Retailers are practically swimming in data. No matter whether a retailer is all-online or runs a brick-and-mortar store — or whether it’s a tech leader or laggard — virtually everyone handles a wide variety of data: inventory information, customer payment data, loyalty programs that incorporate buying histories, employee payroll data and countless other sources of…

Cisco Systems flagship Contact Center products, Unified Contact Center Enterprise (UCCE) and Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX) have not had a major release for a while now. That is about to change in 2019: Due out mid-January, these products will release v.12. As the consolidation happens and the two products move closer together in features…

During the day, I speak with banking executives who want to be as strategic and efficient as possible with their customer outreach. But when I go home, my mailbox, my email inbox and sometimes even my voicemail are filled to the brim with offers from financial institutions for products and services that don’t fit at…

When I learned that one of my favorite stores had introduced the purchase option to buy online and pick up in the store (BOPIS), I was delighted. Then I tried it. I expected to be able to pick up my purchase quickly, bypassing the checkout lines. Instead, I was directed to the back of the…

Customers come in all shapes and sizes, and they have a million different demands. But ultimately, they all want the same thing: a good shopping experience.

I meet with many clients on a daily basis and consistently see the same challenges retail businesses face when it comes to their engagement strategy with their customers. Two of the biggest that stand out are often: Defining how to best connect with customers. In other words, how do my customers want to engage in…