<p>Ahead of Connected Business 2014, Mike England explains how the market is changing to address customer communication needs.The focus should be on the customer</p><p>Customer contact centres fulfil different functions according to the organisation they serve and the industry that they function in. Whether they generate sales, resolve complaints or assist in answering general questions, contact centres are a key strategic asset. For industries such as insurance and electricity provision, their significance is enhanced by being one of the few points of direct customer contact. Therefore the quality of interactions and appropriateness of the channel is particularly important.</p><p>Regardless of its objectives, the focus should be on the customer a" meeting expectations, enhancing service levels and improving satisfaction. The customer is empowered by technology and now expects to be able to engage with a company via its contact centre (including telephone, text, email, web chat, instant message, applications, blogs, rating websites, video and social media). The days of a call centre relying solely on telephone conversations have well and truly passed.</p><p>aTop management, CRM managers and sales teams are looking for operational dexterity, flexible ways with which to communicate with customers," said Colin Mann, speaker at the 2013 Unified Communications Expo (since rebranded Connected Business). "The customer relationship has been reinvented, especially considering the popularity of social media, and as such, communication itself has changed."Customer satisfaction depends largely on the accessibility of the call centre</p><p><a href="http://www.callcentrehelper.com/customers-driving-unified-communications-55759.htm">Keep reading...</a></p>