Call Center - Brad Cleveland

Quality Standards for Customer Service: Common Misconceptions

Jan 16, 2025 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Leadership, LinkedIn Learning, Quality Management

I’ve found there are several common misconceptions that can hamper the development and use of quality standards. One common misconception is that quality standards are overly rigid and scripted. Another common misconception is that quality standards for customer...

Champion the Customer: Make It Easy, Make It Happen, Show You Care

Dec 5, 2024 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, LinkedIn Learning

One of my newest LinkedIn Learning courses, Championing the Customer in Everything You Do, outlines the CENTERED approach – simple steps anyone can take to keep the customer front and center. This video discusses the second step: Engage proactively. Take a few minutes...

A New Wave of Work Is Coming to Contact Centers

Nov 21, 2024 | AI, Call Center, Contact Center, Leadership, Multi-channel Support

Epiphanies can come from the most unexpected sources. My wife Kirsten and I recently spent some time in the London area. It was to be a quick business trip, but seeing that it fell on my birthday, we decided we’d add some personal days—with the goal of trying a new...

Thriving in the Midst of Change: A Practical Guide for Contact Center Leaders

Aug 30, 2024 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Service, Leadership, Organization and Culture

What standout cultural trait do you see in the most effective contact centers? It’s a question I’m often asked. But before I throw my thoughts into the ring… what would you say? An engaged workforce? A customer-first focus? A strategic mindset? These are...

The Biden Administration’s “Time is Money” Initiative

Aug 14, 2024 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Access Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Quality Management, Self-service

Bad customer experiences invite costly regulation. These compliance costs and liability risks are unnecessary burdens that could be avoided if organizations simply prioritized their customers’ best interests from the outset.

Empowering Employees as Customer Advocates: Overcoming Barriers

Aug 2, 2024 | Call Center, Contact Center, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Customer Service, Leadership, Organization and Culture, Quality Management, Workforce Management

The idea of empowering employees to be customer advocates sounds great to many leaders—in concept. But doing so is easier said than done if barriers are in place. These can include lack of training, misguided performance targets, limited decision-making authority and...