By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD The label “call center” amuses me. Firstly, most call centers now process more than just calls, such as email messages and text chats. Though revising “call center” to “contact center” seems to adequately address that concern, it’s a moniker that’s never clicked with me. The second consideration is ironically that […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. I’m a numbers guy. I like to look at statistics and track data trends. I enjoy making spreadsheets, calculating ratios, and viewing time-sequenced facts graphically. It is great fun – and a waste of time when I’m tracking the wrong thing. A case in point is the owner of a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I have long maintained – and increasingly so – that my body does not comply with the “normal” twenty-four-hour sleep cycle. Among the press releases I received recently is confirmation that sleep cycle deviations can occur and that one enzyme may be the central culprit. Although I don’t fully comprehend […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A few years ago, Internet-centric companies were the next big thing; they were the dot coms! Their basic premise was insightful, if not simplistic. With the pull of the ubiquitous Internet and the support of massive server farms, their business models would be infinitely scalable, while customer service would be […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I wonder if my local phone company is clueless; it seems that they just don’t get it. By “it,” I mean everything: marketing, pricing, customer retention, technical support, and customer service. Although they are surely aware that they no longer function in a monopoly environment, their actions belie that reality. […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD If you have technology in your call center, then you’ve likely been frustrated by false alarms and erroneous error messages. I was recently reminded of this as I searched for the source of an alarm, warning me that something was awry at home. The culprit: was a carbon monoxide detector. […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan I selected on an internet firm to file my trademark application for my new publication, TAS Trader. After a perfunctory phone call to remove concerns over their viability, I submitted my information online. This set in motion a series of email communiqués with their “trademark team” that became increasingly frustrating, lacking […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Recently, I had questions about my HSA (Health Savings Account). Expecting the worst, I reluctantly called my provider. To my delight, my call was quickly answered, there was no queue, and no queue announcements. I don’t even recall being subjected to an IVR on the front end of my call. […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Although I frequently write movie reviews, this is the first to appear in a trade publication. However, given that the setting for this Broadway musical-turned-movie is a telephone answering service, the justification can be easily made. In The Bells Are Ringing, Judy Holliday reprises her Tony Award-winning role as Ella […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. I often hear from outsourcing call centers (by the way, they generally email me) who wonder how they can obtain more clients. I have been hesitant to give them my ideas because that was not one of my strengths when I ran a call center, but I’m starting to realize […]