CX & OPERATIONS
Running support at scale — what actually works
I’ve built and led support organizations from 25 to 160 people across SaaS, Fintech, and enterprise technology. This is where I write about the frameworks, metrics, tools, and decisions that separate high-performing CX organizations from average ones.
ITIL in practice
SLA design
KPI’s & metrics
AI in support
VOC programs
Ticketing systems
Incident managment
FEATURED READING
- How to Land a CX or Support Leadership Role (From Someone Who’s Hired For Them)
I’ve reviewed hundreds of applications for support and CX leadership roles over the past 15 years. Most of them made the same mistakes. Not because the candidates weren’t qualified — many of them were — but because they were presenting themselves like generic managers instead of CX leaders. They were writing resumes and doing interviews… Read more: How to Land a CX or Support Leadership Role (From Someone Who’s Hired For Them) - How to Write an RFP for a Support Tool (That Actually Gets You the Right Answer)
I’ve been on both sides of a software RFP more times than I’d like to count. I’ve written them as a buyer — for ticketing systems, CRM platforms, workforce management tools, knowledge base software. I’ve sat through the demos, scored the responses, run the procurement process, and lived with the consequences. What I’ve learned is… Read more: How to Write an RFP for a Support Tool (That Actually Gets You the Right Answer) - What 19 Years of Support Leadership Actually Taught Me
I started writing about customer experience in 2007. I was managing a helpdesk in London, working longer hours than I should have, and trying to make sense of what I was learning on the job. I wrote to think. I published because I figured if I was confused about something, someone else probably was too.… Read more: What 19 Years of Support Leadership Actually Taught Me
METRICS & KPIs
Measuring what actually matters
The metrics on your dashboard tell you what happened. Understanding why — and what to do about it — is the harder discipline.
- KPIs AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT
DMAIC There is a great quote somewhere that goes something like – “If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it!” … this is so true and especially so in the Customer Service and Operations area. There are great KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) and not so great ones. The key is choosing the right one… Read more: KPIs AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT - Measuring Performance“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it. If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.”– H. James Harrington Performance management is all about measurement. This means knowing where you came… Read more: Measuring Performance
- Choosing What to Measure
An old business axiom says: You can’t control what you don’t measure As a result, nearly everything in business is measured, tracked, monitored, analyzed, and benchmarked. To flip this on its head a little bit though … should you measure what you can control or rather what is outside of your control? While it is… Read more: Choosing What to Measure
ITIL
Making ITIL work in the real world
The gap between the ITIL framework on paper and what you encounter implementing it inside a real organization with real politics and legacy systems.
- Unlocking the Power of ITIL: A Comprehensive Guide to IT Service Management
In today’s fast-paced business environment, the seamless integration of technology and operations is critical to organizational success. This is where ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) comes into play. Although it might initially appear to be an IT-focused certification, ITIL is, in essence, a business certification designed to enhance efficiency, customer satisfaction, and service delivery. This… Read more: Unlocking the Power of ITIL: A Comprehensive Guide to IT Service Management - ITIL 4 Foundation an Introduction to a New Way of Thinking
ITIL has always emphasized the importance of the customer, but they now give the customer even more weight. I’ve long believed that customers and customer experience are a key differentiator for businesses, so it’s really nice to see that this is being reflected and acted upon in a more concrete manner. - Why You Need CSI in Your Business
If you have been following our blog for a while then you might have come across a term called ITIL. If you haven’t, then it’s fine as well. We’ll explain it to you in a moment. But first, let’s focus on CSI. CSI stands for Continual Service Improvement and you might have heard this term… Read more: Why You Need CSI in Your Business
TOOLS & PLATFORMS
Choosing and implementing the right stack
Every vendor demo looks perfect. The decisions that matter happen after the contract is signed.
- Navigating the Complexities of Skill-Based Routing and Scheduling in Contact Centers
Enhance customer service with skill-based routing: connect inquiries to the best-suited agents, improving resolution times and satisfaction through targeted expertise. - Why Your Company Needs a CRM System: Benefits for Customer Success
Considering the importance of customer satisfaction in today’s competitive market, it makes sense for any company – no matter its size or industry – to invest in CRM. It is an essential tool that can help a company improve the customer experience by providing better service and reporting tools. - SalesForce vs. HubSpot: A Side-by-Side Comparison (2020)
When considering CRM solutions there are two major players that need to be talked about. This post on SalesForce vs. HubSpot attempts to do this to help.
AI IN SUPPORT
What AI actually changes in a support org
I was writing about AI in the contact centre in 2018. Here’s what I got right — and what surprised me when it actually arrived.
- Transform Your Business with Notion AI: The Ultimate Productivity Assistant
In today’s competitive business landscape, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools is no longer optional. Whether you run a small business, manage a team, or oversee complex projects, integrating AI into your workflow can streamline operations, boost productivity, and enhance collaboration. One standout tool in this arena is Notion AI, an AI-powered assistant seamlessly embedded within… Read more: Transform Your Business with Notion AI: The Ultimate Productivity Assistant - Separating Hype from Reality: Exploring AI in IT Service Management
IT service teams have been under continuous pressure about two matters for quite some time now. On the one hand, they must to do more with less. On the other, they need to deliver superior customer service and reduce downtime. We have seen that the complexity of these issues has also increased to a significant… Read more: Separating Hype from Reality: Exploring AI in IT Service Management - Is the Terminator our Eventual Fate? AI in the Contact CenterArtificial intelligence is the future of customer service and the CX world is excited to grab the opportunity by the scruff of the neck. As many analysts and professionals have already deduced, AI will change the way contact centers work. AI like many other new technologies has a lot of misconceptions since it is in… Read more: Is the Terminator our Eventual Fate? AI in the Contact Center
Get the CX Leader’s KPI Playbook — Free
The 12 metrics I actually track after 19 years leading support teams. Not vanity numbers — the ones that drive real decisions.