Catalyzing Growth by Focusing on Customers and Employees

C3 2016 in Minneapolis

Our C3 conference kicked off this week here in Minneapolis, and we are thrilled that nearly 400 attendees have decided to spend the next three days with us to learn more about our vision for the coming year, hear from other customers about how they’re using Calabrio, and attend breakout and training sessions to hone new skills and best practises.

This year’s theme is “Catalyze Growth” and, after an exciting, growth-filled year, we know that we are making good on that promise by designing a roadmap that keeps our customers focused on their greatest assets: employees and customers. Each of our three keynotes continued to drive that vision, and we were fortunate to hear from Calabrio president and CEO, Tom Goodmanson, SVP of Products and Strategy, Matt Matsui, and Ph.D. and TED Speaker, Guy Winch.

The keynotes highlighted Calabrio’s mission, our vision for the product, and why contact centres should change the perception of customer complaints. Here are a few quick takeaways from each of our speakers.

Tom Goodmanson

Calabrio has seen enormous growth and momentum this past year, including being named a leader in the Forrester Wave Workforce Optimisation Suites, Q3 2016 report and in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Customer Engagement Centre Workforce Optimisation report, as well as the acquisition by KKR. All of these show marked progress toward the goal of creating an engaged workforce that, in turn, creates engaged customers. Contact centre agents are on the front lines of customer relationship management, and it’s important to give agents the right tools, training, and technology so they can affect top line growth. From subject matter experts to multichannel customer communication to newfound agent flexibility, the role of the contact centre is changing, and Calabrio will continue to innovate and provide the best possible support in order to meet the ever-changing demands of both agents and customers.

Matt Matsui

What do charades and topic modelling have in common? On the surface, it seems like nothing, but upon closer look the similarities are striking. In charades, players dance around key terms using indicators and phrases that will help direct their audience to the answer, and that is exactly what customers do when they interact with brands. During conversations, customers may indicate issues or wants, but they aren’t always using the preset terms that brands have flagged. For example, cruise ship customers may speak with a representative and note that they aren’t feeling well after eating, but they may not specifically say the term “food poisoning.” With topic modelling, contact centres can monitor engagements and make assessments without always having a specific answer. In this case, a contact centre can listen to the conversations, make a decision, and get ahead of the issue by calling passengers from that ship and offering a resolution before the issue becomes even larger. Topic modelling is changing how contact centres interact with and serve customers, and that is just one of the many things on the Calabrio product roadmap.

Guy Winch

Contact centres hear their fair share of complaints, and it can be difficult to be on the receiving end of a customer’s wrath. These types of emotional customer complaints lead to increased agent attrition, and this attrition often results in less training investment and decreased focus on developing complaint management skills, which creates dissatisfied customers. This is what ultimately reinforces the negative perception of the contact centre, and it’s a vicious cycle that all contact centres experience. However, customer complaints are one of the most important pieces of the customer experience. When customers come to brands to vent their grievances, they are actually giving valuable information and insight—even if that information is negative—so companies can take steps to fix the problem. But, simply fixing the problem won’t fix the relationship, and it’s important to rethink agent complaint resolution strategies. Customers want validation, sincerity, and a resolution that rebuilds trust. By changing the perception of complaints and corresponding training methods, contact centre agents can build long-lasting relationships with customers and break the complaint cycle.

Every speaker, session, and training opportunity here at C3 is packed with valuable insights and tools you need to deliver the best experience for your customers and employees. We are thrilled with the success of the event so far and are excited to see what each new day brings. Stay tuned!

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Rebecca Martin

As Chief Marketing Officer at Calabrio, Rebecca is responsible for lead generation and pipeline marketing, content strategy, customer marketing, and corporate communications. An unflappable veteran of Minnesota’s emerging technology industry with nearly 20 years of experience, Rebecca has been entrusted with millions in venture capital and the formidable task of building lead funnels, and differentiating and positioning entrepreneurial brands. Most recently, Rebecca was Director of Integrated Marketing for Code42—a data protection and security company—where she fueled a content-driven lead-gen strategy, customer engagement/advocacy and communications initiatives. Prior, Rebecca held marketing leadership roles at Trissential, Stellent, and Oracle. Rebecca holds a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin.