As the wheels of my 6AM flight leave the ground it seems as though more than just the increased G’s of takeoff press me back into the seat. An unsettling feeling seems to surround the airliner’s cabin.More
It seems my smugness in the recent post Surviving Snowmageddon about my work arrangement’s resilience against disruption has come back to haunt me. Well just a little.More
While millions of idle people cost our society hundreds of millions and more of productivity … As the bills mount to facilitate abortive attempts by millions of commuters to travel to offices for non productive days … my ability to telecommute has kept me from missing a beat even as the Four Snowmen of the Apocalypse ride. More
A way to honor those swept up by recent events is to not miss this moment of learning. Our organizations may have been spared the immediate impacts this time, but none of us are outside the window of probability for some future event. Now is the time to learn, plan, and act so that in some small way, those who have fallen may not have gone in vain. More
In Eastern beliefs, “Karma is the law of moral causation.” You don’t have to understand the intricacies of this ancient philosophy to see the wisdom in the Sanskrit text, “According to the seed that’s sown, So is the fruit you reap there from…” Today, the concept of the karmic effect seems to be expressing itself in the marketplace accelerated by the explosion of social networking. What are your customer’s social networks beliefs about your company?More
20 years after the landmark book, Total Customer Service: The Ultimate Weapon, The 6 Laws of Customer Experience add new competitive weapons to the arsenal. More
A fundamental change is underway in how real-time communications occur. The advent of the Telecommunications Session is a revolutionary concept that promises to change the basic nature of electronic communications. The power of the session is just becoming apparent and it has the potential to be one of those seminal changes that causes a ripple effect across business and life.More
As a customer, I have found exceptional customer service experiences rare. One recent exception was an experience that redefined the company that I was doing business with in my eyes. They went from being a generic source of inexpensive consumer electronics to a company that has gained my loyalty. More
How many times have you been on an important conference call that is suddenly disrupted by a syrupy rendition of Stairway to Heaven or some other Music on Hold concoction of interminable distraction? There’s a FAC for that.More
One of the many things that have changed in the last decade is the practice of aggregating large numbers of workers into a single physical location. The truth is that today, given the availability communications and Web 2.0 technologies, disaggregating workers can result in significant benefits to organizations. Accompanying increased business resilience are demonstrable economic, business and social benefits. More
Recently I had the great honor to work with a team of experts brought together to work on a problem that has an effect on anyone who owns, works for or does business with an enterprise-style organization. It was one of those all-too-rare opportunities to step out of the competitive posture and work with experts representing companies—both competitors and partners, on a problem the impacts many. More
The saga of your intrepid adventurer as he conducts his never-ending search for intelligent customer service … More
Why don’t we see more headlines about the deficiencies of the 9-1-1 system? My short answer is that the people who work in public safety are true heroes. On a day-to-day basis, we only occasionally hear about the successes of the thousands of people who do extraordinary things on our behalf. That doesn’t mean that we should not give them the tools that will help them to become super heroes.More
Is your organization biologically resilient? I don’t mean “do you have white cell antibodies roaming your hallways trapping and expelling invaders” - as cool as that might be to watch. More, what I mean is: does your organization have the capacity to withstand major disruptive events in the way that a biological organism might respond to some type of environmental challenge?More
What if you lost your ability to see or hear? In today's information age, how would you earn a living? Provide for your loved ones? Maintain a reasonable quality of life? Hope to someday retire in comfort?More
Revolutionary changes are on the horizon as the Next Generation of 9-1-1 takes shape. Session based telecommunications present exciting possibilities for the transformation of the delivery of public safety services. Join the conversation about some of the possibilities for the 9-1-1 system in North America as the concept of the Telecommunications Session proliferates. More
In our recent conversation I wrote that the 9-1-1 system in North America is threatened. During several real-time conversations I have been asked why I used the word “threatened.” They said, “Okay, if we agree with you that the hard-wired premise at the foundation of the 9-1-1 system is a cause for concern, how does that constitute a threat? After all, on a day-to-day basis, doesn’t the system work?” In this post I answer those questions.More
When you are traveling, do you sometimes feel like you are facing challenges fit for Indiana Jones or Lara Croft? As a business, have you given your customers the opportunity to live out their fantasy as a mythical adventurer? Here is the story of one real-life adventure and the self-service tools that helped save the day.More
In North America, the ability to dial the three digit code 9-1-1 and immediately contact local public safety officials, including police, fire and emergency medical personnel, is something we often take for granted. The 9-1-1 system is called by many "our first line of defense" against both manmade and natural disasters, yet today that system is threatened by a number of issues that undermine the ability of public safety officials to maintain the critical communications that connect people in trouble to the resources that can help.More
Guy Clinch is a Senior Solutions Manager, Contact Center Solutions at Avaya. For almost 30 years, he has solved communications problems for clients, in a career that has included positions at Lucent Technologies and AT&T.
Guy is a frequent spokesperson, commentator and serves on numerous industry panels and committees. He is the incoming chairman of the National Association of State Technology Directors—Corporate Affiliate Council. He is a member of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO). He also serves as the Avaya champion of the International Alliance of Avaya Users Business Continuity and Security Committee.
Mr. Clinch is a graduate of Harvard University and currently resides in Massachusetts.
