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August 2008

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Labor Day Message: Treat Your Workers Well and Be Rewarded

August 28, 2008

When heading off for the Labor Day weekend, think of the people who make it possible: those who work for you like your contact center agents and supervisors for whom Labor Day is a workday where they deliver the customer service that we all depend on.

And when thinking of your staff examine ways in which you can treat them better, so that they can become more productive and loyal that in turn leads to higher revenues, lower costs, and greater customer satisfaction. You may even be recognized by your peers for the results that you have achieved.

InfoCision has proven that looking after your staff pays off.

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SpeechTEK Notes...

August 22, 2008

Personalization:Several notes from SpeechTEK, held earlier this week in New York City:

--The industry is waiting for 'G', as in 3G, to enable integrated voice/visual (web/video) solutions to mobile customers. These tools have been under development but have no real place to go in the North American market until the wireless carriers upgrade their platforms to permit these applications

--Legislation/regulations are affecting offerings. Handsfree wireless laws create a need for integrated voice/web interfaces. The new FTC TSR amendments prohibit outbound pre-recorded telemarketing messages unless there is express consent

--Personalization: the ability to engage automated systems with customers becoming extremely important to improve success rates, customer satisfaction rates, and sales

--Speech analytics becoming key as enterprises want to mine calls to learn more about their customers

--Call avoidance i.e.

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Forget SpeechTek: The Buzz Is With Aumtech/MS Speech Rec

August 18, 2008

There are instances with technology where the right tools and the right players come together to kickstart it into high gear. Examples include Robert Stephenson and the steam locomotive, Thomas Edison with the electric light, Henry Ford and the automobile, Boeing with 707 jet airliner, and Bill Gates Jr. and the PC.

That instance may be happening right now, again with Mr. Gates but also with Aumtech and speech rec. Aumtech's new tool to connect its IVRs with Microsoft's powerful speech rec engines appear to make speech tools affordable, slicing per-seat licensing fees from $3,000 to $10.

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Must see (and hear) speech rec webinar Thursday Aug.14

August 11, 2008

Speech recognition has long been a 'tomorrow' technology, promising the ability to deliver contact center functionality without having contact center agents delivering them, resulting in reduced transaction costs.

While the applications have reached a level that they are sufficiently rugged, user-friendly, and widespread to the point where they have trained us to speak to 'them', they have--until now--still been too expensive to be deployed outside of major and deep pocket enterprises.

Until now...that is.

There is a TMC webinar taking place Thursday August 14 at 1pm ET that will explain how JetBlue has sliced speech rec application costs to a fraction of what they are traditionally.

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Canada's Do Not Call

August 1, 2008

In just less than two months from now, Canada's new Do Not Call registry will go live. This new regulation, and others, will have at last some enforcement teeth in the way of steep fines. These methods will help clean up the telemarketing industry that unfortunately like any other field has a few bad actors, poor managers, and greedy companies. Telemarketers will also benefit by using the DNC to generate a higher lead/sale per prospect ratio by not calling people who clearly don't want to buy by phone.

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