Customer service has never been more important to the success or failure of a business.

Where customer service used to be a cursory addition to a product or service, it has evolved into the series of customer interactions that can ultimately make or break a company.

The modern customer service department, from field reps to managers, needs the right tools to help them keep up with the rapidly changing responsibilities and expectations placed on them. This is where Customer Engagement Centers come in.

The concept of a Customer Engagement Center has developed from the standard call center of several decades ago, to now include multiple channels where customers can engage with companies. The goal of a CEC is to provide customer service and support in every channel, by implementing various technologies and business applications.

So what exactly should you be looking for when you're thinking about implementing a customer engagement center? We've put together a quick checklist of the features and capabilities you should look for when considering a CEC:

Can connect to multiple back-end systems.

Has a customizable and flexible experience for customers and prospects.

Gives employees a 360-degree view of the customer.

Can track customers from first interaction all the way through the entire customer lifecycle.

The entire desktop of information can be transferred from agent to agent.
Offers real-time analytics.

Is mobile enabled.

Manages social media engagement for customer service.

Has peer-to-peer support (including community forums and blogs).

Allows for the scalability of your business.

Can accommodate any computer telephony system (CTI).

Ability to embed support into your products and apps.

For even more information about planning and implementing a Customer Engagement Center of your own, download the free e-book below: