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       "Week in Review"    December 3 - December 8, 2006

  "OUR TAKE" (more)

  12/8/06 - Bigger versus Better
In 1962, Gary Comer started a mail-order sailing equipment business, distributing sailing gear, rain suits, and sweaters. The first location for the company was in an apartment and later he moved to a rent-free basement office. By 1965, he had begun to make a small profit and printed his first catalogue.
 
Mr. Comer once said, "Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself. Think one customer at a time and take care of each one the best way you can." This advise served him well. His business became an industry legend for its clever catalogs and, in 1986, the company went public.
 
Today Lands' End is the second largest apparel-only mail-order business and the world's largest clothing Web site. In 2002, Sears purchased Lands' End for $1.9 billion. Mr. Comer passed away this fall. "Being better" is not only a good legacy, it's a great customer strategy.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 

  TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK (more)

Sage Software announced it has acquired intellectual property from VerticalFalls Software that will enable Sage Software to deliver a compliance and document tracking solution based on its ACT! by Sage contact and customer manager to meet the specialized needs of financial services organizations.

Witness announced the addition of customer feedback management capabilities to its Impact 360 Workforce Optimization solution. With this new solution, organizations can capture customer intelligence and benefit from direct, first-hand customer feedback leveraging the software's advanced, scalable phone (IVR), Web and email survey solution.

CDC Software announced the acquisition of Vis.align that expands CDC Software's services portfolio, generates cross-selling opportunities, and offers customers additional enterprise solutions and services. The acquisition was completed on Friday December 1, 2006.

FrontRange Solutions announced that early next year it will release GoldMine Enterprise Edition 5.1 which works with Windows VistaT to provide a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution to customers at small to mid-size enterprises (SME.)

Nortel announced that it has reached an agreement for the sale of certain assets and the transfer of certain liabilities related to the company's UMTS access business to Alcatel-Lucent. The transaction is a US$320 million cash transaction, less significant deductions and transaction related costs. The parties have agreed to target a closing at year end.

ICT GROUP announced that it has acquired Proyectar Connect S.A., an Argentina-based customer management services company with headquarters in Buenos Aires, that provides customer care, telesales and help desk/technical support services.

Unica announced the latest version of its web analytics solution, Affinium NetInsight 7.1. New capabilities in Affinium NetInsight 7.1, including visual exploration capabilities, will enable online business marketers to optimize web sites and Web 2.0 applications with analysis of customer behavior.

CosmoCom announced Version 5, an upgrade to CosmoCom's CosmoCall Universe (CCU). CosmoCom has dubbed the new version the Unified Customer Communications (UCC) release, because the platform has been enhanced to support key elements of UCC.

Witness has added a customer feedback tool to its workforce optimization (WFO) suite with the acquisition of Mountain View, Calif.-based Amae Software. The addition of Amae's tool to the Witness 360 application will allow call centers to get immediate feedback from customers on campaigns, agent performance and satisfaction levels via IVR, Web and email surveys.

Green Beacon Solutions announced its partnership with Pyxis Mobile to increase wireless CRM productivity to mobile workers.

 FEATURE WEBCAST (more)

"Optimizing the Customer Experience for Web Self-Service "

Allen Bonde, Senior VP, Strategy & Marketing, eVergance

Customers want - and have come to expect - great service. But, when it comes to self-service, many sites are still offering only static search and simple FAQs... with poor customer satisfaction and high escalation rates as a result. Get expert advice from self-service guru Allen Bonde and KNOVA Software CTO Mark Angel as they explore new ways to create an online self-service experience that cuts costs and delights customers with personalization and efficient resolution. You'll learn how to align business and user needs, drive adoption and measure the impact of your solution via targeted self-service metrics.

 
  Research Notes (more)

(Feature) Mentor Graphics Save through Web Self-Service - Support represents over 30% of Mentor's revenues and is managed as a profit center for the company.(AMR Research)
Forrester Ranks Comergent As Leader in Order Hubs report - According to Forrester's latest Wave report on order management vendors, Comergent is ranked as a leader.(Comergent)
Extracting Information from Call Data - BI techniques improve insights from call recordings (Ventana Research)
Customer- and Process-Focused Performance Management - Root-cause analysis and process improvement can help reduce costs (Ventana Research)
Customer-Centric Organization Remains a Dream - Companies need to rethink their customer relationship strategies(Ventana Research)

  WEBCASTS (more)

 · Listen Now!  Optimizing the Customer Experience for Web Self-Service - (RealMarket Live!)
 · December 12 Leveraging QM for Better Agents, Better Service, and Better Sales - (Verint)
 · December 13 Performance Support at HP - A New Approach to Training and Support for Enterprise Application & Process Deployments - (HP)
 

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  White Papers (more)

(Feature) Qfiniti Assist Delivering Real Time Agent Support - This white paper reveals how etalk's powerful query tool Qfiniti Assist addresses the most common of contact center challenges--resolving problems in a timely manner.(etalk)
Don't Be Shy About Making Conversational Marketing - Selling products and services through multiple channels offer a number of "touch-points" where information can be gathered from customers or potential customers.(Junction Solutions)

 
  Articles (more)

(Feature) 8 Things You Can't Do With Call Center Hardware - 1. Deploy rapidly - as quickly as 60 days(Echopass)
How The Call Center Market Is Changing - A Conversation With Verint's Mariann McDonagh(Call Center Magazine)
Gift Cards Fill Holiday Wish Lists - Consumers spend more than the face value to treat themselves(CRM2day)
Going End-To-End with CRM - Implementing an end-to-end CRM system takes planning and a shared goal, but the actual technology doesn't have to involve particularly heavy lifting, says Oracle's Mark Woollen. Many CRM vendors have added integration tools over the last few years, and can work with companies to create customized end-to-end strategies.(CRMDaily)
Leveraging Sales Compensation to Drive Sales Performance - Sales executives have long embraced the vision of leveraging incentive compensation to drive performance within their sales teams.(CRMBuyer)

 
  Case Studies (more)

(Feature) AFLAC Increases Efficiency With etalk - AFLAC purchased e-talk Recorder and etalk Advisor. The integrated system enables call center supervisors to set up automatic recording times based on a specialist's schedule, something that was impossible with the old completely manual system.(etalk)

 
  Events (more)

(Feature) October 22-24,2007: The 9th Annual Help Desk Professionals Conference and Exp - Are you gaining access to qualified competent speakers delivering fresh content year after year? Are you being taught how to make immediate improvements in your work efforts and to benefit from fresh information? Are you being presented great content without being sold products or services? The 9th Annual Help Desk Professionals Conference and Expo does all this while bringing together the brightest experts and the most forward-thinking Help Desk leaders to discuss the trends and opportunities that are redefining the future of the Help Desk industry.
Jan. 22 - 24, 2007: Mobile Customer Retention & Loyalty - This event will consider the changing nature of mobile customer loyalty in marketplaces around the world and equips operators with the tools and strategies needed to tackle churn. Features more operator case studies, interactive sessions, networking opportunities and innovative speakers from related industries sharing their experiences!
February 21-21, 2007: Call Center Demo & Conference Miami - Whether February finds you in the middle of a Boston blizzard or cooler temps in Tennessee, Call Center Demo & Conference's exciting, new location - MIAMI - is sure to be an inviting change of scenery come late February.
February 26-28, 2007: Linkage Strategies 2007 - Finally, the one event highlighting the entire customer feedback continuum - from collection to analysis to action - and how to WOW your customers every step of the way. Hear action-oriented perspectives to help you do your job better, faster and smarter from executives in leading organizations including: Wachovia, Hewlett-Packard, Oakland A's, Roche Diagnostic¸ Motorola, Inc., JetBlue Airways¸ American Girl, Bank of America, Kraft Foods¸ CA, Inc.¸ Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Allstate Insurance, UBS Financial Services, FedEx, PGA Tour, GlaxoSmithKline, 3M, HSN, and many more
March 27-27, 2007: Support Centre Showcase - Featuring: Mergers and Change: Management: Lessons for Technical Support - Senior Executives from some of Technical Support's largest operations will discuss the challenges of merging operations with, in many cases, their toughest competitors.
May 7-9, 2007: The 6th Annual Government Customer Support Conference and Exp - The ONLY Conference Designed Specifically for Government Customer Service and Support Centers, Call Centers, Contact Centers, Service Desks, Help Desk, and Web Service Portals
 

  

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