Sharon Oatway
The unconscious bias that lurks in customer service
When we treat customers differently we are creating an 'unfair' environment that does not support customer loyalty. "Unconscious Bias" ...
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Sharon Oatway
- Jun 17, 2021
- 5 min
Call Center Schedule Adherence
In a call center, lateness and absenteeism can wreak havoc on schedules and customer wait times. Most agents don’t understand the impact the
Sharon Oatway
- May 5, 2021
- 10 min
Strategies for Managing Stress at Work
No matter what you call it, every job has some type of pressure. We present 10 key strategies for managing stress in customer service.
Sharon Oatway
- Jan 27, 2021
- 7 min
Managing Irate Customers in Customer Service
With the number of irate customers on the rise, being able to manage customer emotions is a vital customer service skill. Read more.
Sharon Oatway
- Jan 22, 2021
- 8 min
Top 10 Customer Service Skills for 2021
Do your CSRs have the skills needed to deliver an experience that reflects your brand at its best. Check out the Top 10 CS Skills for 2021
Sharon Oatway
- Jan 22, 2021
- 7 min
Why aren’t we hearing more EMPATHY in customer service?
True empathy involves using our feelings to understand the feelings of someone else.
Sharon Oatway
- Jan 20, 2021
- 5 min
60 Days + 5 Ways to Lift your Call Center Net Promoter Score
As we continue to work with organizations to help improve their NPS, there are 5 key strategies that have proven successful across ...
Sharon Oatway
- Jan 20, 2021
- 5 min
4 Reasons Why Customer Surveys Are Challenging ... and 1 Under-Utilized Alternative
We all know how important it is to check-in with our call center customers from time to time to see how we are doing … from their perspectiv
Kirk Dunn
- Jan 5, 2021
- 7 min
When English is Your Second Language
Many contact center agents and front-line employees have learned English as a second language (ESL). For the most part, minor slips in lang
Sharon Oatway
- Dec 16, 2020
- 9 min
Designing a Call Center Quality Assurance Scorecard
This guide highlights the key elements of a robust QA Scorecard that reflects your brand and delivers the customer experience that builds
Sharon Oatway
- Oct 21, 2020
- 4 min
Sympathy vs. Empathy ... and why empathy matters
Both empathy and sympathy express concern for another person’s well-being and are often used interchangeably -- but they are quite different
Sharon Oatway
- Oct 21, 2020
- 1 min
Walk a Mile in My Shoes - Coaching for Empathy
There has never been a time in our shared history where empathy has been more important. Empathy in business has always been vital to ....
Sharon Oatway
- May 28, 2020
- 10 min
Top 10 Qualities of a GREAT Call Center QA Analyst
Contact Center QA Analysts are often taken for granted and yet they are one of the most valuable roles in the contact center.
Sharon Oatway
- May 22, 2019
- 3 min
Why Sales is an Essential Skill for Every Call Center Agent
Every call center agent would benefit from sales skills whether it is selling a product/service directly or selling an idea/option.
Kirk Dunn
- Apr 15, 2019
- 2 min
Constructive Thinking in a Customer Service Environment
We all want to do well and are disappointed when we don’t. We are self-critical. We need to take the focus off ourselves and put it on ...
Kirk Dunn
- Mar 5, 2019
- 2 min
4 Ways Agents Can Leverage Empathy To Build Better Customer Relationships
Empathy is key to quickly and efficiently addressing the concerns of upset clients and building the rapport essential to achieving top quali
Sharon Oatway
- Mar 4, 2019
- 4 min
Outsource QA for your Outsourced Contact Center BPO Partners
Well, the reality is that outsourcing your contact center doesn’t mean you can step completely away. You need to stay engaged. Even the best
Sharon Oatway
- Feb 21, 2019
- 5 min
How to Leverage Questioning to Deliver Tailored Advice
Effective and efficient questioning is the quickest and most engaging way to gather information and uncover the root cause of a problem.
Sharon Oatway
- Sep 25, 2018
- 4 min
Contact Center Outsourced Quality Assurance Primer
It almost always makes sense to outsource some or all of your quality monitoring to an independent third party. Here are the top 10 reasons
Kirk Dunn
- Jun 20, 2018
- 6 min
Moving from an "Exhausting" to "Effortless" Experience
We need to be constantly reminded of the EFFORT we ask of companies who do business with us. Is it worth it to the customer?