SIGNING OFF— OVER AND OUT
I could go on and on. My final article for this column has been the most difficult to write because there is so much I would like to say. There is a lot to“ summarize” from a practical perspective, but not enough space for things that genuinely concern me. One concern is the trend of turning Contact Centers into“ taskbased” operations, where the focus shifts toward pushing consumers to“ alternative channels.” I am astounded to see that many organizations no longer post phone numbers on their websites. This is an incredibly frustrating move.
I am also deeply concerned about the rise of Artificial Intelligence( AI) in Contact Centers, especially as organizations succumb to AI’ s seductive promises. The idea that a bot can“ coach” a human on human-to-human interaction is, in my view, borderline insulting. A coach, by definition, is a“ person” who teaches and trains. It is not a bot! Expecting positive results from such an approach feels delusional to me. While I have been at the forefront of technology for nearly five decades, I am ready to say,“ I’ m done. I’ m over it. It’ s someone else’ s turn.”
I want to express my sincere thanks to all the incredible people we have had the privilege to work with. My Power- House team has been at the heart of our success— steady, talented, and unstoppable for decades. I’ m deeply grateful to every one of them, especially David and Chris who manage it all. And a special thanks to Deb Gefteas, who has been by my side at PowerHouse since 1999. Deb has wowed clients with her brilliance in training development and has been the gold standard for the quality
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of everything we deliver. On a personal note, she’ s been my editor, my sounding board, and the reason I became a far better writer than I ever would have been without her. Deb, you’ ve been extraordinary— thank you.
So, keep your eyes open. You never know where I may show up next. That said, I am reachable via email at kpeterson @ powerhouse1. com and my updated website, kathleenpeterson. com will be updated and running soon.
Kathleen M. Peterson is the Chief Vision Officer of PowerHouse Con sulting, a call center and telecommunications consulting firm. www. powerhouse1. com
@ PowerHouse603
14 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE