Always On CX:EX

Teams Can Run Your Contact Center. Here's How to Know If It Should. | Ep. 28

Thu, 21 May 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Sometimes, the part of the business that ends up driving the most growth is the part you didn't plan for. Sam Hasson and Tinkle started out selling cloud communications and Microsoft Teams telephony. Then customers kept asking the same question: Can it do contact center, too? Today, the contact center practice is the fastest-growing part of the business.

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On this episode, Jon Zoltie, host of Always On CX:EX and contact center SME for EMEA at AudioCodes, sits down with Sam to break down when Microsoft Teams actually works as a contact center, where the mid-market sweet spot lives, and what to look at if you're starting to question whether your current setup still makes sense.

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They get into the 250 to 3,000 user band where this story plays out most often, the hidden cost of bolting third-party CX platforms onto Teams, the single fabric problem of connecting back office, front of house, and contact center, and why being late to mention AI in a conversation might be the most refreshing thing about it.

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👤 Guest Bio

Sam Hasson is co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Tinkle, a Leeds-based AI communications service provider that delivers cloud telephony, managed Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, and contact center AI to UK SMEs and mid-market customers through an exclusive channel of MSPs and resellers. Founded in 2017 alongside Joseph Flahive, Tinkle has built its Teams voice and contact center stack in partnership with AudioCodes. Sam has more than 15 years of commercial experience across UK managed IT and communications, and is a regular voice on the UK channel stage at events such as Channel Live.

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📌 What We Coverㅤ

How Tinkle ended up in the contact center was because customers pulled them in, not because they planned to be there
The 250 to 3,000 user mid-market sweet spot for Microsoft Teams as a contact center platform
A recent UK legal sector win at around 1,400 employees, and why the 100 customer-facing users are the real story
Why bolting a third-party CX platform onto Teams comes with what Sam calls "an extra pop"
The difference between integrating with Teams and being native in Teams, and when each one matters
How Microsoft's closing of the workaround for free presence integration about a year ago changed the buying calculus
Connecting back office, front of house, and contact center on a single presence fabric
Why leading with AI features misses what mid-market customers actually want from a contact center platform

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

The Hidden Work That Makes a CCaaS Migration Successful | Ep. 27

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0400

When contact centers migrate to Microsoft Teams, the technology itself is rarely the bottleneck. The real challenge comes down to human habits.

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Host Jon Zoltie sits down with Richard Sewell to examine what happens immediately after a new system goes live. They discuss the stark contrast between adaptable users and those who struggle to understand that a computer and a phone are now the same device.

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Richard explains how modern analytics give managers undeniable proof of workload and staffing gaps. He also highlights why organizations must leave legacy concepts such as pickup groups behind as they move to dispersed cloud environments. Ultimately, success relies on early adoption, proper training, and letting go of analog mindsets.

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👤 Guest Bio

Richard Sewell is the Client IT Manager at Chartered Institute of Housing. For over sixteen years, Richard has managed technical operations and client infrastructure. He specializes in Citrix and remote support technologies.

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Richard focuses on a collaborative approach to IT, helping businesses move from legacy setups to modern, flexible systems. Outside of managing technology, Richard is a dedicated family man who enjoys the gym, cars, and playing computer games with his young son.

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📌 What We Cover

The wild card of migration: why user mindset causes more support tickets than the technical setup itself.
Breaking the muscle memory of the traditional desk phone and adapting to presence status controls like "Do Not Disturb".
Why does internet quality completely change the troubleshooting process for remote workers?
Using new communication flexibility to work seamlessly from a home office, an airport, or abroad.
How managers use call analytics to visualize team workloads and justify hiring requests to the finance department.
The problem with requesting legacy features like pickup groups for teams spread across different cities.
Turning off analog systems requires early planning and mandatory user training well before the switch.

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

How to Get to “Where’s My Package” | Ep. 26

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0400

One in two calls never reaches a human agent. This statistic highlights a shift from using AI strictly for routing to using it for true resolution. Jon Zoltie joins Oren Batchelor to discuss the mechanics of resolving high-volume requests—like "where is my package"—without human intervention. The conversation explains how Large Language Models (LLMs) and APIs work together to perform data queries, check order statuses, and even use external data, such as weather reports, to explain delays.

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They also address the dangers of the "Super Bot"—an attempt to automate sales, billing, and support in a single unmanageable system. Oren explains why specialized agents are more effective and details how to establish guardrails to prevent AI from hallucinating or accessing sensitive data. The discussion concludes with practical steps for leaders to help identify call topics suitable for automation.

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Guest Bio

Oren Batchelor is a Contact Center Specialist at AudioCodes, working within the UK team to bridge the gap between technical capability and business requirements. He focuses on migrating and operationalizing contact center solutions within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem, specifically handling the Voca CIC line of business.

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What We Cover

The technical process behind AI resolution includes intent detection and API lookups for real-time tracking.
Using external data reasoning (e.g., snowstorms in Germany) to explain delivery delays to customers.
The "Human in the Loop" concept: allowing AI to process small refunds while routing high-value approvals to agents.
Why high-empathy scenarios, such as grief or bereavement, must always bypass automation.
The seamlessness of modern insurance policy updates compared to legacy voice interactions.
The efficiency gains of removing mundane tasks like password resets from an agent's workload.
The "Super Bot" mistake: Why trying to build one bot for every department often fails.
Practical first steps: analyzing the last six months of call data to find candidates for automation.

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Resources Mentioned

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

Practical AI in CX: From Tedious Call Notes to Instant AI Summaries | Ep. 25

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0400

With all the excitement, confusion, and hype around AI, it's tough to cut through the noise and figure out what works and what's worth investing in. On Always On CX:EX, host Sarah Skidd, product marketing manager at Voca by AudioCodes, talks with Jon Zoltie, an AI and contact center expert, to talk about using AI at the end of the call.

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They break down the practical steps: turning on call recording, getting accurate transcription, unlocking AI summarization, and adding AI sentiment analysis. Using a university handling a million calls a year across IT, enrollment, financial aid, and campus security as an example, they show how customized AI summaries, AI sentiment analysis, and seamless CRM integration give agents, supervisors, and leadership the clean, structured insights they need—all while keeping the customer and employee experience front and center.

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Guest Bio

Jon Zoltie is an expert in AI and contact centers.

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What We Cover

Why call wrap-up is the most logical next step in your AI journey after conversational IVA
How manual wrap-up work—racing against KPIs and typing notes mid-call—creates inconsistent, subjective data that leads to weak insights
Why turning on compliance call recording is step one, so AI can access your conversation data
Using accurate transcription as the foundation that unlocks everything else
Adding custom AI summarization to turn massive transcripts into quick overviews, bullet points, and clear action items
Tailoring AI summaries by department so each team gets relevant information
Using AI sentiment analysis to understand not just what was said, but how it was said—tracking customer mood and spotting both frustration and delight
How AI summaries and sentiment analysis free up agents to focus on customers, give supervisors quickly scannable data, and provide leadership with structured, objective insights that inform strategy
Pushing conversation data, AI summaries, and sentiment straight into your CRM or database—Salesforce, HubSpot, Power BI—with one click

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Resources Mentioned

Voca, at AudioCodes
Salesforce (CRM)
HubSpot (CRM)
Power BI
Microsoft Teams contact center

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

2026 Predictions with Jon Zoltie | Ep. 24

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0400

Humans win, and bots assist. A return to real human connections, contact centers being designed for people first and bot second, and customers increasingly opting out of those AI loops that go round in circles. Jon Zoltie talk through top five predictions for 2026 in the contact center environment: the option to speak to a human at every step rather than buried deep within menu systems; CRMs losing a little bit of their status as the gospel of truth as organizations realize the contact center captures what customers actually said, how they said it, how they felt—more objective—and that becoming the source of truth. Voice as a primary interface across devices, apps, and workflows. AI is built into tools and embedded in existing platforms rather than delivered as point solutions. And the ROI element: measurable business impact, clear KPIs, average handle time, misroutes, deflection, wrap-up time, and data that can be proven and quantifiable.

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📌 What We Cover

Humans win, and bots assist: over automation, a return to real human connections, people first and bot second
Customers opting out of AI loops and requesting human agents straight away
IVR flows to always include the option to speak to a human at every step, not buried deep within menu systems
CRMs losing status as the gospel of truth; contact center conversations as the source of truth
Investing massive amounts in conversation intelligence rather than relying on manual CRM entry
Automatically pushing transcripts, summaries, and sentiment analysis from contact centers into the CRM
Voice as a primary interface across devices, apps, and workflows; conversational IVR, long prompts, and AI assistants
ROI as a key driver: measurable business impact, clear KPIs, average handle time, misroutes, deflection, wrap-up time, time to resolution

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

CRM
IVA
IVR
conversational IVR
conversation intelligence
transcripts and summaries
sentiment analysis
large language models
AI assistants

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

From “Press One, Press Two” to "How Can I Help?" | Ep. 23

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0400

If your contact center is still feeling like it’s stuck in 2019, this new series of Always On CX:EX is specifically for you. Host Jon Zoltie walks through the move from traditional DTMF “press one for sales, press two for support” IVR to IVA and conversational AI with Levent Gunsuren.

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They decode IVR, IVA, and conversational AI, explore why enterprises finally abandon hardcoded keypad navigation, and share real examples where one-to-one IVR replication hid abandoned calls and pain points. Jon and Levent talk through customer frustration, expectations, and the impact on satisfaction, brand loyalty, and even agent experience when callers land in the wrong place.

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The conversation then follows a step-by-step journey: starting simple, combining IVR and IVA, using reporting and analytics to see what customers actually say, and moving toward CRM integration, password resets, invoice questions, and AI summaries that help agents greet callers with the right information already on screen.

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📌 What We Cover

Breaking down IVR, IVA, DTMF and conversational AI, and how “press one, press two” differs from speech-based routing.
Why customer frustration with long menus, repeated information and getting stuck in trees pushes enterprises to move on from traditional IVR.
How one-to-one IVR migration to a new system exposed that around 60% of calls were missed or abandoned – and how that was reduced to about 10%.
The problem with “it was working, so don’t touch it” and why migration is a chance to see new opportunities in analytics and reporting.
Starting simple and easy: combining IVR with IVA, asking open questions like “can you describe your problem?” and building step by step.
Using voice-to-text, full questions and keywords to understand why people are calling, find pain points, and enhance customer and agent journeys.
Fear of unexpected bot behavior, losing control, and how the right design and testing keep conversational AI intuitive and customer friendly.
Moving from routing only to CRM integration, password resets, invoice questions and AI summarization, so agents don’t repeat every question and can help faster.
Why modern conversational AI can sound almost like real human interaction, with a safe plan that always honors “I want to talk to an agent.”

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

Jon Zoltie – Host
Levent Gunsuren – Product delivery manager
Microsoft ecosystems and Microsoft Teams contact center
IVR, IVA, and conversational AI
CRM
Voca CIC website

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Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

22. The Brain Behind the Call: Call Automation, Teams Phone, and Intelligent Voice Agents with Sean Keegan (Microsoft)

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0400

When your contact center is responsible for supporting reps, customers, and the technology that holds it all together, stability is essential. In this conversation, host Josh Chronister welcomes Sean Keegan from Microsoft to talk all things Azure Communication Services: from integrating communication methods like voice, video, chat, and SMS, to the powerful, low-latency audio streaming API that enables new real-time experiences. Hear how the platform lets organizations build programmable call flows, enable real-time transcription and translation, and use AI for smarter routing and sentiment analysis. The discussion highlights practical scenarios in healthcare, government, and beyond, always coming back to the importance of reliability, five nine uptime, and the ability to trust the infrastructure powering Microsoft Teams Phone.

👤 Guest Bio

Sean Keegan is a Developer Evangelist at Microsoft. Sean focuses on helping organizations and developers leverage Azure Communication Services for voice, video, chat, and advanced call automation. In this conversation, he shares examples and insights from working directly with customers across multiple industries.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanryankeegan/

📌 What We Cover

Azure Communication Services as Microsoft’s AI-ready communication platform for integrating voice, video, chat, SMS, and telephony into applications
Why call automation is described as “the brain behind the call,” controlling responses, routing, IVRs, and actions programmatically
Production use cases in healthcare, banking, and government agencies, especially for contact routing and reducing manual effort
The ease of getting started with call automation, available documentation, and how complexity depends on features like AI logic
How the Calling SDK brings powerful voice and video capabilities into apps, and enables real-time features like transcription, sentiment analysis, and translation
Introduction of the bi-directional audio streaming API for low-latency, real-time audio, and what’s possible now for global communication
The significance of Teams Phone extensibility, powered by Azure Communication Services, for customizable call flows and advanced call control in the contact center
Combining Azure Communication Services with Azure Cognitive Services and OpenAI to create intelligent voice bots, real-time translation, and unbiased sentiment analysis for agents
The central importance of reliability, uptime, and enterprise-grade infrastructure for contact centers

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Sean Keegan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanryankeegan/
AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center
Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

Get Started with Voca CIC

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

21. Teams Phone Extensibility and Unify—A New Era for Contact Center Integration

Thu, 29 May 2025 03:00:00 -0400

Between supporting your contact center reps, your customers, and the tech that keeps the contact center stable, the pressure to deliver an uninterrupted customer and employee experience is higher than ever. Host Josh Chronister is joined by Tom Arbuthnot and Gidi Adlersberg for an in-depth conversation focused on Microsoft Teams contact centers, Teams Phone extensibility, the Unify integration model, and how these pieces come together with Azure Communication Services. The discussion covers the significance of Microsoft’s new certification paths, how third-party solutions work alongside Teams, and why tight integration and reliability matter when it comes to delivering 99.999% uptime. Listeners will gain insights into choosing between Connect, Extend, and Unify certifications, the advantages of using Azure’s native capabilities, and what it means for scaling, onboarding, and future-ready contact center solutions.

👤 Guest Bio

Tom Arbuthnot

Tom Arbuthnot shares his perspective as a Microsoft MVP expert on Teams, with first-hand insights into the evolution of Teams Phone extensibility, integration models, and the contact center certification landscape.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomarbuthnot/

Gidi Adlersberg

Gidi Adlersberg brings his experience as a contact center leader at AudioCodes, highlighting the journey from early adoption of Azure Communication Services to bringing unified contact center solutions into production.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gidiadlersberg/

📌 What We Cover

What Teams Phone extensibility means for contact centers and how it enables new types of integrated experiences

The difference between Teams Phone extensibility as a technology platform and Unify as the certification model for Microsoft Teams contact centers

Why Microsoft transitioned from the “Power” model to “Unify,” and what that change means for integration and terminology

A comparison of Connect, Extend, and Unify certifications, and what to consider when selecting a vendor or solution

The pivotal role of Azure Communication Services as the engine under Teams Phone, including practical examples of SDK-based integration

Benefits of tight integration: seamless management of Teams phone numbers, direct routing, and five nines uptime for voice

How Teams Phone extensibility and Unify make deployment and onboarding easier, supporting incremental migrations and scaling for large enterprises

Key factors to consider when selecting a Unify-certified contact center solution—including vendor experience, delivery, implementation, and the importance of being future-ready with AI

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Microsoft Learn documentation page for certified contact center vendors

Azure Communication Services (also referenced as “the engine under Teams Phone”)

Teams Admin Center

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center

AudioCodes Voca CIC (referenced as Voca CIC, with 99.999% uptime for voice)

Microsoft Teams Enterprise Connect 2024

LinkedIn profiles:

Tom Arbuthnot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomarbuthnot/

Gidi Adlersberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gidiadlersberg/

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

20. UNIVERSITY CONTACT CENTERS AT SCALE — Keith Honaker on Evolving Tech, Microsoft Teams & Managing Multiple Departments

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always on CX:EX, host Josh Chronister talks with Keith Honaker, voice engineer and lead contact center architect at the University of Central Florida (UCF). They explore how Keith’s team manages large-scale contact centers across multiple departments, the transition to new communication technologies like Microsoft Teams, and strategies for ensuring agents and supervisors are well-trained and empowered.

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Best Moments:

(01:21) Keith’s background and role at UCF

(02:44) Evolution of contact centers and integration with Microsoft Teams

(04:01) Handling multiple contact centers across different university departments

(07:20) Challenges in moving to new contact center technologies

(12:41) Training for agents and supervisors in the contact center

(14:49) Granting access to supervisors for making small changes

(19:40) Requirements for selecting a contact center solution

(24:03) Future of unified communications and contact centers

(28:54) Advice for others in similar positions at universities

(31:40) Resources for staying informed about industry trends

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Guest Bio:

Keith Honaker is the voice engineer and lead contact center architect at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he’s worked for nearly 25 years. Overseeing a contact center operation for 70,000 students and 13,000 employees across four major campuses, Keith has extensive experience with communication technologies. He has been instrumental in implementing and managing UCF’s transition to cloud-based solutions, including Microsoft Teams and Voca, for contact center operations.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

19. The Growth of MultiCaaS: Brent Kelly on the Trend of UC and CCaaS Integrations

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister interviews Brent Kelly, a principal analyst at Omdia, about the growing trend of MultiCaaS in the unified communications and contact center industry. Brent shares insights on the key drivers behind MultiCaaS solutions, market dynamics, pricing, and the future trends shaping this space.

Best Moments:

(00:00) Introduction to MultiCaaS and its definition

(02:42) Key drivers behind the trend towards MultiCaaS solutions

(05:50) Critical factors to evaluate when choosing a MultiCaaS vendor

(10:48) Current market dynamics and competitive landscape in the MultiCaaS space

(17:38) The importance of ease of use and deployment in MultiCaaS solutions

(27:56) The role of pricing in evaluating different MultiCaaS options

(29:14) Future trends and innovations shaping the MultiCaaS market

(31:50) The potential impact of MultiCaaS on specialized contact center vendors

Guest Bio:

Brent Kelly is a principal analyst at Omdia with nearly 30 years of experience in the business communication space. He has been researching and analyzing trends in unified communications and contact center technologies, providing valuable insights to industry professionals and organizations looking to optimize their communication strategies.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

18. Clarity in the CCaaS Jungle: 5 Steps to an Informed CCaaS Buying Decision

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always on CX:EX host Josh Chronister speaks with Peter Broeckx and Gidi Adlersberg about navigating the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) market and making informed decisions when selecting a CCaaS solution. They dive into crucial factors like uptime, implementation strategies, unified communications (UC) and CC consolidation, CRM integration approaches, AI in contact centers, and various pricing models.

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Best Moments:

(00:00) Introduction and the importance of reliable customer experience

(05:01) Why feature tables are insufficient for choosing CCaaS solutions

(09:05) The significance of uptime and implementation in CCaaS

(15:20) How UC and CC consolidation impacts customer experience

(19:46) CRM integration approaches: vendor-specific vs. open API

(28:26) AI in contact centers: agent-side vs. customer-facing implementations

(36:54) CCaaS pricing models: named agent, concurrent agent, and pay-as-you-go

(43:36) Digital customer experience and the importance of fundamental channels

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Guest Bios:

Peter Broeckx is Sales Director Contact Center EMEA at AudioCodes, enabling successful contact center transformations through the power of voice. He has spent significant time speaking with contact center and IT leaders, attending events, and researching the market.
Gidi Adlersberg is the Voca CIC Business Line Manager at AudioCodes, bringing extensive experience in contact centers, customer engagement strategies, and market research.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

17. From Telecom to TechCo: How Voiceflex is Shaping the Future of CX

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister speaks with James Arnold-Roberts, CEO of VoiceFlex, about the evolving landscape of customer experience and contact center technology. James shares insights on VoiceFlex's shift from a telecom company to a tech company, the impact of Microsoft Teams, and how AI is reshaping the future of customer interactions.

Best Moments:

(01:52) James' career journey in the telecom industry

(08:38) VoiceFlex's shift from telco to tech co

(15:28) Microsoft Teams' impact on customer interactions and collaboration

(21:10) Trends in conversational AI for customer experience

(26:34) Best data sources for AI integration in contact centers

(30:52) Emerging trends shaping the industry in the coming years

(34:26) Practical applications of AI in business operations

Guest Bio:

James Arnold-Roberts is the CEO of VoiceFlex, with over 20 years of hands-on experience leading businesses in the communications industry. He has guided VoiceFlex through its transition from a telecom company to a tech company, focusing on innovative solutions for customer experience and contact center technology. James is passionate about leveraging AI and automation to solve business problems and improve customer interactions.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

16. The Key to Building Strong Customer Relationships

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister welcomes Jeff Ward, Client Director at AudioCodes, to discuss the transformative power of relationships in customer experience (CX). They explore how trust, employee engagement, and relationship-building lead to superior customer service and share actionable strategies for rebuilding trust when things go wrong.

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Best Moments:

(00:38) Introduction of Jeff Ward and the episode's focus

(01:30) Jeff's background and passion for relationship building

(03:11) How great relationships lead to serving customers well

(07:37) The connection between employee experience and customer experience

(10:50) Advice for contact center managers regarding customer interactions

(12:50) Rebuilding trust after mistakes in customer relationships

(16:57) The future of relationships in CX over the next 5 years

(20:22) Rapid-fire questions on various aspects of customer experience

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Guest Bio:

Jeff Ward is a Client Director at AudioCodes, managing 14 large enterprise customers across the East Coast in various industries. With a focus on trust, reliability, and relationship-building, Jeff is a seasoned professional in customer experience and employee engagement. His approach is informed by years of experience and a commitment to genuine care for his clients.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

15. 5 Steps to Creating & Testing Custom Customer Service Call Flows

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister interviews John Wesselman, a contact center expert from AudioCodes, about the intricacies of designing and implementing effective call flows in contact centers. They explore the essential components, common mistakes, and best practices for creating seamless customer experiences.

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Best Moments:

(00:54) Definition and components of a call flow

(03:22) Coordination required for creating call flows

(07:22) Five-step process for creating a call flow

(10:56) Integrations essential for call flows

(15:42) Testing call flows, especially with sensitive data

(20:29) Common mistakes in call flow design and how to avoid them

(23:38) Advice for creating and testing a call flow

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Guest Bio:

John Wesselman is a contact center expert at AudioCodes with over two decades of experience in the UC and contact center industry. He has extensive hands-on experience with contact center call flows and is passionate about designing efficient and customer-friendly solutions.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

14. Practical AI Strategies for Microsoft Teams

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister welcomes Melanie Azagury from AudioCodes to discuss practical uses and strategies related to AI in customer experience and contact centers. They explore the adoption of AI, its applications in Microsoft Teams meetings, and its impact on customer interactions and agent experiences. The conversation also delves into the challenges of implementing AI and the importance of choosing the right tools and partners. The episode concludes with a fun discussion about gimmicky and practical uses of AI in everyday life.

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Best Moments:

(01:57) Enterprise Connect AI event insights

(04:47) The adoption of AI and its comparison to the dotcom boom

(08:53) AI applications in Microsoft Teams meetings

(19:56) AI in customer interactions and agent experiences

(27:56) Challenges in implementing AI in contact centers

(34:31) Gimmicky and practical uses of AI in everyday life

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Guest Bio:

Melanie Azagury works at AudioCodes and has extensive experience interacting with various departments, including product, marketing, sales, customers, and executives. She is deeply involved in conversations about AI and its practical applications in the business world. Melanie's insights come from her attendance at industry events and her interactions with partners, customers, and analysts in the field of AI and customer experience.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

13. Pioneering Unified Communications: AudioCodes' AI Innovations

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, we bring back Gidi Adlersberg, Voca CIC Business Line Manager at AudioCodes, for a webinar he appeared on with Evan Kirstel, B2B TechFluencer and Industry Expert. They discuss AudioCodes' evolution, its partnership with Microsoft, and its ventures into AI and contact center solutions.

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Best Moments:

(00:03) - Introduction to AudioCodes and its history

(01:02) - Evolution of AudioCodes' partnership with Microsoft

(03:22) - AudioCodes' role in the Microsoft phone ecosystem

(05:58) - AudioCodes' expansion into AI and contact center solutions

(07:55) - Overview of Meeting Insights, AudioCodes' AI meeting assistant

(11:23) - AudioCodes' entry into the contact center space

(14:55) - Future plans and innovations for 2025

(18:35) - Upcoming events and conferences

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

12. Successfully Integrating Microsoft Teams and Contact Center

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 05:30:00 -0400

In this episode of AudioCodes' Podcast, host Josh Chronister discusses the integration of Microsoft Teams and contact centers with guests Irwin Lazar from Metrigy and Gidi Adlersberg from AudioCodes. They explore the convergence of unified communications (UC) and contact centers (CC), Microsoft's offerings in the customer experience market, and the role of AI in contact centers.

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Key Discussion Points:

(00:00:35) UC and CC consolidation trends

(00:04:13) Microsoft's Qs app and Dynamics 365 contact center

(00:09:07) Features driving adoption of contact center capabilities in Teams

(00:12:18) Evaluating competing Teams-certified contact centers

(00:17:24) AI implementation in contact centers

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Guest Bios:

Irwin Lazar is the President at Metrigy, a research and advisory firm specializing in unified communications, collaboration, and customer experience technologies.
Gidi Adlersberg is the Director of Conversational Interaction Center at AudioCodes, a company that provides advanced voice networking and media processing solutions for the digital workplace.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

11. Everything You Need to Know About an Azure-Native Teams Contact Center Integration

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always on CXEX, host Josh Chronister is joined by Gidi Adlersberg, Director of Voca Conversational Interaction Center at AudioCodes. They discuss the relationship between Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Teams in the context of contact center integrations.

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Best Moments:

(01:11) Why Azure is crucial for modern contact center solutions and its impact on scalability

(04:07) Insight into which business units can maximize efficiency with these integrations

(10:00) Discussion on how Microsoft is positioning itself in the contact center space

(15:26) Overview of the different types of Microsoft Teams contact center integrations available

(18:55) The advantages of having a native Azure integration within Microsoft Teams

(26:37) Key points to consider when implementing Azure native integration in contact centers

(28:32) Gidi shares his thoughts on the future of Azure and its integration with contact centers

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Guest Bio:

Gidi Adlersberg is the Director of Voca Conversational Interaction Center at AudioCodes, with extensive experience in the contact center and customer experience industry. Gidi provides valuable insights into Microsoft Azure's role in contact center solutions and the future of customer service technology. He has been a recurring guest on the Always on CXEX podcast, sharing his expertise on various aspects of contact center integration with Microsoft Teams.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

10. Integrating CX Capabilities Beyond the Contact Center: Sales Team

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In this episode, host Josh Chronister interviews Marie Vassilatos, Director of Contact Center Sales at AudioCodes, about integrating customer experience capabilities into sales departments.

They discuss how improving CX for sales teams leads to better customer satisfaction and loyalty, share real-world examples & use cases, explore relevant metrics & KPIs to track, and talk about future CX trends in AI and conversational interactions.

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Best Moments:

(02:39) How simplifying tools and platforms for sales agents improves both internal employee experience as well as external customer experience

(11:17) Gathering feedback from frontline agents to understand pain points and identify opportunities to streamline workflows

(20:19) Enabling quick, seamless access to cross-departmental expertise so sales agents can effectively respond to diverse customer needs

(30:37) Tracking metrics like customer effort score (CES), net promoter score (NPS), churn rate, and first call resolution (FCR) to measure CX program success

(37:03) Emerging trends in CX around AI, bot frameworks, and advancing conversational capabilities

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Guest Bio:

Marie Vassilatos: 20+ years in telecommunications, extensive experience in CX and sales

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

9. A Practical View of What’s Trending with Microsoft, Contact Center, & AI

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In this episode, guest-host Jon Zoltie is joined by Tom Arbuthnot, a leading Microsoft specialist, to discuss practical insights on what's trending with Microsoft Contact Center and AI.

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Best Moments:

(03:54) Exploring the latest developments in Microsoft Teams telephony and UC, including AI integration with Copilot.

(09:18) Insights into the contact center landscape within the Microsoft world, including certified partners and the impact of AI.

(13:17) The decoupling of Microsoft's Contact Center offering and the new Dynamics 365 Contact Center announcement.

(16:28) Addressing the adoption of AI in contact centers and managing expectations around automation.

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Guest Bio:

Tom Arbuthnot is a renowned Microsoft specialist who runs a company called Empowering Cloud. He focuses on the Microsoft ecosystem, providing research and insights to the community. Previously, he worked for a Microsoft partner and was a Microsoft MVP, actively involved in blogging, events, and speaking engagements. With his deep expertise in Microsoft technologies, Tom helps decode complex topics into understandable terms for enterprise customers and partners.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

8. How to Design User Experience with ALL Users in Mind

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Josh Chronister joins Jon Zoltie to discuss designing great user experiences for contact center agents, supervisors, and customers. They cover topics like IVR design, agent and supervisor interfaces, omni-channel capabilities, and how enhancing internal experiences ultimately improves customer satisfaction.

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Best Moments:

(02:43) Importance of involving agents in IVR design since they best understand customer pain points

(08:43) Key elements of good agent interfaces: simplicity and choice

(13:30) Giving supervisors self-service capabilities to update things like hours and routing frees up IT staff for other priorities

(25:55) Omni-channel consistency and flexibility are crucial for contact center agent experience

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

7. Unveiling the Architecture and Design of Modern Contact Centers on Microsoft Teams

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:13:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, Josh Chronister talks with Manoj Priyankara, Director of Solution Architecture at AudioCodes, about designing and architecting Microsoft Teams contact centers.

They discuss the differences between Teams-based contact centers vs. standalone contact centers, scalability of a cloud solution, omnichannel customer interactions, and the role of AI in agent experience.

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Best Moments:

(01:48) Benefits of consolidating UCaaS and CCaaS onto Microsoft Teams

(11:37) How a Teams contact center can quickly scale to handle peak periods of demand

(19:01) Why Azure Communication Services is perfect for integrating channels like email, chat, and social media into your contact center

(26:57) The role of AI capabilities like virtual agents, conversational IVR, agent assist, and more

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Guest Bio:

Manoj Priyankara is the Director of Solution Architecture at AudioCodes. He has many years of experience in contact center architecture and solutions.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

6. Inside Look: How You Can Deliver Better CX with Microsoft Teams

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, host Josh Chronister talks with Jasper Filon, a contact center expert at AudioCodes, about how logistics companies can improve customer experience with Microsoft Teams.

They discuss the benefits of Teams as a cloud-based platform, integrating contact center features into Teams, using AI for automation, and best practices for implementation.

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Best Moments:

(01:33) Benefits of Teams as a cloud platform — higher uptime, access from anywhere

(07:30) How to improve customer and employee experience by using Microsoft Teams

(15:46) AI can detect customer intent, automate repetitive inquiries, and provide real-time coaching to agents

(28:13) Practical advice on deploying a Microsoft Teams contact center

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Guest Bio:

Jasper Filon is a solution architect and contact center subject matter expert at AudioCodes. He helps customers design and deploy contact center solutions using Microsoft Teams.

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center

5. 5 Crucial Factors of a Microsoft Teams CCaaS You Need to Know

Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Not all contact center integrations for Microsoft Teams are built the same.

- Some are certified by Microsoft, and some aren't.

- Some have built-in Conversational AI, and some don't.

- Some have an Azure-native integration with Microsoft Teams, and some don't.

You get the idea!

In this episode of Always On CX:EX, Jon Zoltie breaks down the top 5 questions you need to ask, and details you need to understand about a Teams contact center before you make the purchase for your organization.

Here you'll learn:

- How to not get blinded by "nice to haves" that'll end up sitting of the shelf

- The three contact center integrations for Microsoft Teams and the difference of each

- Which departments are prime for contact center capabilities

- What type of answer should you expect from a vendor when asking, “How quickly can this be deployed?”

- The abilities you should know about

By the way, looking for an Azure-native Microsoft Teams certified contact center integration with built-in conversational AI?

👉 Start a free trial with the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-...

4. How to Build an IVR Your Customers Won’t Hate

Fri, 17 May 2024 11:30:00 -0400

Designing an IVR your customers don’t hate isn’t as difficult and time-consuming as it sounds.

And no, we’re not talking about another DTMF menu. No one likes waiting through a list of nine options to then forget what #3 was.

We’re talking about speech-driven or conversational IVRs. You know, the ones that:

- Callers are no longer limited to 10 options (10 keypad buttons), so you can fit in tens or hundreds of IVR destinations with a conversational IVR

- Allow callers to openly ask for a destination, rather than having to choose from a closed set of options

- Allows the caller to reach the best possible destination quickly, even if it’s a small office, lab, specific location, etc. - which couldn’t have been made accessible with DTMF IVR.

Here you’ll learn:

- What is a Conversational IVR?

- How to create a Conversational IVR

- Typical mistakes when setting up an IVR

- Tips for creating conversational IVRs your customers will love

By the way, this is all possible within the Teams Voice application with AudioCodes Voca.

👉 Create a Conversational IVR in less than 5 minutes and use it free for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

P.S. Voca supports 14 languages and phone numbers are provided for you!

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-...

Chapters:

1:19 How has the IVR gotten to be the staple in the customer journey

5:04 What are the advantages & disadvantages that come with adopting a new IVR & how do they impact CX?

10:27 What's a customer self-service IVR flow & how would a company set one up?

16:01 Typical mistakes we see companies make in IVR design

23:22 Tips do you have for setting up a world-class IVR

3. Why Consolidate Your UC & Contact Center

Thu, 16 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

There’s been a lot of talk in the market about UC and contact center consolidation. But is it just talk, or could this be a viable long-term strategy?

The benefits can’t be denied – more knowledgeable agents, CX abilities for employees beyond the contact center, cost savings, etc.

But sometimes these two communication platforms don’t fit like a glove. How do you know if consolidation is the right fit for your organization?

In this month’s session of Always On CX:EX, Peter Broeckx (Regional Sales Director, Contact Center) and Josh Chronister (Product Marketing Manager) discuss why you should consolidate your UC and contact center and how to find the right fit.

Learn more about AudioCodes Voca here: https://online.audiocodes.com/voca

Try Voca free for 30 days: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/app/990...

Watch previous episodes of Always On CX:EX: • Always On CX:EX

#ContactCenter #MicrosoftTeams #VocaCIC

Chapters:

00:00 Peter Broeckx introduction

1:25 The key benefits of UC and contact center consolidation

3:48 How consolidation enhances overall customer experience

9:58 Biggest challenges when consolidating two communications platforms

16:09 Importance of user experience in contact center solutions

17:52 What factors to consider in a CCaaS that integrates with a UC

20:51 How to train agents for success in a new integrated platform

24:05 How continual training improves customer experience

24:55 How to measure the success of a UC and contact center consolidation

2. Why Voice is Still the Leading Support Channel

Thu, 16 May 2024 04:00:00 -0400

There’s been significant development in digital support channels like Chat and Email, but Voice remains the surefire channel for providing exceptional customer support. Leading with Voice requires the right mix of Conversational AI for handling mundane tasks and knowledgeable Agents for complex issues.

But how do you know if you are using the right mix of Voice support to provide an unrivaled experience for all your callers?

In this month’s session of Always On CX:EX, Brandon Smith and Josh Chronister discuss why voice is still the leading support channel and how to delight your callers.

Learn more about AudioCodes Voca here: https://online.audiocodes.com/voca

Try Voca free for 30 days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

#CX #MicrosoftTeams #ContactCenter

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:53 How great employee experience leads to great customer experience

6:09 Why voice is the leading channel even with growth of chat and email

10:35 Examples of companies with great voice support

16:40 You have limited knowledge in voice support – what can you do about it?

20:21 Biggest challenges of providing high-quality voice support

25:16 Best practices for increasing CX through voice support

32:22 How ChatGPT will influence voice support in the next 1-3 years

38:07 Wrap up

1. Where Teams Voice Ends and Contact Center Begins

Thu, 16 May 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Microsoft Teams' growth as a collaboration tool has led organizations to use the platform as a base for improving customer experiences. However, the basic Teams Contact Center capabilities limit organizations in providing a high-level service experience for callers.

Does this mean the only other option is a larger CCaaS vendor with many features that most of the market doesn’t need?

In this month’s session of Always On CX:EX, Gidi Adlersberg (Director of Business Development) and Josh Chronister (Product Marketing Manager) discuss how to address where MS Teams Voice ends, and the Contact Center begins.

Learn more about AudioCodes Voca here: https://online.audiocodes.com/voca

Try Voca free for 30 days: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/app/990...

#ContactCenter #MicrosoftTeams #CX

00:00 Intro

0:47 Favorite features of Teams Voice

6:04 When to consider using Teams as a Contact Center

7:50 Where do Teams Contact Center capabilities end

11:35 Most of the market needs more than Teams but not what a large CCaaS vendor offers

14:31 Consolidation of UC and CC

20:04 Advice for leveraging Teams as your Contact Center

24:16 How to approach 2023 with a focus on CX and EX