Contact Centers are interesting entities within a business, as a group they are even viewed as an industry of their own.  Some are strictly a cost center, some generate revenue.  Some provide agents with the latest technologies at their fingertips, while others can be described as "less than optimal."  Whether you have the former or the later, how do you know you are getting all that you can out of your contact center?   Is this something that can be assessed by stacks of KPI reports?  Most seasoned contact center managers know that if you give them enough reports and numbers virtually any picture can be painted. 

So, the real question to ask is from the perspective of the customer -- are your customers getting the most out of your contact center?  Contact centers all have something in common and that is the ability to be either an inviting "front porch" for customers into your business, or a snarling, frothy-mouthed Rottweiler that is standing between the customer and the service they desire.  We have all interacted with the customer who is deserving of us unleashing the beast; however, we have also encountered the beast on the other end of the line when we most certainly did not deserve it. 

One of the best ways to help your contact center transform and turn the corner toward positive customer experience is through a comprehensive customer experience assessment of the current operation -- and gaining insight into how the operation is truly functioning from a customer perspective. 

Now you should be forewarned: this assessment is not for the faint of heart.  You might be told you have an ugly baby.  But not to worry...I hear Angelina Jolie was particularly homely as an infant.

Take our Customer Experience Self-Evaluation at http://www.flipyourcustomerexperience.com/flash/index.html and see how you stack up.  (And of course e-mail us consultingteam@nuance.com to get more information and advice about best practices for assessing your contact center).