In the latest instalment of our contact centre industry executive interview series we spoke to livepro CEO Brad Shaw about knowledge management, why we need to move one from physical documentation in order to empower staff and deliver better customer experience, plus how artificial intelligence will impact the sector…

Tell us about your company, products and services.

livepro is a customer experience, knowledge management system, specifically designed to deliver answers to customers’ questions through their preferred communication channel.

What have been the biggest challenges the Contact Centre/Customer Services industry has faced over the past 12 months?

One of the challenges from a knowledge management perspective is that executives have not recognised the necessity of utilising customer experience knowledge management in their contact centres and other customer channels. Many organisations still rely on document management, which is both inefficient and inconvenient. It’s inefficient for agents and inconvenient for customers, as both audiences have to read and interpret the information in the documents. A robust customer experience knowledge management system should provide answers, not just information.

And what have been the biggest opportunities?

Organisations that are committed to delivering the best customer experience are realising the enormous benefits of deploying a customer experience knowledge management system to enhance customer satisfaction, boost staff engagement, and achieve significantly reduced costs.

What is the biggest priority for the Contact Centre/Customer Services industry in 2024?

To encourage executives who may lack empathy for customer service staff to adopt a purpose-built Customer Experience Knowledge Management System, ensuring that these systems empower staff to perform their roles at their desired level.

Agents need answers, not information and too often executives without the empathy for a Contact Centre make decisions to the detriment of customer service and the Contact Centre team.

What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market in 2024?

Anticipate a significant emphasis on AI-supported customer experience initiatives. When considering the technology that will wield the greatest influence on the market, AI used with a single focus of providing answers to customers through their preferred channels, such as contact centres, chatbots, or websites.

In 2025 we’ll all be talking about…?

Exploring new and innovative ways AI can deliver answers (not information) to customers.

Which person in, or associated with, the Contact Centre/Customer Services industry would you most like to meet?

I would like to meet the CEOs of organisations who promote that they are focussed on delivering a fantastic customer experience and help them understand the most important tool they can provide their Customer Service Team is the technology to help them deliver fast, up-to-date, approved Answers to provide the level service they really want to deliver. My goal is to engage with contact centre industry leaders to help them comprehend the challenges inherent in contact centres and recognise the significance of having a purpose-built knowledge management system for the benefit of both their team and customers.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the Contact Centre/Customer Services sector?

They have allowed management to shape knowledge management system they employ instead of advocating for a knowledge management system that would operate the most effectively in the customer service environment.

You go to the bar at the Contact Centre Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?

Coke no sugar!

What’s the most exciting thing about your job?

Watching the fantastic things that my team can develop.

And what’s the most challenging?

Organisations should recognise that customer experience knowledge management must be an integral component of their technology stack. It’s widely accepted that a contact centre requires a dedicated telephony system and a specialised workforce management system. They invest in creating a contact centre environment tailored to efficiently provide answers to customers. However, what often goes overlooked is the most critical part of this stack – the technology capable of delivering answers to customers as swiftly as possible.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To make sure your customers stay with you forever – customer loyalty.