In the current Internet age, information is flowing faster than ever before. While this increased access to information facilitates communication and the ability to stay up to date with world news, it does put users at risk for theft, fraud or other consequences of online activity. Due to the increasing risk of privacy online, the Department of Homeland Security named October “National Cyber Security Awareness Month” for the first time in 2003. There are a wide variety of safety tips to keep in mind; take a moment to review three important online public security tips that can help you protect your online identity.
Creating complex passwords is one of the first things you can do to protect the information that you have online. From bank account numbers to your home address, a password can stop people from easily accessing this personal information. There is, of course, a fine line to walk between creating a complicated password that others cannot guess and a password that is too complex for you to remember. To solve this problem, create a private, off-line location to keep your passwords. You can write down the entire password or just a small part to help jog your memory at a later time. The most important thing to remember about a password is to not share them with anyone.
No matter what operating system your computer runs on, it most likely prompts you to install updates rather frequently. While it may seem like a pain in the neck at the moment, updates to operating systems typically involve changes that can make it more difficult to access your personal information, track your activity on web browsers or other updates crafted specifically to protect your identity.
Have you ever heard of the saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” The same rule applies to online activity! Acting as a community rather than an individual can be beneficial for everyone. If you don’t want your friends posting your personal phone number or vacation plans to be away from home, then don’t post that information about them. Simple status updates on social media can alert hackers of your whereabouts or a change in your routine that can make it easier for them to hack into your information without you noticing. In addition, if you notice strange online activity or see that you have been a victim of cyber crime, report it to the authorities. While you may not recover whatever they’ve stolen from you, you can be sure that they do not continue to do it to others in the future.
When talking about online activity, the name of the game is cautiousness. The Internet makes it easy for people to fake their identities, whereabouts or anything else they need to fabricate in order to get access to you. For this reason, remember not to give out personal information or passwords to anyone. If you are looking for more cyber security tips, contact KOVA today.
More than 90% of American adults own a cell phone, with two-thirds of those owning a smartphone. With so many smartphones in use around the country, Americans are taking advantages of the tools that smartphones offer them including navigation, text messaging and access to social networks. Have you ever thought of a smartphone being so smart that it can be used as a public safety solution? If not, continue reading to learn more about how KOVA’s cell phone and mobile recording system has brought smartphones to a new level.
This cell phone and call recording software is known as SilentPartner, the only software program that works as an all-in-one tool that can record audio and capture text messages, photos and videos, organize them into case files and transmit them securely. Essentially, it makes a smartphone even smarter than many people thought possible.
Not only is the audio from a call recorded, but the SilentPartner app also captures Caller ID, dialed digits and GPS location, among other details. First responders, investigators and law enforcement officials are the personnel who have the ability to utilize this call recording software as a public safety solution. Those in control of the app can configure it to automatically record all calls, record only when the start button is pressed or record all calls with the option to stop recording at any point during the call.
In addition to call recording, SilentPartner works as an all-around recording device, securely capturing crime scene images or on-site interviews, as examples. The app has the potential to revolutionize the way first responders and investigators do their jobs, and capturing important data is just the beginning.
There are many strengths of the SilentPartner app, starting with its capability to record calls, interviews and photos to its ability to instantly organize that data. Data can be immediately filed into its corresponding case number and available to all other investigators on the case. Facilitating processing into the conventional phone logger at headquarters, the data is encrypted to ensure a secure transfer and simplification of its retrieval at a later point in time.
Among the advanced features of SilentPartner are speech analytics, which allows you to playback the content of the recording that were made on site. The speech analytics feature will look for trends in content from various cases to discover similarities that may have otherwise gone undetected. This feature can be especially useful for investigators who work across multiple precincts, facilitating the connection in a shorter amount of time than otherwise possible. Other advanced features of SilentPartner include transcription of calls, keyword and phrase searches and communication indices.
There is also a feature in SilentPartner that allows an officer to select the appropriate language, and then Miranda rights will be read to a subject being placed under arrest from the speaker of the phone, while the video camera of the phone records their response. In a landmark case, a conviction was overturned due to the improper delivery of Miranda Rights. This feature allows for multiple language support, not just English and Spanish, and can be used to announce Consular Rights as well for LEO’s working in areas with Foreign Nationals.
Professionals who spend time out in the field, including policemen, detectives, insurance workers and health inspectors can benefit from using the SilentPartner app on their smartphones. It goes above and beyond the typical functions of a smartphone, converting it into a call recording software tool that works towards a public safety solution.
For more information about SilentPartner, call us at 1-800-204-5200 or contact us online.
We all get frustrated when we call customer service for help only to get a response of, “Can you hold for a moment?” That moment can easily feel like forever. Here are some of the worst mistakes a contact center can make – and how to avoid them.
There is nothing more frustrating than being on hold with customer service. Chances are if your contact center agents are putting callers on hold, they are bringing down your customer service.
It is understandable that contact center agents are very busy and probably have multiple calls they are attending to at one time. However, it is important to make each client feel they have the agent’s undivided attention. Although it may be unrealistic to never put a customer on hold, in their mind, it would be ideal.
Being put on hold simply translates to the realization that the call is going to take longer than they expected. To try and avoid the caller from getting upset, have your contact center agent ask themselves, “Can I sufficiently resolve the caller’s issue without having to put them on hold?” If so, instead of pressing the Hold button, have the agent talk to the caller while searching for information.
To also prevent calls from being put on hold, make sure your contact center software is up to date, so your agents have access to comprehensive information about the caller from all of your business tools available in the browser as the phone rings.
What is worse than waiting on hold for longer than a few minutes? Waiting in a call queue for a long time! It has been said that one of the most annoying phrases to a caller is, “We’re sorry, but we’re experiencing unusually heavy call volumes.” The other phrase is, “Your call is important to us, please hold.”
If your contact center has been known to have long waiting queues, maybe you should consider hiring more agents or moving around your schedule so that there are more agents on hand during the busier call times. Or, you can hire on-call agents that work only during the high call volume periods.
Another thing that can annoy callers is being unable to find an agent that can help solve their issue. So instead of being on hold or in a long queue, they are bounced around from agent to agent, with each transfer becoming more frustrated.
The only thing worse than getting bounced around is asking the caller to do the bouncing themselves. This is done by hearing the phrase, “We are unable to answer your question. Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx to speak with a representative.”
Luckily, there are ways to avoid having a caller being transferred around at all. To avoid this, consider cross-training your agents. If callers are jumping from agent to agent, it may be because your agents do not know how to adequately resolve the callers’ issues. Through training your agents to handle a large variety of questions or be able to provide support and sales, the chances that they have to transfer a caller are significantly decreased.
You can also utilize conference calls. If the agent has the ability to resolve the issue but needs a little help, do a conference call. Conference in a manager, more experienced agent or tech support agent to assist. By adding an agent to the call, you can ensure the call is more efficient and there is less of a need for the caller to be transferred around.
This can be a common, but still annoying, habit that contact centers have. Either while the caller is on hold or in a long queue, an automated recording suggests that they go to the contact center’s website for more efficient service. This is easily one of the largest mistakes a contact center can make.
They called you for a reason, and probably checked the website for help, prior to calling. Or perhaps they simply prefer the phone or have a unique question that cannot be answered via the FAQ section. The solution to this is simply don’t do it; you can mention the website as an option but do not force a caller in that direction.
To improve your customer service by leaps and bounds, check out all the contact center solutions that we offer here at KOVA. Our workforce management software makes running a contact center easy. Contact us today for more information on how we can help you avoid the above mistakes and many more.
Keeping the children of our community safe is one of the primary responsibilities of a parent and, on holidays such as Halloween, a common responsibility of the entire community. Halloween time is an exciting time of year for many people, especially children. Not only can they collect dozens of pieces of candy; they can dress up like their favorite characters or the celebrity they admire most. While Halloween is the favorite holiday for many people, it is important to keep in mind a few public safety solutions specifically for Halloween, in addition to more general child safety tips. At KOVA, we put safety first, providing you with these three tips to keep your children safe while trick-or-treating this October 31st.
Depending on the age of your child, they will be able to handle different styles of costumes. Intricate costumes, with masks, props and long jackets or coats are more suitable for older children. In contrast, younger children should stick to simpler outfits with one piece; perhaps some face paint and a fun hairstyle. Simplifying their costumes will provide them with fewer distractions and make it easier for them to walk around collecting candy for a few hours at a time.
It is a great idea to talk with your children before trick-or-treating to outline a few key safety rules. The most important of these rules should be to never enter a stranger’s house. This rule may be easier to enforce with younger children, since you can personally accompany them to each door and be sure they don’t go inside. For older children who will be trick-or-treating with friends, however, it may be harder to enforce. Since you will not personally be there, be sure they know to only approach well-lit houses and provide you with the streets where they will be trick-or-treating. This way, if their safety was compromised, you will be able to narrow down the area where it occurred.
The most important accessory your kids need with their costume is a flashlight. Since trick-or-treating typically happens around sundown and into nighttime, it is important that you and your kids are visible to other trick-or-treaters as well as cars that may be driving by. Utilizing a flashlight and walking on grass or sidewalks, when possible, are the best ways to create a public safety solution for all people out celebrating the holiday. Another great option is to include reflective items in your child’s costume, such as neon colored props or flashing lights, which will make them easy to spot by people passing by.
To be fully prepared for trick-or-treating this Halloween, take a moment to educate yourself about 9-1-1. At KOVA, we are committed to public safety solutions, providing software and systems for public safety answering points. If you would like to know more about our products or have questions about how to keep your family safe, do not hesitate to contact us.
For a business like a contact center, customer service is one of the keys to success. Striking the right chord between dealing with irritated clients looking for a quick solution and well-intentioned agents trying to provide the best solution can prove troublesome for many contact center employees. The key to providing better overall service, and increasing your contact center metrics, is to train your contact center agents to deliver the best customer service out there. In this post, we provide you with five of the most important tips to get you on your way to providing top-notch customer service.
Have you ever noticed that you can hear a smile in someone’s voice? It may sound crazy, but it is true! Physically smiling while assisting a client over the phone emits a friendly and engaging tone, ready to confront whatever problem is about to be thrown your way. With these attributes in your voice, it will be easier to build a trustworthy relationship with each client, improving contact center metrics and the overall satisfaction of each client.
Spending each day listening to customer complaints may become monotonous and, slowly but surely, each complaint slowly molds itself into the same thing. Instead of jumping to a conclusion of what the customer needs, remember to stop and listen to each, individual customer to be sure that you’re addressing his or her specific problem. Taking a few minutes to understand the problem allows the customer to fully express themselves - and you the ability to solve what they need.
After listening to the customer’s need, each agent needs to be able to suggest solutions based on an in-depth knowledge of the products and services. Agents should be able to answer any customer question or concern instantly and with 100% accurate information, or enable the customer to find the information if it is out of their area of expertise.
A major customer service solution that is often overlooked by contact centers is to offer customers a call back option. Many customers call in with a complicated issue that takes time to explain and be sure that the agent understands. A classic situation: just as they complete their description, the phone line drops and they have to call back and start the whole process over with a new agent. This situation can be easily avoided with a call back option by asking the customer for their number at the beginning of a call. With this information, the agent can then call the customer to follow through on the solution.
The last step when implementing new customer service solutions such as these is to monitor its effectiveness. Utilize call recording software and other tools to monitor calls and learn which methods are the most effective for satisfying customers and increasing the level of customer service. This is the most important step to ensure there is an improvement in the long-term.
Keeping customers happy and solving their issues without frustration can often be a balancing act but, with these customer service solutions, you can increase your contact center metrics and leave your customers satisfied. For more information on software programs that can help you in your contact center, contact us today.
One of the unfortunate facts of contact center management is that there is a high employee turnover in the industry. For your business, supporting this turnover can prove costly in terms of the time and money necessary to retrain dozens of people to do the same job. Instead of mastering the art of training new employees, learn how to run a contact center where you maintain more employees than you lose.
Limiting your turnover by creating happy employees is one of the keys to successful contact center management. Read on to learn about three ways you can keep your contact center agents excited and inspired about their jobs.
Require Employees to take 2-4 days off per month
Each and every employee should feel excited about the work they are performing. Sometimes taking time away from your desk is the best way to remember how much you enjoy your job. Setting an official rule stating that each employee needs to take off 2-4 days per month ensures that they stay up to date with family, friends and personal hobbies. Allowing them to create a well-rounded life will contribute to an overall better performance at work, and a lower likelihood that they will quit their jobs in the near future.
Keep Overtime at a Minimum
Along the same lines as the first point, you should outline the maximum amount of overtime that each employee is permitted to work. Allowing overtime gives employees the chance to earn extra money as well as show their motivation in the workplace. However, if too much overtime is performed, employees run the risk of losing a healthy work-life balance that may eventually cause them to quit. Moreover, limiting overtime saves your company money in additional salaries that you would have had to pay.
Implement Incentive Programs
Another contact center management tool is to implement an incentive program for the contact center agents. Practicing contact center performance management can help you to observe each agent’s metrics and customer service skills with each client. By monitoring this information, you can set up a series of incentives that will help motivate the contact center agents to improve their performance. When employees are striving to better themselves, you have mastered one of the most important aspects of how to run a contact center.
Promoting a healthy work-life balance is a difficult concept for many companies to put into practice. Logically, they invest in each employee in the form of a salary and are looking for employees to work hard to achieve the best results possible for the company. Although a company wants to meet objectives, it is important not to overwork their employees. Throwing off the work-life balance will lead to negative feelings toward the company that can often not be reversed. If you are truly looking to reduce the turnover at your contact center, then creating happy employees is the first step you should take. For more information about workforce management software or general contact center management inquiries, contact us today!
Kids naturally love the outdoors, whether it be a park or a playground. However, with this comes the parental responsibility of ensuring that your kids are safe outside, and ensuring that they know some basic tips.
Here are a couple of public safety tips that we at KOVA think would be a good idea for your kids to know. Consider hanging them up on the fridge as a reminder. If you have younger kids, go over them as a family and play the “what if” game, and ask your children what they would do in certain situations, then discuss the best way to handle dangerous situations.
The Basics
Dealing With Strangers
Bullies 101
Apartment Safety
We care about our communities and want to provide the best public safety solutions available. For any questions about our services, contact us. You never know when it might be necessary for a child to call 911, and when they do, our solutions help emergency responders to ensure that help is on the way fast.
Have any more tips on making sure children are street smart? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
In an emergency situation, Americans are taught to call 9-1-1. The standardized emergency number has a rather short history, but has quickly become the model of what to do when you need help. With a quick call, you can be sure a team will be dispatched to your location and provide you with whatever type of help you need, whether it be medical aid or law enforcement. When you or your loved ones are in trouble, the first instinct is to call 9-1-1, but the truth is, there’s a lot more going on behind that simple call than you may be aware of.
KOVA’s public safety solutions are installed in many emergency call centers, designed specifically with your safety and comfort in mind. From call recording software to information security management, KOVA has designed its software programs to help government, public and private organizations be as effective as possible in their emergency responses.
KEANS
An emergency alert notification system that communicates to multiple agencies, business and public systems such as loudspeakers to ensure that emergency messages are received by as many people as possible. This public safety software is integral to save time, resources and even lives in compromising situations. KEANS is 100% personalized, based on the needs of each specific client.
PSIM
PSIM, or physical security information management, is an emergency management software program that allows business to effectively manage systems, reduce costs and increase the security of their information. Various system operators can securely share information, which facilitates their ability to collaborate and improve operations. If you are calling 9-1-1, feeling endangered by a situation that you want to remain private. PSIM will help to ensure that the information you provide over the phone remains secure.
Audiolog
Another public safety software program, Audiolog is a multi-media recording system designed for use as a stand-alone recorder, which allows important data to be reviewed in the field, as well as inside of the office. For emergency situations, this means that the dispatchers will have all information available to them, no matter where they are; possibly reducing their response time.
Verint Media Recorder
The final public safety solution is Verint Media Recorder offered by KOVA, the most integrated option of all of the programs. Not only does it include multichannel recording, like Audiolog, but also increases the effectiveness of 9-1-1 and emergency call centers. Highlighted by its performance management, quality assurance, workload forecasting and analytical abilities, call centers with this public safety software will optimize many aspects of their business technologies.
You haven’t just dialed 9-1-1; you’ve protected yourself under the KOVA system. Now that you know the systems behind the emergency dispatch software and emergency call centers, you can feel that much safer after calling for help. While you’re waiting for first responders, you can have the peace of mind that KOVA is protecting you as well. For more information on any of the public safety systems listed above, call us at 1-800-204-5200 or contact us online.
With the start of a new school year upon us, families may have moved to new cities over the summer. We at KOVA care about your child’s safety in the neighborhood, whether they walk to or from school, take the bus, or play outside when they get home. Here are some public safety tips to ensure that they remain safe.
With a new school year come both excitement and worry for both you and your children. Especially if they are in a new town, attending a new school, it can be a little scary for them.
1. Learn the Whereabouts
If your child is attending a new school along with living in a new home, make sure they know their address, full name, and telephone number, as soon as possible. If they are at a new school, ensure that he/she learns the location and be sure to visit the school prior to the first day.
2. Bus Rides
If you have a child or children who take the bus to school, visit the bus stop with them and learn the bus number. Remind your children to always stay with other children and have them tell you of any suspicious or confusing incidents.
3. Know Your Neighbors
If you are new to the neighborhood or have never introduced yourself or your children to your neighbors, the bus stop is a good place to do so. Not only will you as a parent be able to meet other parents, but your children can meet the other children as well. It is a good opportunity for them to make new friends as well as give you a bit of peace of mind, that your children are being looked out for.
Chances are the parents of the children taking the bus share the same worries as you do. Also make a point to meet the bus driver, and have them introduced to your child, too.
4. Keep Emergency Phone Numbers On Hand
It is a good idea to keep emergency phone numbers nearby, whether it be on the kitchen refrigerator or by the phone itself. If you obtained a new cell phone number after moving, make sure your children memorize it, along with the home phone number.
It is also a good idea to have a backup person that your child can contact, and know the number of, if you are not available at home or cannot be reached for some reason.
5. Know The Surroundings
It would be helpful to have your child learn the area where they live, whether it be a new neighborhood or not. Help them learn the surrounding streets and roads by names and landmarks. Caution your children about taking shortcuts and advise them to always stick to the main roads. Discuss some public places where they can go for help if they are lost or in trouble.
You can also make a map with your children of the acceptable routes to take to school, the playground, local grocery store, and other locations they are able to visit. Have them take the map with them wherever they go, so they can use it when needed.
Have any more advice on how to keep children safe in the neighborhood? Share your thoughts below.
In a curious turn of events, deported Hispanics are providing call centers in Mexico with just the employees they need. Having grown up in the U.S., they are well versed in American culture and slang, unlike their outsourced counterparts in India or Pakistan, for example. Essentially Americans without the legal documentation required to remain in the U.S., their customers are unaware that they are transacting with someone in another country.
Major U.S. companies such as Time Warner, Dish Satellite and Best Buy have moved their call centers south of the border and by the end of the year, Mexico’s outsourced call centers will have more than 85,000 workstations. In comparison, there are almost 490,000 in India and 250,000 in the Philippines.
While the economics of outsourcing to countries such as India and Pakistan are compelling, Americans are generally uncomfortable dealing with someone whose native language is not English. “Honestly, outsourcing your customer call center to India must seem like a great idea until you realize your customers hate it,” Betsy Lowther, a New York fashion blogger, wrote recently on Twitter.
Although non-English speakers can relate accurate and helpful information, they may lack the cultural skills to put their customers at ease. The ability to chat about the NFL or the latest meme in the U.S. contributes significantly to the success of a call and should not be underestimated.
Cultural differences matter and can exacerbate a tense situation if a customer is already frustrated. The friendliness of a recent conversation between a deported call center representative and a customer of U.S. Auto Parts Network serves to illustrate:
“How ya doin’ today?” one worker says to a customer in Crescent, Okla., who wants suspension plugs for a 1986 Jaguar. “Not too good on gas, right?”
As we’ve noted in previous posts, it’s possible to hear a smile over the phone and a friendly demeanor can go a long way with customers at a time when most people are expecting a faceless drone half the world away.
It is ironic that, in one of Tijuana’s tallest buildings, managers regularly bring meals from Taco Bell in nearby San Diego to reward exiled call center employees who, like many Americans, are more used to fast-food than the real thing. Paradoxically, workers are off for the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving but are expected to work on Mexican holidays.
The pay is good by Mexican standards but it still comes as a shock to many call center employees. The weekly pay of less than $300 hardly compares to wages earned back in the States. Moreover, the deportees are often shunned for their poor Spanish by the community.
“It can’t get any worse for them,” said Jorge Oros, co-founder and chief operating officer of Call Center Services International. “They were deported from a country where they were for so many years, and now they’re stuck here in a country where they’ve never been before. When you’re offering them a job and an opportunity, they become the most loyal employees you can have.”
One call center worker, Juan Guzman, explains that he doesn’t really think much about whether he’s being exploited. He’s thankful just to have a job. And the call center pays well and has better benefits compared with many other Mexican jobs.
“I feel lucky my parents gave me this skill to speak English,” he said.
