Read More
2018-06-30 17:26
Contact centres hold a vast amount of personal, sensitive information about their customers and it is their obligation to protect it and verify a caller’s identity when calling or bei… Read More
2018-06-15 12:09
Agents that are truly multi-skilled are a gift to any contact centre as they offer the flexibility of being allocated to departments depending on incoming contact volumes. However, being ab… Read More
2018-06-01 11:56
Whether you manage an inbound or outbound contact centre, there will be times when you need to defuse tense situations, be it because a customer has called you about an issue or because you… Read More
2018-05-15 14:47
For many contact centres, Average Handling Time (AHT) is still an essential Key Performance Indicator (KPI). It affects the number of staff and the system capacity you need.
In the past, i… Read More
2018-05-01 12:49
Predictive diallers can hugely improve the performance of a contact centre, as it eliminates unproductive time by always having a call ready for the next available agent. However, it will a… Read More
2018-04-15 11:32
We regularly discuss the ways to handle complaints and dissatisfied customers, simply because customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of any business. Complaints should always be seen as a… Read More
2018-03-30 12:33
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems can make call handling much faster but, if not designed properly, they can be a huge source of frustration for customers and can leave them with an… Read More
2018-03-15 17:17
Over the last few decades, the contact centre industry has seen many waves of restructuring. Many industrialised countries first saw their contact centres re-locate where labour costs were… Read More
2018-02-28 17:08
How to Deal with Online Negative Reviews
Social media have provided businesses, both ecommerce and brick-and-mortar ones, with a fantastic way to engage with customers. However, they a… Read More
2018-02-15 12:05
In the 1920s, Danish mathematician Erlang created the eponymous formula. A pioneer in queuing theory, his work is still the foundation of any network analysis and switchboard staffing.
The… Read More
2018-01-31 11:53
Analysing a contact centre data is crucial to monitor its performance and highlight areas that need improvement. However, with the amount of collected raw data available, it is easy to lose… Read More
2018-01-15 11:35
We have often mentioned the importance of collecting data in your contact centre as it is an invaluable source of information that can revolutionise the way you do business. An ar… Read More
2017-12-31 12:37
It costs 4 to 6 times more to acquire new clients than keeping existing ones; an existing customer is 14 times more likely to buy more products or services from you, and 73% are more likely… Read More
2017-12-15 14:13
We have often talked about how demanding being a contact center agent is. Whether they are dealing with routine queries or angry customers, it can be an intense job that leads to stress and… Read More
2017-11-30 10:33
Did you know that 20-40% of all retail sales happen in the last two months of the year? How well a retailer does in this time will largely determine the shape of their finances for the foll… Read More
2017-11-15 10:14
Training your contact centre staff is essential to conveying your brand’s message, delivering outstanding customer service, create a knowledge base in your company and motivating… Read More
2017-10-31 09:15
First things first, what is shrinkage? Shrinkage is the amount of time an employee isn’t available to work during paid time. As far as contact centres are concerned, this means not be… Read More
2017-10-15 09:15
For large organisations and companies, handling calls is a sizeable part of their budget and call centres are often scrutinised to find areas where savings can be realised.
A common strateg… Read More
2017-09-30 08:53
The quality of service provided by your contact centre will be highly dependent on being adequately staffed. Too few agents will lead to longer waiting times, but too many will affect your… Read More
2017-09-15 14:38
Unless it is a legal obligation in their industry, SMEs are often reluctant to record customer calls. They may hesitate for financial reasons, because they doubt that they will be useful or… Read More
2017-08-31 14:34
Google are doing it. So are Deloitte, Cisco and Microsoft.
What is ‘it’? They use gamification to improve staff motivation and performance. We know that working in a contact cen… Read More
2017-08-15 10:03
As soon as a business starts having a significant number of customers getting in touch with them comes the question of how to prioritise those contacts. A perpetually engaged line will put… Read More
2017-07-31 12:45
There will always come a time when a company needs to invest heavily to upgrade technology or infrastructure so as to keep their contact centres efficient. However, there is also a myriad o… Read More
2017-07-14 12:42
Contact centres are often perceived by businesses as ‘cost centres’, and they are often under pressure to be ever more ‘productive’ or, in other words, be less expen… Read More
2017-06-30 11:40
Complaints are never pleasant to hear but they are a reality of customer service. No matter how committed you are to excellence, no business will ever be able to please everybody all the tim… Read More
2017-06-15 09:58
If you think about contact centres, you may be picturing a massive operation with thousands of agents in anonymous little cubicles. While it is true that large companies may have a need for… Read More
2017-06-01 09:44
With nowadays technology, it is as easy to have staff working remotely as to have them all under one roof. While it may be trickier to create a sense of belonging, having remote agents brin… Read More
2017-05-15 09:36
Hiring an external contact centre is a major decision for any business. Cost will most likely be an important factor when choosing your provider, but it is also crucial to make sure that th… Read More
2017-05-01 09:19
The growing popularity of automated services, email communications, web chats and social media when it comes to contacting companies’ contact centres all highlight the same phenomenon… Read More
2017-04-01 09:50
Emails, phone calls, social media,
Instant Messaging, chat and video chat: the communication channels customers use to contact companies are numerous, and so are the technologies accompanyi… Read More
2017-04-01 09:06
In the first part, we reviewed some technologies that enable more productive contact centre services, like speech analytics, automatic call distributors and predictive diallers. We look at o… Read More
2017-03-15 09:23
Ahead of social media, emails and mobile Apps, chat is the fastest growing communication channel in contact centres. Immediate and more personal, it gives customers instant replies to their… Read More
2017-03-01 06:49
During a verbal exchange, the actual content of what we say account for only 38% of the communication itself. The remaining 62% influencing our interlocutor’s response is a mixture of… Read More
2017-02-15 08:44
A decade or so ago was the scene of a great exodus, that of call centres being relocated off shore. Driven by the need to control costs, it provided companies with cheaper labour, although… Read More
2017-01-31 16:12
It is well-known that there no longer is any brand loyalty. Unless you are Apple, customers will switch to your competitors if they offer something better or your customer service isn&rsquo&helli…Read More
2017-01-15 09:26
In 2015, the sales of the LEGO Group reached US$2.1 billion (NZ$3 billion), making it the largest toy company in the world in terms of revenue. Each year, its contact centres deal with 1.8… Read More
2017-01-01 17:20
Self-service AIs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and able to handle more complex queries. This is good news for customers and contact centres as the formers can access simple inform… Read More
2016-12-15 15:33
Delivering outstanding customer support in the digital age can be quite a challenge. Online services have led us to expect instantaneous resolution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across a wi… Read More
2016-12-01 09:50
Call quality monitoring should be at the heart of process improvement in contact centres. It will, of course provide you with invaluable information about people’s experience when the… Read More
2016-11-15 17:43
In this day and age, we like to think of ourselves as educated consumers who make decisions logically after shopping around and weighing pros and cons. However, is it really true? Everybody… Read More
2016-11-01 09:43
Understanding your audience is crucial to the success of any company. Likewise, being able to predict your customers’ behaviour will enable you to prevent undesirable outcomes, which… Read More
2016-10-15 08:22
Business is all about numbers and statistics, which is understandable as they are the only objective way of setting targets and measuring results. However, many aspects of customer service… Read More
2016-10-01 08:00
As we have discussed in previous articles, a phone call has become somewhat of a last resort for customers wanting to contact a company. You would have thought that it would spell the end o… Read More
2016-09-01 07:54
The post 5 Ways Advanced Self-Service AIs Are Changing Customer Service appeared first on Corporate Connect Centre Read More
2016-08-15 10:06
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or PCI DSS is a security standard for companies taking credit card payments from customers who use major credit providers such as Visa, Amer… Read More
2016-07-31 09:57
How much time should your call agents spend on a phone conversation with a customer? It probably is one of the trickiest balance to achieve. Too much, and your costs will spiral out of cont… Read More
2016-07-15 12:19
In previous blogs, we have discussed the importance of meeting customers where they want to talk, and how phone calls are becoming a last resort in a customer’s journey. Conventional… Read More
2016-07-01 08:52
If you are a contact centre manager, one of your biggest headaches is probably how to retain staff in an industry where turnover is notoriously high. Each time an employee leaves, knowledge… Read More
2016-06-15 07:31
While most staff want to do well and are hard workers, you will occasionally harbour a few employees who are work shy. Recognising the tricks of the trade and what they may do to delay taki… Read More
2016-06-01 12:04
Digital technology has transformed communications between companies and consumers beyond recognition. Call centres have become ‘contact’ centres to encompass an omni-channel for… Read More
2016-05-15 09:49
To be successful, businesses need to meet consumers where they are and communicate with them using the platform of their choice, and in today’s digital age, it is on social media. Mor… Read More
2016-05-15 09:21
In a previous blog, we looked at how contact centres are usually perceived as “Cost Centres” and how businesses often fail to turn this around by exploiting this gold mine of da… Read More
2016-05-01 09:21
Web chat has become a popular way for customers to contacts businesses, especially among the 18-34 age range. However, it is not without challenges for contact centres as web chat interacti… Read More
2016-04-16 09:10
According to industry experts, speech analytics is one of the fastest growing areas of the contact centre technology market, and with good reasons. In an extremely competitive world, the fu… Read More
2016-03-31 09:48
Technology has made it possible to communicate in a myriad of ways, and businesses now have a range of media they can use to capture their audience’s attention, from email campaigns… Read More
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