Customer relationship management (CRM)
Find Customer Relationship Management (CRM) resources here: news, analysis and case studies on CRM software choices and implementing CRM. Find out how UK companies and organisations are harnessing CRM to drive forward customer-centric business strategies. Understand CRM market trends, and how organisations are managing the customer experience for competitive advantage.
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Tip
18 Dec 2024
7 customer experience trends to know in 2025
Customer experience trends like generative AI, proactive outreach and agent assist can all help organizations ensure they can attract and keep customers. Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Dec 2024
The future of CX is AI-powered and human-centric
AI is revolutionising customer experience, but companies must prioritise data quality and human oversight to deliver personalised services that builds loyalty and drives growth Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2024
Why Salesforce needs a data management platform
There are reports that Salesforce is looking to acquire Informatica, but such a move needs to fit with its AI and GenAI strategy Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2024
AI skills gap blocking public sector take-up
A Salesforce report claims that a lack of skills in artificial intelligence is preventing effective take-up of generative AI to enhance frontline citizen services across the public sector Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Apr 2024
How to create an omnichannel marketing strategy
Marketers often struggle with the complexities of omnichannel implementation. To get started, they can set their business goals and invest in the right technologies. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2024
Salesforce helps customers establish bug bounty programmes
Salesforce has added new learning content to its Trailhead platform designed to help customers develop their own bug bounty programmes Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Mar 2024
RFM analysis (recency, frequency, monetary)
RFM analysis is a marketing technique used to quantitatively rank and group customers based on the recency, frequency and monetary total of their recent transactions to identify the best customers and perform targeted marketing campaigns. Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2024
How SAP is infusing AI into its business applications
SAP’s chief artificial intelligence officer, Philipp Herzig, outlines the company’s approach towards AI and how it is making the technology more accessible to customers Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Mar 2024
6 real-life examples of effective diversity marketing
Inclusive marketing can take many forms but always requires authenticity. Explore these real-life examples from companies like Breezit, LLYC and Stallion Express. Continue Reading
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19 Mar 2024
What went wrong with Birmingham City Council’s Oracle Cloud implementation?
The council swapped out a heavily customised SAP ERP system for Oracle Cloud, but since going live in 2022, it has encountered numerous technical challenges, leading to spiralling costs. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Birmingham City Council’s Oracle implementation explained: What went wrong?
The council swapped out a heavily customised SAP ERP system for Oracle Cloud, but since it went live, it has had numerous technical challenges Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Mar 2024
6 benefits of omnichannel marketing
Omnichannel marketing shares data between interaction channels, like email and live chat, to improve CX. Key benefits include enhanced personalization and customer loyalty. Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2024
APAC firms bullish on IT spending
More than half of organisations plan to spend more on key areas such as cyber security, generative AI and cloud in a sign of growing optimism across the region Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2024
Managers want generative AI, but workers need more help getting to grips with it
Staff given artificial intelligence guidelines are more likely to experiment with the technology than those who are given none, according to a survey Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Feb 2024
Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs. Salesforce: How do they differ?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce both help organizations streamline sales, service and marketing processes. Yet, they differ in architecture and integration capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
8x8 enhances experience communications as a service suite
XCaaS platform to now include capabilities such as AI-generated post-meeting smart summaries and action items, omnichannel experiences, global workforce support, and deeper technology partner integrations Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
AI ushering new era of intelligent CX
Annual customer experience trends report reveals that 68% of UK customer experience leaders believe chatbots can help build a stronger emotional connection with clients, with AI now the norm Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jan 2024
How to overcome the top 6 marketing automation challenges
Marketing automation tools can improve employee productivity if organizations avoid common pitfalls, such as poor planning and a lack personalized messaging. Continue Reading
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News
27 Dec 2023
Top 10 business applications stories of 2023
Generative AI has become unavoidable for business applications suppliers. C-level executives offer insights here, while the fundamentals of user enterprise software strategy remain visible beneath the AI froth Continue Reading
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Infographic
21 Dec 2023
2 Salesforce acquisitions in 2023 close year of austerity
In a year that began with layoffs, Salesforce changed its tune about acquisitions. Instead, it invested more, aiming to aid companies with products that its customers need. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2023
Top IT predictions in APAC in 2024
Generative AI will continue to leave its mark on many areas in business and IT, along with other trends such as sustainability, cyber security and smart factories that are expected to shape the region’s technology landscape in 2024 Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Dec 2023
How generative AI is put to work in business applications
Generative AI has kicked up a storm in 2023. We look the opportunities and challenges for businesses, highlighting a range of live applications Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Dec 2023
Microsoft Dynamics 365 best practices for implementation
Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers business apps to help organizations boost efficiency. Best practices for implementation include creating the right team and designing a simple UX. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Nov 2023
targeted ad (targeted advertising)
A targeted ad, or targeted advertising, is a method of displaying advertisements to a specific group of people based on their demographics, behavior, interests, or other criteria. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Nov 2023
The future of business software
The enterprise application software market has changed radically. We look at what is driving IT investments Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Nov 2023
Why is diversity important in marketing?
Diversity marketing can help marketers improve personalization, connect with younger audiences and increase brand loyalty. However, inauthentic efforts can erode customer trust. Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2023
Oracle NetSuite CEO Goldberg: AI a sleeping giant coming to life
Speaking with Computer Weekly at SuiteWorld, Evan Goldberg, executive vice-president of Oracle NetSuite, discussed how artificial intelligence has emerged from obscurity to be of business moment Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2023
Capgemini and Heathrow strike deal to enhance passenger experience
Capgemini and Heathrow team up to provide development and operations support for the airport’s technology estate Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Nov 2023
7 Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation issues
Microsoft Dynamics 365 presents unique implementation challenges for organizations, like data migration and customizations. Explore these challenges and strategies to solve them. Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2023
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Avaya extend customer centre alliance
Dubai utility firm enhances its customer care centre to become integrated digital interactive hub, enabling customers to access a wide range of services through an interactive voice system Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Nov 2023
5 benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive set of cloud-based business apps to help organizations eliminate data silos, improve decision-making and automate workflows. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2023
high-touch customer service
High-touch customer service is a category of contact center interaction that requires human interaction. Continue Reading
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News
23 Oct 2023
CTO interview: Pegasystems’ Don Schuerman on using AI to set business goals
Generative AI is on the cusp of allowing companies to automate business processes to meet business goals Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Oct 2023
CRM (customer relationship management)
Customer relationship management (CRM) is the combination of practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2023
5 real-world examples of customer obsession
Customer obsession requires organizations to place clients' needs at the center of all operations. Real-world examples include Equinox, Tabrick and GreenPal. Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2023
Gitex Global 2023: Motul looks to deliver ‘effortless’ experiences in cloud comms
Global oil and lubricants company adopts suite of cloud-based contact centre and unified communications solutions to improve customer experience and enable global employees to collaborate better across borders Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2023
SuiteWorld 23: Oracle NetSuite pushes business efficiency by way of AI
Oracle NetSuite’s Evan Goldberg posited AI old and new as means for organisations to do more with fewer resources, speaking at the company’s annual global SuiteWorld conference in Las Vegas Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2023
Gitex 2023: Avaya plots generative AI-powered future for customer experience
Leading comms and customer experience technology provider unveils Generative CX concept showing how artificial intelligence can sit at the core of experience transformation Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2023
Oracle’s Steve Miranda: Customers nearing inflection point with Fusion
In a Q&A with Computer Weekly at Oracle Open World, applications head Steve Miranda discussed how its customers are moving from project-driven to business-driven approaches, and how GenAI is for real Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2023
Hybrid work flexibility the leading driver underpinning successful work experiences
Study finds that while just over half of CEOs strongly believe their organisation is recognised as an employer of choice, less than half of firms provide employees with the technology they need for hybrid work Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Oct 2023
Salesforce
Salesforce, Inc. is a cloud computing and social enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider based in San Francisco. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Oct 2023
Teeing up tech at the Ryder Cup
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at golf’s Ryder Cup to see the tech firsts introduced to improve the fan experience. UK tech leaders explain why they feel ‘betrayed’ by the government’s net-zero policy changes. And we examine the governance challenges behind immerse technologies such as VR and the metaverse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2023
IT and contact centre leaders embrace conversational AI or fear falling behind
Study finds contact centres are on the precipice of a new era as AI begins to deliver and users are increasingly turning to digital channels for information, purchases and support. But efficiency and effectiveness a point of contention Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
Qualcomm looks to reshape digital world through spatial computing
Mobile tech giant announces new platforms, developed in close collaboration with Meta, to provide breakthrough performance in immersive applications such as mixed and augmented reality Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Sep 2023
Customer success vs. sales: What's the difference?
Customer success and sales teams both interact with clients, but customer success prevents churn whereas sales teams focus on loyalty and acquisition. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Sep 2023
5 email marketing challenges and their solutions
Most organizations primarily use email to connect with customers. Yet, marketers often struggle with engagement due to spam filters and crowded inboxes. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Sep 2023
4 email A/B testing best practices
A/B testing can help marketers improve email campaigns one variable at a time. Best practices include designing the right test, starting with the sender's name and using AI tools. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Sep 2023
omnichannel
Omnichannel -- also spelled omni-channel -- is an approach to sales, marketing and customer support that seeks to provide customers with a seamless and unified brand experience, regardless of which channel they use. Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2023
Salesforce and Zoom embrace ethical hackers. You should, too
Software companies Salesforce and Zoom discuss their successful bug bounty programmes, what they learned at a recent in-person hackathon in which they participated, and why others shouldn’t be scared of hackers Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Sep 2023
Sales vs. account management: What's the difference?
Sales and account management teams work together to increase revenue. However, these roles have different goals, responsibilities, skills and relationship timeframes. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2023
GenAI outranks cloud as business IT strategic priority
Enterprise Strategy Group research on the use cases for generative AI shows it as strategic for corporate IT, with impacts on customer experience, software development and IT Ops Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Aug 2023
customer satisfaction (CSAT)
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a measure of the degree to which a product or service meets customer expectations. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Aug 2023
10 sales enablement best practices
A proper sales enablement strategy can help businesses improve revenue, training for sales teams and overall CX. And, with the right tools, teams can become more efficient. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 Aug 2023
What is brand recognition?
Brand recognition is the extent to which a consumer can correctly identify a particular product or service just by viewing the product or service's logo, tagline, packaging or advertising campaign. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Aug 2023
How sales teams can use generative AI
Sales teams can use generative AI to create personalized content, coach sales reps and improve forecasting. However, risks include data protection and a lack of empathy. Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2023
How Qualtrics is driving experience management
Qualtrics’ global and regional leaders outline the company’s product directions, including its work in AI, its traction in the region and the future of experience management Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Aug 2023
content personalization
Content personalization is a branding and marketing strategy in which webpages, email and other forms of content are tailored to match the characteristics, preferences or behaviors of individual users. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
09 Aug 2023
Why businesses should prioritize customer retention
Proper customer retention can help businesses grow, save money and better understand consumers. Its benefits can lead to better customer experiences and greater business success. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Aug 2023
What does it mean to be customer obsessed?
Customer obsession can boost a brand's reputation and profits. But it requires C-suite dedication to CX, high levels of personalization and a positive employee experience. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Aug 2023
7 ways to successfully align your sales and marketing teams
Learn how to create a close collaboration between sales and marketing that can lead to more effective marketing campaigns, an increase in qualified leads and a boost in revenue. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2023
12 essential ABM metrics and KPIs to measure success
Account-based marketing metrics let teams effectively engage with key decision-makers within target accounts, strengthen customer loyalty and identify areas of improvement. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2023
Account-based marketing vs. lead generation, explained
Discover the key differences between lead generation and account-based marketing, as well as pros and cons and how to decide which approach is best for your organization. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jul 2023
demand generation
Demand generation is the process of creating and cultivating interest in a product or service with the goal of generating high-quality leads that can be nurtured into loyal customers. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jul 2023
How generative AI fuels customer experience programmes
Generative AI could be a game-changer for CX if firms think use case and not tech. What do recent AI developments mean for customer experience programmes? Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jul 2023
Customer experience vs. customer service: How do they differ?
Customer experience and customer service are not the same, but they do have a shared goal: to ensure customers are satisfied and return for repeat business. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Jul 2023
account-based experience (ABX)
Account-based experience (ABX) is a business-to-business (B2B) strategy in which the sales, marketing and customer success departments work together to provide accounts with a unified, personalized experience throughout the buyer journey. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jul 2023
6 ways customer experience can increase sales
Organizations that offer a positive CX can boost customer loyalty, reduce churn and increase word-of-mouth advertising. Explore six important ways CX increases sales. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Jul 2023
customer journey map
A customer journey map is a visual representation of the stages a customer goes through when interacting with a company. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jul 2023
How to use generative AI for marketing
Organizations can use generative AI to write marketing content and analyze customer data quicker than a human. However, the tool requires basic prompt engineering skills. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2023
IT firms ramp up prices to drive post-pandemic revenue
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development puts inflation at 6.5%. Some areas of IT spending have experienced double-digit growth Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2023
Zoom doubles down on customer experience in UCaaS play
Zoom is going beyond its roots in employee experience as it looks to strengthen its position in the unified communications-as-a-service market Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jul 2023
7 tips for creating a knowledge base
A knowledge base offers self-service for customers and employees. Organizations can collect feedback and build a culture of knowledge sharing to create an effective knowledge base. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jul 2023
5 tips for creating customer journey maps from buyer personas
Organizations can create a journey map for each buyer persona. To create the map, CX teams should use data, consider many viewpoints and apply a central governance framework. Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Jul 2023
quality of experience (QoE or QoX)
Quality of experience (QoE or QoX) is a measure of the overall level of a customer's satisfaction and experience with a product or service and the vendor that's providing that product or service. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Jul 2023
What is the role of a customer relationship manager?
The customer relationship manager -- a role that differs from a CRM manager -- has a challenging and ever-evolving role to play when it comes to optimizing the customer experience. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
03 Jul 2023
Where SMBs should start on their AI journey
This is a guest blogpost by Pierre-Baptiste Béchu, Aircall co-founder and CTPO The SaaS industry is being reshaped by AI. More and more companies are turning to AI to innovate their products, and ... Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Jun 2023
voice of the customer (VOC)
Voice of the customer (VOC) is the component of customer experience that focuses on customer needs, wants, expectations and preferences. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2023
How Ikea is driving digital customer experience
Ikea franchisee in four Southeast Asian markets and Mexico taps chatbots, conversational commerce and remote planning, among other capabilities, to drive digital customer experience Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2023
Investment in employee experience, cloud, AI drives greater customer experience
Study from global IT infrastructure and services company finds employee experience and customer experience gaining rapid recognition of their importance at board level, and as many as 95% of organisations see cloud enablement as vital in enabling outcomes Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jun 2023
4 knowledge base article templates
Knowledge bases can improve CX and employee productivity, but organizations may not know where to start. Discover four templates to help teams write knowledge base articles. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2023
Avaya expands Google, Alcatel-Lucent alliances to boost customer experiences
Collaboration with leading cloud platform designed to deliver enhanced contact centre solutions as improved Experience Platform enables users to integrate digital capabilities to redefine agent operations Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2023
Software spending grows fastest as finance firms spend $652bn on tech in 2023
Banks and investment firms are increasing their spending on IT despite gloomy economic outlook, but priorities have changed Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Jun 2023
Customer success vs. account management: How do they differ?
Customer success and account management strategies help organizations grow in different ways. Customer success focuses on loyalty, while account management focuses on revenue. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Jun 2023
4 components of a customer obsession model
Customer-obsessed organizations put customers at the heart of their operations. A customer obsession model requires important elements like a data strategy and leadership support. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2023
ServiceNow’s Bill McDermott: a ‘work in progress’
Bill McDermott, president and CEO of ServiceNow, speaks to Computer Weekly about his vision for the company and the technology industry, which he believes to be in the throes of exponential change Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2023
Citi US Personal Banking turns to AI to ‘delight’ customers with personalised services
Citigroup’s US Personal Banking business has created a repository of customer data and is rolling out a decision engine to provide customers with personalised services Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Jun 2023
customer engagement
Customer engagement is the way a company creates a relationship with its customer base to foster brand loyalty and awareness. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Jun 2023
CXM vs. CRM: Which platform is best for your business?
CXM and CRM systems help organizations boost customer satisfaction, but CXM focuses on how customers perceive a brand, while CRM helps employees understand their customers. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Jun 2023
How to calculate call center utilization rates
Customer service leaders use metrics like call center utilization rates to track performance and CX. Leadership must learn the effects of these rates and how to calculate them. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jun 2023
7 must-have skills for customer experience professionals
CX professionals must seek to understand customer problems and perspectives, so they need skills in communication, data collection, relationship building and empathy. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 May 2023
What does a knowledge management leader do?
Knowledge management teams often include IT professionals and content writers. But at the head, they need a central leader to make connections and guide people. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 May 2023
6 risks of ChatGPT in customer service
Despite ChatGPT's customer service benefits, organizations must understand the technology's risks, such as fabricated information, bias and security concerns. Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2023
How Pendula is driving customer communications
The Australian startup’s conversational messaging platform lets businesses draw on internal and external data to cross-sell and upsell their offerings while improving customer retention Continue Reading
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Definition
23 May 2023
Adobe Experience Platform
Adobe Experience Platform is a suite of customer experience management (CXM) solutions from Adobe. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2023
IT Priorities 2023: Business automation intensifies as data governance returns
Business automation and a renewed focus on data governance to get more value from data have attracted more interest for UK enterprise software investment, says the TechTarget IT Priorities 2023 survey Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2023
CRM vs. CMS: How they differ and how to integrate them
CMSes and CRM systems serve different purposes, but together, they can help organizations improve customer data management as well as automate sales and marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 May 2023
The role of AI as an everyday life assistant
We speak to the co-author of a book that explores the idea of artificial intelligence-powered automation that enables machines to become customers Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Apr 2023
How to use ChatGPT for customer service
Customer service teams can use ChatGPT to automate tasks, generate responses to customer inquiries, summarize email threads and power human-like chatbots. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Apr 2023
white paper
A white paper is an authoritative, research-based document that presents information, expert analysis and an organization or author's insight into a topic or solution to a problem. Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Apr 2023
Next-gen AI: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
Mark Raskino, co-author of When Machines Become Customers, discusses machine-to-machine commerce Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Mar 2023
How account-based marketing can improve personalization
An ABM strategy can help B2B marketers personalize marketing efforts for top prospects. An ABM strategy includes an ideal customer profile, personalized messaging and a CRM system. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Mar 2023
Advice for marketing personalization
Business professionals have become numb to the plethora of marketing emails they receive every day. However, personalized messaging can grab their attention. Continue Reading