Get the most out of ACDs (automatic call distributors) and other complex systems in order to boost customer satisfaction and increase sales Includes three ready to use RFPs (request for proposals) for buying an ACD, computer telephony system, or recording

In today's global economy the customer has more and better choices than ever before, bringing on one of the biggest challenges the business community faces today - customer loyalty and retention. To thrive in today's customer-driven economy a company need

Designing the Best Call Center for Your Business examines all key aspects of opening and expanding a live agent call center, with in-depth coverage on facilities and workstation design; site selection, including communications and power backups; f

"The Real-Time Contact Center" is a practical guide to building a service infrastructure that will simultaneously exceed customers' expectations and build revenues.

'Bottom-Line Call Center Management breaks new ground by addressing key skills and techniques in assessing and implementing effective management practices to maximize the human and capital resources at the call center manager's disposal. Drawing on the author's unique data sets and years of research experience in the industry, 'Bottom-Line Call Center Management' helps call center managers evaluate their current status, implement cost-effective changes, and measure results of their changes to ensure a culture of accountability within the call center at all levels increasing the bottom line. The processes include an evaluation of current customer service representatives, defining, delimiting and assessing the labor shed of the center, and exploring the customer service representative's unique skills and leveraging those skills into a unique and dynamic work environment. Likewise, the process also determines the learning skills and competencies necessary to meet and exceed the basic requirements for all call centers. Furthermore, each step has a pre, in-process, and post evaluation to ensure projects are progressing according to plan. Lastly, all evaluations are measured against the bottom line through a return on investment (ROI) model. The framework for this book uses the culture of call centers, defined and lived through the customer service representatives, as the lens to view all processes, measurements, accountability and return on investment. This framework is critical since there has been much emphasis on technology-as-a-solution which treats the employees as a hindrance instead of the enablers of positive change. Likewise, customer service representatives eventually act as strong determinants of success with the call center and thus the bottom line.

What you need to know to engineer the global service economy. As customers and service providers create new value through globally interconnected service enterprises, service engineers are finding new opportunities to innovate, design, and manage the service operations and processes of the new service-based economy. Introduction to Service Engineering provides the tools and information a service engineer needs to fulfill this critical new role. The book introduces engineers as well as students to the fundamentals of the theory and practice of service engineering, covering the characteristics of service enterprises, service design and operations, customer service and service quality, web-based services, and innovations in service systems. Readers explore such key aspects of service engineering as: The role of service science in developing a smarter planet Service enterprises, including: enterprise value creation, architecture of service organizations, service enterprise modeling, and the application of methods of systems engineering to services Service design, including collaborative e-service systems and the new service development process Service operations and management, including service call centers Service quality, from design operations to customer relations Web-based services and technology in the global e-organization Innovation in service systems from service engineering to integrative solutions, service-oriented architecture solutions, and technology transfer streams With chapters written by fifty-seven specialists and edited by bestselling authors Gavriel Salvendy and Waldemar Karwowski, Introduction to Service Engineering uses numerous examples, problems, and real-world case studies to help readers master the knowledge and the skills required to succeed in service engineering.