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Contact Center Abandon - An inbound contact that cuts off communication while waiting to be connected or transferred. In outbound contacts, this refers to when the predictive dialer ends communication because the system or agent was unable to connect.
ActiveX Controls - A feature set within a web page that allows for interactive functionality.
AI Automation - AI automation refers to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to automate tasks and processes traditionally carried out by humans.
AI Call Center - An AI call center is a cutting-edge customer service solution leveraging artificial intelligence to automate and enhance various call center operations.
AI Chat - AI chat refers to systems that utilize artificial intelligence to facilitate and simulate engaging conversations between humans and machines.
AI Contact Center - An AI contact center is a customer service solution that leverages artificial intelligence technology to automate and enhance various aspects of customer interactions.
AI Conversations - AI Conversations, also known as artificial intelligence conversations, have become an essential part of our digital landscape.
AI Customer Experience - AI Customer Experience, or Artificial Intelligence Customer Experience, refers to leveraging AI technologies to enhance customer interactions and satisfaction.
AI Customer Service - AI Customer Service is a groundbreaking technology transforming how businesses engage with their customers. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, involves the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn like humans.
AI Routing - AI routing, short for Artificial Intelligence routing, is a transformative technology that has redefined how businesses manage customer interactions. By utilizing advanced algorithms and machine learning, AI routing intelligently directs customer inquiries to the most suitable agent or department.
AI Self-Service - AI self-service refers to the use of artificial intelligence technology to automate and enhance customer service experiences. It involves using AI algorithms and machine learning to enable customers to find answers to their queries or solve problems on their own, without the need for human intervention.
AI for CX - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way businesses engage with their customers. In the realm of AI customer experience (CX), AI is a robust tool that enhances the overall customer journey and satisfaction.
Advanced Call Center Technologies - Modern technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and omnichannel services, that has transformed communication and how call centers deliver customer service.
Agent Desktop - A software application or set of applications that provide contact center agents with all the information and tools they need to perform their customer-facing job functions.
Agent - A front-office contact center employee, also known as a customer service representative, who interacts directly with customers through inbound or outbound communications (voice, digital or omnichannel). An agent may assist with issues such as placing orders, resolving issues, providing basic technical support, and answering policy questions.
Contact Center Agent Coaching - A quality or performance management activity in which agents receive feedback, examples and activities to help them improve or expand their skillset.
Contact Center Agent Experience - The experience (or satisfaction level) of a contact center agent resulting from customer interactions, workforce engagement, their work tools, supervisors, schedule flexibiity, and operational efficiency. It can be improved through coaching, gamification, training, technology, real-time support, AI solutions, and workforce optimization.
Agent Occupancy - The percentage of time agents are actively engaged in handling interactions relative to their total time logged in to a workforce management system or otherwise registered as working.
Agent Reports - A performance report providing statistical insights related to an individual agent's average handle time, unavailable time, call log, etc.
Contact Center Agent Self-Evaluations - A quality management activity, also known as a self-assessment, in which agents evaluate and score their own interactions using the same form and criteria that a manager or another evaluator would use.
Analog - The process of taking audio signals, like voice, and translating them into electronic pulses.
Contact Center Analytics - Tools that analyze data points, make correlations, reveal insights, and report on trends to help a contact center or business improve operations.
Application - Software designed to be interacted with by an end user, enabling them to accomplish specific tasks. Contact center applications can enable the identification, routing, analysis and tracking of interactions, as well as workforce and performance management.
Application Programming Interface (API) - A set of functions and procedures allowing developers to create applications that access the features or data of an operating system, application, or other service.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Cognitive technology that uses algorithms, data analysis, and programming to perform actions, identify patterns, and predict issues with minimal human intervention. AI can adapt to new information or other input, enabling the ongoing execution of tasks with varying levels of complexity and autonomy.
Artificial Intelligence in Call Centers - AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. In call centers, AI, often referred to as center AI, is utilized to automate tasks, analyze data, and provide personalized customer experiences.
Auto Dialer - More commonly referred to as a Dialer, this technology automates the process of making calls from an outbound contact center. Dialers can offer advanced functionality, scripting, and reporting. See also: Predictive Dialer.
Automatic Callback - When all lines are busy or all agents unavailable, this contact center technology allows the customer to instruct the system to return their call when an agent becomes available within a specified amount of time or to indicate a preferred time for a callback.
Automatic Number Identification (ANI) - A service that transmits the phone number of the caller for quicker customer identification; also referred to as Calling Line Identification (CLID) or Caller ID (CID).
Automation - Technology designed to perform actions or take over processes performed by humans, in order to boost efficiency and reliability, and empower customers with self-service.
Automation Studio - An automation studio is a powerful software tool that empowers businesses to automate a variety of processes, thereby improving efficiency and streamlining operations.
Avatars - An element of gamification; a graphical representation of an agent for digital platforms. Avatars can sometimes be customized by users to reflect a characteristic or persona.
AHT - A standard call center metric used to measure the average length of time it takes to complete a transaction, from start to finish.
Average Hold Time (AHLDT) - A standard call center metric used to measure the average amount of time customers spend on hold during interactions with the contact center.
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21st Century Integrated Digital Experience - A set of standards established by the US federal government to improve citizen digital experience with government services. The 21st Century IDEA was signed into law in 2018 as part of the Modernizing Government Technology Act.
Call center agent scorecard - A tool for measuring and monitoring quality assurance (QA) and performance metrics for individual agents.
Call center agent software - Technology, often called the agent desktop or agent workspace, that brings together system capabilities, applications and processes for call center agents.
Call Center AI - Call Center AI, or artificial intelligence for call centers, utilizes advanced technologies to enhance the efficiency and operations of call centers, including automated customer service.
Call center coaching - A quality management activity providing contact center agents with feedback, examples, performance assessments, and best-practice activities to help improve the skillset needed for their role.
Call Center Data - Any type of data stored in a call center or a contact center, including customer account details, agent performance records, and other information.
Outsourcing Call Center - The practice of using a third-party provider's services to manage a company's customer service or support calls. This allows the company to focus on its core operations while benefiting from the expertise and cost savings of a specialized call center.
Call Center Reporting - The tracking and presentation of key performance indicators (KPIs) and selected metrics regarding call center activities and individual call center agent performance.
Call center service level - Call center efficiency in handling incoming calls from customers or clients, represented as a percentage of incoming calls answered within a specified target timeframe. It is a key performance indicator for service level adherence and workforce management.
Call Center Solution - A call center solution is a comprehensive software or service that empowers businesses to efficiently manage customer interactions through a centralized system.
Logs - Also referred to as log files, these are records that document details, typically time stamps, related to what took place within a computer system.
Call Flow - The conversational flow of a contact center agent’s script or how a call is routed within a call distribution system.
Call recorder - Contact center technology that records customer phone calls and may also capture concurrent agent desktop activity.
Call Recording - The act of recording a telephone call or other audio source through an automated system in compliance with rules and regulations. Calls can then be monitored for the purposes of quality management, agent performance evaluation, and workforce management.
Call Recording for Business - Call recording for business is the practice of recording and storing phone conversations within a business context.
Call Time - Refers to the length of time a caller is on an individual call with an agent. It typically includes talk time and agent-initiated hold time, but not post-call wrap-up time. See also: Average Handle Time (AHT).
Call Volume - The number of calls or contacts made or received during a given time period.
Caller - The calling party, or customer, with whom your contact center system or agent interacts.
Capacity Planning - The process of determining how to deploy workforce resources most effectively to support customer demand, currently and as much as five years into the future. This can include assigning employees based on their skills, capabilities, and preferences.
CCaaS Solutions - CCaaS, or Contact Center as a Service, is a cloud-based solution designed to help businesses manage customer interactions more efficiently.
Central Office - A site that houses major telecommunication devices and network access facilities for storage and operation.
Chat - A digital messaging application built into an organization's contact center platform, and launched from the organization's website or the customer's mobile device, which allows a customer to communicate and receive service quickly and easily.
AI Chatbot - An AI-enabled bot capable of communicating with human customers to deliver efficient service across digital channels.
Citizen Customer Experience - Interactions and experiences members of the public have when engaging with government agencies and services. This includes all touchpoints, such as online portals, call centers, in-person services, and other channels of engagement.
Closed-loop Action - A voice of the customer (VOC) term that refers to the act of following up with customers who have provided either extremely positive or negative feedback.
Closed-loop Feedback - The process of acting on direct or indirect customer input collected from sources such as customer surveys, contact center interactions, and social media comments.
Closed-loop Survey - A tool within a closed-loop feedback process for proactively collecting customer input.
Cloud Call Center Software - Cloud call center software is a dynamic solution that enables businesses to manage customer interactions with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Cloud Call Center Solution - A cloud call center solution is a virtual platform that allows businesses to manage customer service operations efficiently and effectively.
Cloud Contact Center - A contact center in which the technology used for its activities, including voice and digital interactions, is hosted in the cloud and supported by a third-party vendor. See also: Cloud Call Center.
Cloud Contact Center Platform - A complete, unified, cloud-native system that supports multichannel or omnichannel communication between customers and agents (or self-service systems) in a manner that optimizes customer experience and agent experience.
Cloud Contact Center Software - Cloud Contact Center Software is an advanced solution designed to enable businesses to handle customer interactions with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Cloud CX - Cloud CX, or Cloud Customer Experience, is an innovative technology that transforms customer interactions and boosts business efficiency.
Co-browse - A solution that enables an agent and customer to simultaneously navigate the same webpage during a voice or digital interaction.
Compliance - Abiding by or conforming to rules, regulations, or laws. The term can also refer to agent adherence to their schedules.
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) - The integration of a phone system and a computer system. CTI monitoring and control can be run from an on-premises server or made available through the cloud.
Contact Center - A physical or virtual department or operation for handling inbound and/or outbound communications between customers and agents (or self-service systems) across multiple voice and digital channels (typically for organizational divisions such as Customer Service, Sales, or Support). See also: Call Center.
Contact Center Automation - Call center automation leverages cutting-edge technology and software to streamline and enhance the operations of a contact center.
Contact Center Agent Workspace - A digital platform integrating multiple communication channels and support tools into a single, unified interface, enabling agents to offer seamless and efficient customer service.
Contact Center Architecture - An integrated framework of software and hardware components used to manage customer service and support operations.
Contact Center Campaigns - Campaigns promoting products and services through various channels such as email, voice, SMS, and web platforms.
Contact Center for Government - A centralized customer service operation for government agencies that handles a wide range of inquiries and requests from citizens and the general public, using various channels such as phone, email, chat, and social media.
Contact Center IVR - Contact Center IVR, or Interactive Voice Response, is a technology that allows customers to interact with a company’s automated phone system using voice or keypad inputs.
Contact Center ISO - ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization in the contact center context.
Contact Center Management - The policies, procedures, and tools used to manage operations, employees, and interactions within a contact center, with an emphasis on customer experience across all voice and digital channels. See also: Call Center Management.
Contact Center Solutions - Contact center solutions are a cornerstone of contemporary businesses, facilitating efficient customer service and support.
Contact Center VoIP - A communication channel based on an IP standard that transmits voice and data on the same network. VoIP does not require a dedicated connection throughout an entire call and is often seen as a more efficient alternative to circuit-switched networks.
Contact Center Workforce Optimization - A strategy to improve multichannel or omnichannel customer and agent experiences using workforce management software. These software tools can include AI-enabled forecasting, scheduling, quality management, performance management, coaching, analytics, or reporting applications. See also: Workforce Optimization (WFO).
Contact Disposition - User-defined statuses that can be assigned to completed interactions either by an agent or by the system.
Context - A combination of identifying factors about a customer -including user identity and environmental and process-based information - that contribute to insights enabling an organization to deliver an optimal customer experience.
Cost Per Call - Cost per call (CPC) is a metric used in contact centers to measure the average cost incurred for handling a single customer phone call.
CPaaS - CPaaS, short for Communications Platform as a Service, is a cloud-based communications infrastructure that enables businesses to integrate real-time communication capabilities directly into their applications.
Client Resource Management (CRM) - The strategies, practices, and technologies that organizations employ to manage, analyze, and improve interactions with current and potential customers, providing value to both the customer and the company. See also: Contact Center CRM.
Cross-sell - When a sales representative suggests to a customer that they would benefit from the purchase of an additional product or service.
CT Connect - A technology that allows computer applications to monitor and control telephone calls.
CTI Server - Software that supports a computer telephony integration (CTI) platform; although the term is often used in reference to both the software and the hardware on which it is loaded.
Customer Effort Score (CES) - A measurement of how much effort a customer expends in getting their issue resolved, purchasing a product, etc.
Customer Care - How a business treats its customers throughout the duration of the relationship.
Customer Communications - Interactions between customers and businesses using various channels spanning digital and in-person touchpoints.
Customer Experience (CX) - The perception a customer has of a brand based on a collection of interactions, including marketing campaigns, product use, social media presence, customer service contacts, and more.
Customer Experience BPO - Outsourcing customer service functions to a third-party provider. This can include services such as inbound and outbound call handling, email and chat support, social media management, and other customer-facing activities aimed at improving the overall customer experience.
Customer Experience for Government - All interactions and experiences that private individuals have when engaging with government services. This includes all touchpoints such as online portals, call centers, in-person services, and other channels of engagement.
customer journey - A customer experience journey, also referred to as a customer journey, is the path a customer follows while doing business with a brand.
Customer Experience Model - A framework businesses use to control the quality of the impressions their customers have of the brand.
Customer Experience Solutions - Customer experience solutions are indispensable tools for businesses aiming to elevate their customer interactions and boost overall satisfaction.
Customer Experience Self-Service - A collective term for self-service software, platforms, services and tools intended to enhance or streamline customer interactions with an organization. It focuses on self-service channels impacting customer experience across the full customer journey.
Transforming Customer Experience - The process of fundamentally altering the impressions businesses make on their customers so that the customer experience promotes a higher opinion of the brand.
Customer feedback - Input that consumers provide to companies they do business with. It may be unsolicited - such as a customer complaint - but organizations often use structured methods to solicit and collect customer feedback.
Customer Experience Software - A collection of contact center applications that enable organizations to provide, manage, and improve end-to-end customer service experiences.
Customer Frustration - Frustration felt by a customer as a result of a negative interaction or experience with a company.
Customer intelligence - The process of collecting and analyzing information about a business's customers with the intention of identifying the best ways to interact with them, in order to strengthen relationships and increase loyalty.
Customer Insights - Data-driven information about consumers that informs businesses about their motivations, emotions, and preferences.
Customer Journey - Also known as customer experience journey, this term refers to the complete end-to-end series of customer interactions, touchpoints and channels a customer encounters while interacting with a company or brand. See also: customer experience journey.
Customer Journey Analytics - An invaluable tool that enables businesses to gain deep insights into their customers’ behavior and preferences throughout their entire journey.
Customer Journey Based Design - Voice of the customer (VOC) solutions that are aligned with the customer journey and can provide insights about the many different paths customers can take as they interact with a business.
Customer Journey Map - A visual diagram of all touchpoints within a customer journey. It can be leveraged in real time for agents to improve an experience or leveraged via analytics to identify trends that help improve the overall customer experience.
Customer Journey Mapping Insurance - A visual representation that outlines and illustrates the various stages that a customer goes through when interacting with an insurance company. The map typically includes interactions during research, policy selection, purchase, claims processing, renewals, and other relevant touchpoints. Insurance customer journey maps help companies understand their customers' experiences, pain points, and opportunities for improvement, facilitating the development of strategies to enhance overall customer experience.
Customer Loyalty - The level of allegiance a consumer feels toward a business, usually characterized by a long-term relationship and the willingness to make ongoing purchases.
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) - A measurement of customer satisfaction levels, reflecting how well the organization meets expectations. Typically determined through customer satisfaction surveys.
Customer Service - The support offered to customers before, during, and after their purchase.
Customer Service Chatbot - Is an AI-powered tool designed to automate customer interactions and provide support through chat-based conversations.
Customer Service Message - A message that agents in a contact center environment can deliver to customers through email, SMS, chat, and voice.
Outsourcing Customer Service - The practice of delegating customer support functions to an external service provider. This provider typically handles various aspects of customer service on behalf of the company, such as inquiries, complaints, technical issues, and more, enabling the company to focus on its core business activities while still providing high-quality customer support.
Customer surveys - Tools organizations use to collect feedback from their customers about any number of topics. Customer surveys can take several forms, including paper-based documents that are mailed customers, digital surveys that appear after website transactions, and surveys facilitated by outbound phone agents.
CX Analytics - Customer Experience Analytics, commonly known as CX Analytics, is a robust tool that provides deep insights into customer behavior and preferences.
CX Artificial Intelligence - CX Artificial Intelligence, or Customer Experience Artificial Intelligence, involves using advanced technologies and algorithms to enhance customer interactions and streamline business processes across various industries.
CX Copilot - Designed to transform how businesses engage with their customers, CX Copilot offers a seamless and personalized experience at every touchpoint.
CX Customer Experience - CX customer experience, typically referred to as customer experience or CX, is the opinion someone has about a business based on a collective set of impressions.
CXi - An acronym for customer experience interactions, which is a holistic approach to managing all customer interactions from any starting point across the entire customer journey, regardless of whether those interactions involve the contact center.
CX Platform - A CX platform, or Customer Experience platform, is a comprehensive solution that enables businesses to manage and improve customer interactions across various touchpoints.
CX Solutions - CX solutions, or customer experience solutions, encompass tools, strategies, and customer experience management practices aimed at enhancing the overall customer experience.
CX Software - Customer experience software is a robust tool designed to help businesses enhance their interactions with customers.
CX Software for Government - Software designed to help government agencies manage citizen interactions and improve customer experience (CX). The goal is to provide greater accessibility and usability in government digital services, streamline and automate customer service workflows, and collect and analyze data related to interactions with the public.
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