Experience shows the way… The success of the Leeds conference ‘Improving Performance 2007’ proved yet again that those in the Contact Centre industry are determined to raise the bar on performance and that the stated goal of the Customer Contact Association:- “to drive professionalism in customer contact centres”, was indeed the objective for many. There is no doubt that knowledge is the key and the combination of benchmarking and experience are invaluable. Promotional Logistics (Prolog) probably run one of the best call centres in the UK. Constantly in the top quartile of league tables you have to ask why – so we did and got Paul Miller, their Call Centre Director to explain what works for them. As with most successes the process was disarmingly simple. Considering industry statistics show that 91% of consumers have a bad contact centre experience, the process of measuring your own customer satisfaction levels and then benchmarking against the industry is the logical starting point. Getting true customer feedback, quickly and simply is the key and this goes beyond the typical postcard responses. Prolog uses a hosted in-network Customer Satisfaction facility from OPEX providing a number of benefits. Firstly and most importantly, the customer feedback is hot immediately following the conversation with the agent and therefore it is relevant. Secondly, the customer’s comments are automatically graded by the system and forwarded real-time to call centre operations staff – simple but so effective! Quality monitoring also figured highly and offers the ability to manage agents more effectively whilst assessing the accuracy of what they are saying to customers. Used in the right way, monitoring is one of the essential tools to ensure agents are performing to the right standards consistently. Calls are being evaluated on a wide set of parameters and assist in trend spotting so that appropriate action is taken to eliminate bad practice. However, a note of caution, there is the danger that evaluations can be inward focused without measuring the true customer experience and what they want from the call. Depending on what you want to achieve, both solutions work. Customer Satisfaction Surveys empower the customer to comment on aspects of your service you may not have even considered reviewing. However, it won’t necessarily tell you whether your agent adhered to the script and mentioned the special promotion you were running that day – it’s all about balance! If you want to find out more about the customer satisfaction facility provided by OPEX, contact us online. Written by: Business Systems UK
Blog 28 August, 2025 What is Conversational AI? A Beginner’s Guide to Smarter CX In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are under increasing pressure to deliver seamless and efficient customer experiences (CX). Customers expect quick responses, personalised interactions, and 24/7 availability. This is where Conversational AI comes in. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), Conversational AI enhances customer service, automates interactions, and significantly improves operational
Blog 23 July, 2025 Mike Wardell Appointed Executive Chairman We are pleased to announce that Mike Wardell, former CEO of Business Systems Ltd, has transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman of both Business Systems and Wordwatch. This strategic move marks a significant milestone for both brands as they continue to strengthen their market-leading positions in customer contact solutions and communications governance and archiving.
Blog 16 July, 2025 Unlocking the Power of Conversation: How Interaction Analytics Is Reshaping Contact Centre Workforce Planning Contact centres are no longer just cost centres – they’re goldmines of actionable insight. And in 2025, forward-thinking customer contact leaders are discovering that the most untapped resource in their operations isn’t in headcount or tech—it’s the conversations they’re already having. Welcome to the era of interaction analytics. With the power to transform how you
Blog 8 July, 2025 From Hype to Impact: AI Strategies for Maximum ROI AI is revolutionising customer contact – but for many contact centres, the results aren’t matching the promise. Despite a surge in experimentation, too many organisations find themselves in “pilot paralysis”: high on potential, low on return. Contact centres need to adopt AI, but many are hitting the same wall: inconsistent ROI. Why? Because not all
Blog 3 June, 2025 Why Workforce Engagement is Key to Retaining Contact Centre Agents Call of Duty: Why Engaged Agents Stay in Contact Centres One repeat challenge our consultants see when we partner with new organisations is Agent retention. With increasing customer expectations, hybrid working models, and AI-driven efficiencies reshaping the contact centre industry, there is always an ongoing pressure for organisations to keep agents engaged and motivated in
Blog 15 May, 2025 How OpenAI’s o3 and o4 Mini Models are a major step forward in Conversational AI for Contact Centres The release of OpenAI’s latest large language models – o3 and o4 mini – represents a major step forward in the evolution of enterprise-grade AI for customer service. These new models are purpose-built to handle complexity, improve reasoning, and scale automation without compromising control or compliance. For contact centres looking to enhance customer experiences and
Blog 1 April, 2025 AI Agents in Contact Centres: Are You Ready for the Future? The Future of Customer Service is Here The contact centre industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Rising customer expectations, increasing operational costs, and workforce shortages are putting immense pressure on businesses to deliver seamless customer experiences while maintaining profitability. The companies that embrace AI agents today are the industry leaders of tomorrow – those that
Blog 10 February, 2025 What is Agentic AI and Why Does It Matter to You? Agentic AI is transforming contact centres by enabling systems to act autonomously, adapt to new situations, and proactively achieve goals – much like a human agent. But how does it differ from traditional automation, and why should contact centre leaders take notice? What is Agentic AI? Unlike rule-based automation, Agentic AI makes independent decisions, learns