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Articles by Jed Hewson
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By Jed Hewson, Director at 1Stream Artificial Intelligence is not yet a reality. But very smart computers are. They’re poised to take over all sorts of routine, repetitive tasks. After all, a robot doesn’t make mistakes, it can’t get tired and slack off, it won’t lack motivation, and it doesn’t hurt that it can’t lie or steal or cheat either.
Local cloud solutions are definitely the best option for global call centres
Industry News / Trends / Cloud / By Jed Hewson on 19 December, 2014 Share The call centre has evolved from a ‘transactional’ department into a multi-faceted, social hub of customer service excellence and become a true differentiator for the wise business. As customer service requirements have shifted and evolved over the years, so has the technology behind the call centre. But in some cases, it’s the evolution of technology that has driven the evolution of customer service.
Call centre AI needs knowledge
It's near impossible to browse an IT journal without landing on the latest story of how chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are going to reshape our future. This trend is mirrored in the focus placed on automation in the contact centre space by industry analysts such as Gartner, which predict this technology will become mainstream in the next two to five years.
Trends that redefined contact centre technology in 2017
January 24, 2018 • General, Opinion, Southern Africa Jed Hewson is the co-founder of 1Stream. At the end of any year, it is wise to look forward to the year ahead, and to use the knowledge gleaned from the previous year to predict some of the business trends and influences that will impact on the economy. 1. Fibre South Africans are finally having fibre delivered to them.
Technology trends that will shape the contact centre of the future
2016, a year that garnered endless negative press, brought significant economic and political upheaval, both in South Africa and internationally. And while these challenges put the local market under severe pressure, with many businesses being forced to downsize, the contact centre industry has continued to thrive.
Higher learning institutions: Are contact centres tech savvy enough?
Amidst the widespread disruption of tertiary education institutions across the country, contact centres in this sector are being relied on to provide accurate information and valuable support to students, particularly in the lead up to exams, says Jed Hewson, co-founder and Joint CEO of 1Stream. Mobile operators, including Telkom, Cell C and MTN, have stepped up to lend their support by zero-rating access to participating university Web sites to provide easier access to essential course material.
Customer experience management means nothing without measurement
Customer experience management is not a trend. It's also not something that only affects those in customer service or in a call centre. Customer experience management is a very real and very valuable consideration for every business, and one that can affect the bottom line. But, according to Jed Hewson, co-founder of 1Stream, you can't change or improve customer experience until you can measure it.
Are you managing the people or the tech?
Technology, when implemented effectively in a contact centre, is a powerful tool. But, what is often overlooked is that call centres are about the people first, and the technology is simply the enabler that helps provide the best customer experience, says Jed Hewson, contact centre technology pioneer in South Africa and co-founder of 1Stream.
Call centre management: are you managing the people or the tech?
Call centre management: are you managing the people or the tech? It’s easy for businesses to get sucked into the technology available and the features it offers, forgetting that managing the people who are using the features is what is going to show a positive return on the investment in the technology itself. The old adage, communication is key is just as relevant in the business world as it is in other contexts.
Is your contact centre a brand building or grudge centre?
We all know the theory: consumers are changing the way they interact with each other and businesses. But, how many contact centres have taken full advantage of this? If businesses are willing to embrace the ubiquitous technology solutions available, the once-dreaded call centre (typically synonymous with long queues, bad hold music and a rising temper) can be turned into a positive, brand-building, revenue-generating department, aligned with business goals and strategies.
Is your contact centre a brand building or grudge centre?
Is your contact centre a brand building or grudge centre? By Jed Hewson on 9 May, 2016 ShareStreamlined systems, self-service options, real-time communication and measured results define the contact centre of the future. We all know the theory: consumers are changing the way they interact with each other and businesses. But how many contact centres have taken full advantage of this?
Omnichannel in the call centre: the do's and don'ts
Omnichannel in the call centre: the do’s and don’ts With more customers owning smart mobile devices, companies are facing an ever increasing need to communicate and respond to customers using channels, other than a simple voice call. While voice is still the preferred channel, most call centers are also expected to support multimedia communication including email, instant chat, SMS and social media.
Online publication Quartz Africa launches in mission to cover the 'next billion'
Online publication Quartz Africa launches in mission to cover the ‘next billion’ Renowned US publisher Quartz launches its second international chapter in Africa today, reiterating a ripple of international interest in the region which is said to be a hotbed of trade and investment. Launched two years ago by the America’s Atlantic Media, Quartz is well-known for being natively digital, meaning that it’s been built with the millennial reader first in mind.
Even online businesses need to make call centres a priority
Even online businesses need to make call centres a priority Even online businesses need to make call centres a priority AS WE move further into the world of e-commerce, e-education, e-administration and even e-society, first (and second and third) impressions are increasingly made not by your sales team, but by brand touchpoints such as your website, e-commerce platform, and, of course, your customer-care centre.
Are machines really the call centres of the future?
Are machines really the call centres of the future? Are machines really the call centres of the future? ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is not yet a reality. But very smart computers are. They’re poised to take over all sorts of routine, repetitive tasks. After all, a robot doesn’t make mistakes, it can’t get tired and slack off, it won’t lack motivation, and it doesn’t hurt that it can’t lie or steal or cheat either. Look at the call centre for example.
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