By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD “I need to find a good manager.” This statement is simple and its occurrence common. I’ve heard it many times over the years, including when I worked in call centers, when I consulted for call centers, and now that I write about call centers. Despite the straightforward nature of this […]
Tag: From the Publisher
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Phone Failure Fiasco
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last month I shared that our house took a minor lightning hit, resulting in the need to call our satellite television provider and telephone/Internet provider. The satellite provider understands how to provide great customer service; the phone company does not. Though my business line was unaffected, our home phone had […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I’ve been thinking a lot lately about customer service via the telephone, even more so than usual. There are some things that I am excited about, while others are a concern. On the negative side, consider a large telecommunications company that provides cell phone, Internet, and long distance. Another is […]
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The Saga of a Telemarketing Failure
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last year my local phone company changed. There was much to-do surrounding this news, arriving in the form of frequent mailed communications and email messages and spanning several months. Throughout this, the phone company repeatedly promised that there would be no rate increases – all that would change was their […]
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Will You Be Ready?
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD By definition, the recession is over. The worst is behind us and good times are ahead – at least in theory. This recovery, however, is proving to be slow. It is dawdling along, in an unhurried manner, unaware that we yearn for it sooner rather than later – and that […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD For many years, it’s been my pleasure to attend the annual ATA Convention & Expo. This year’s inaugural springtime event was no exception. Each year, I look forward to seeing and interacting with others in the contact center industry. Although I connect with many throughout the year via email and […]
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The Total Cost of Ownership
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love to have the latest, fastest, and most powerful tools and toys, but I hate the time it takes for implementation, requiring that I preempt more important activities to install, fine-tune, and master my new technology. Therefore, I tend to stick with […]
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Read Any Good Books Lately?
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD As a magazine publisher and editor, I receive frequent pitches from publicists wanting me to read (and hopefully review) their client’s book. Of course, they are all too happy to mail me a free copy – and sometimes the books just show up unannounced. Since I like to read, their […]
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Looking Back to See Ahead
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD As we make the transition from one year to the next, we typically take time to reflect and project – that is, to look at the past and anticipate the future. To make this time of examination and analysis even more momentous, we are also migrating from one decade to […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD For some, the mere mention of it produces a spontaneous smile and causes their eyes to light up. To them, it represents the preferred way to communicate; they would be lost without it. Business leaders seek to stifle it or monetize it. Others groan audibly and roll their eyes at […]