Customer service consultant and senior advisor to the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)
Brad Cleveland is an author, speaker, and consultant known globally for his expertise in customer strategy and management. He has worked across 45 states and in 60 countries for clients as diverse as American Express, Apple, USAA, the University of California, and government agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia. Brad is author of Leading the Customer Experience (2021), Contact Center Management on Fast Forward (2019) and other books. His books and LinkedIn Learning courses have been translated into a dozen languages. Brad was founding partner and former CEO of the International Customer Management Institute (www.icmi.com), where he now serves as senior advisor. Today, he is a sought-after speaker and consultant. Brad’s blog can be followed at www.bradcleveland.com/blog.
Articles by
Brad Cleveland
An iterative and long-term approach that involves your team from the start is the key to AI implementation.
Posted October 17, 2024
Invest in improving customer experiences now or face costly consequences later.
Posted August 16, 2024
Virtual queues can work well when used sparingly and in situations where customers benefit from not having to wait on hold.
Posted June 07, 2024
Here are the steps to take for defining your organization's customer service strategy.
Posted April 11, 2024
Here's a framework to get you started on your artificial intelligence journey.
Posted February 15, 2024
Companies need to involve employees in all aspects of innovation, all the way through to completion and the laurels afterward.
Posted May 27, 2021
Quality customer service and performance targets shouldn't have to conflict.
Posted March 25, 2021
When quality and service levels are low, costs go up, so problems with both need to be addressed together.
Posted January 21, 2021
Customers respond better when they know how long the wait will be, but their patience isn't unlimited.
Posted November 12, 2020
Here are a few considerations to help smooth out service-level dips during certain times of the day or days of the week.
Posted September 18, 2020
There is no right formula for all contact centers or industries, but here are some factors to consider when staffing with agents and supervisors.
Posted July 23, 2020
A guide to the seven categories of metrics that every contact center should have, from the foundation up.
Posted May 28, 2020
There are seven factors that guide customer intolerance for being locked in queues.
Posted April 03, 2020
Technological advances have enabled us to do things the early communications pioneers could never have imagined
Posted February 07, 2020
Contact center budgeting requires a clear direction, good communication, and a solid understanding of the contact center's needs and strategic contributions.
Posted November 08, 2019
Empowering agents to make decisions on the spot creates a better experience for everyone involved.
Posted August 23, 2019
Involve agents in setting up self-service processes so they will be more likely to accept and promote them.
Posted June 21, 2019
Customers who advocate for your products are very valuable. Here's how to cultivate them.
Posted April 26, 2019
You need to keep customer service employees engaged and motivated. Here's a list of things to avoid.
Posted March 08, 2019
Staff forecasting takes practice, but avoiding these 10 pitfalls can increase accuracy and credibility.
Posted January 18, 2019
There are seven key categories of metrics that should be used to measure contact center performance.
Posted November 30, 2018
In the contact center, one person can have a huge impact on customers and fellow employees, and we have the numbers to prove it.
Posted September 14, 2018
Contact centers don't have to be cost centers. They can provide benefits to marketing, sales, legal, HR, IT, R&D, manufacturing, and financial departments.
Posted July 20, 2018