CCW Vegas 2018 – It’s a Zoo Out There!

Every year, I go to IQPC’s Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Las Vegas – which in my opinion, is one of the most important contact center industry shows out there. As always, I was happy to meet new people as well as reconnect with clients, partners, colleagues and friends. In addition to the networking aspect of the show, I was incredibly excited for all the learning opportunities. As a contact center veteran with decades of experience in the space, I am genuinely passionate about what the latest trends are and how they can potentially impact my clients. I truly appreciate shows such as CCW and the PACE Annual Conference that tackle the complex issues that contact centers face today, while still placing the Customer Experience at the forefront. Here are a few of the many topics that were covered during the show:

• Cloud Technology
• Role of AI (ex. bots) in the Future of Customer Service
• Data Consolidation
• The Omni-Channel Journey
• Call Center Automation
• Role of AI in the Future of Customer Service
• Customer Experience Delivery Optimization
• Customer Journey Mapping

The Wild, Wild West

As I made my way through the Expo Hall, it quickly became clear to me that it’s a zoo out there!  A few years back I commented on how saturated the contact center platform market is, and this year’s show really confirmed it for me. I remember when there were about ten different service providers in the market however, after walking the show floor last week I can validate it’s in the hundreds. I’ll be honest, navigating that felt incredibly overwhelming.

Naturally, this made my wheels spin even more than they usually do. As more and more technology providers emerge, the technical landscape becomes even more difficult to navigate and understand. I know this to be a true pain point for my clients who are overwhelmed by the options and are often victims of analysis paralysis. This means that they are so overwhelmed by all the options out there that they don’t it takes them months, or even years, to make a decision. Does that sound familiar? In another nightmare scenario, one of which I have seen countless times, clients dive into technology selection without defining clear requirements. This results in improper implementation and poor deployment. The result? It can cost your organization millions of dollars, waste thousands of hours and create a culture that is wary of new technology. That can be dangerous for your organization and can negatively impact growth, profit and customer retention.

Effective Navigation: Critical but Unseen in Many Organizations

Now, more than ever, I see that it is absolutely critical for contact centers to have an impartial, vendor-agnostic resource to help them navigate through the murky waters of cloud technology. With new technology providers being added every day, ongoing feature-set buildouts, and confusing acquisition mergers, it would be unwise to try and navigate it on your own. CH Consulting Group has extensive IT solution architecture experience where we help with solution ideation, solution design and solution implementation. This includes helping our clients utilize a comprehensive RFI or RFP process to select the best possible technology solution that fits their needs, clearly defining vendor and user requirements, and ensuring proper integration with current contact center operations. If your organization is struggling with navigating through the contact center technology landscape, let’s talk!

Check Out CHCG at CCW!

If you were at the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What did you think was most helpful? Was there anything you felt was absent from the show? If you missed it completely, let’s connect so I can get you up to speed. Either way, please check out some of our pictures from the show and a video below for a quick recap of my thoughts on the show plus a special announcement!