2018 was a big year for DVSAnalytics. We saw vast advancements in technology and the ever-growing importance, and challenges, of harnessing the power of big data and AI. In our journeys across North America, we spent time listening to feedback, exploring fresh ideas with customers and resellers, and introduced new programs into our partner community. We kicked off the year with an enhanced brand presence. We also invested our time with a series of onsite and in-person programs that dove into the essence and practical nature of enhancing the customer experience. Our thought leadership discussions at many of the year’s trade events enabled us to communicate in an open forum the challenges, and possible solutions, our customers and partners face each day.

Customer Retention

Customer retention is one of the key concerns that continues to be at the top of everyone’s list. This is a fundamental building block for every successful business. Successful customer retention initiatives benefit companies in two important ways.

1. Increasing the lifetime value of a customer
2. Improving the likelihood of up-selling or cross-selling to existing long-term customers

If a company can succeed in building trust with their customers, those customers become more receptive to offers that provide greater value.

Customer Satisfaction

The record-breaking shopping and consumer confidence reached over the holiday shopping season of 2018 brings the need for high-quality customer service and optimized contact centers into sharp focus. When new records are being set for sales volume, in both premises-based and online stores, the demand on contact centers soars: availability questions, return policy inquiries, technical support, etc. Faced with the intense competition of today’s marketplaces, where every product, no matter how complex, is quickly imitated and replicated, customer service is becoming the great differentiator. Ensuring a smooth and satisfactory customer experience is the key to customer engagement, retention and loyalty.

Employee Satisfaction

Sometimes overlooked in the quest for customer retention is employee retention. Experienced, engaged agents are a vital component of the customer experience. Most experts agree, artificial intelligence should complement, not replace human interactions when it comes to contact center operations. Human agents are still required for complex interactions whether on a call, email or live chat. Investing in these human agents through training, coaching, user-friendly tools and flexible scheduling, creates engaged employees with a clear understanding and appreciation for customer satisfaction and company goals.

Platform Interoperability

At DVS, we understand the importance of interoperability. We streamlined functions and enhanced the value of enabling multi-skilled agents to seamlessly communicate across different channels. We have provided the tools required to harness large amounts of data, transforming it into the actionable information needed to improve operations, enhance the customer journey, and gets the best results for business. 2018 was a year of change, but our course at DVS remains steady. We’re looking forward to 2019, and hope you are, too.