Bob Furniss

Bob Furniss

Touchpoint Associates
For almost 3 years Bob Furniss’ career has focused on improving customer experiences. As President of Touchpoint Associates, he provides strategic consulting and leadership workshops to help companies realign employee culture and focus. Follow him on Twitter
  • 2 comments 1,243 reads
    Posted on 2011-03-26

    Thanks to Chris Brogan for a recent post at chrisbrogan.com on the same subject.  He asks the same question.

    So what is our answer as you are a frontline Supervisor?  Would you spend time catching-up on email? Finishing-up a report? Finally get  a chance to take a lunch-break?

    How about this – what you spent the 30 minutes focusing on an employee that really needs some coaching or hands-on mentoring?  If it has been a while since you took a walk, why not tell someone you will be back in a bit and ask an employee to take a walk with you.  Three laps around the parking lot should give you both some fresh air – and more importantly give you 30 minutes of unencumbered time with someone that could really use some feedback and mentoring…

    What would you do?  What is your suggestion?

  • 0 comments 663 reads
    Posted on 2010-11-08

    I recently had a conversation with one of my colleagues in the industry.  We talked about why one company struggles with turnover and low morale while another company flourishes?  We came to the conclusion that the answer is often leadership! As we continued to talk, this story unfolded.

    He told me a story of how a CEO was recently talking to a group of his customer service folks about how important they were to the success of the company. After the meeting, one of the frontline people approached him afterwards and was “beaming.” She told him that he made her want to run from the meeting and solve all customer problems. I asked him what the CEO said that would have that kind of impact on an employee. He said it was pretty basic – in fact, the CEO said he was sure he had said much of it before in other management meetings – but that somehow the message was not getting through to the frontline.

    He said that in the...

  • 0 comments 908 reads
    Posted on 2010-11-07

    About 15 years ago, I had a manager tell me that I would never go anywhere because I cared too much about the people that worked for me. He said that I needed to pay more attention to the business and less attention to whether people were happy. Well, here I am 15 years later still espousing the concepts of “loving people.”  I have worked in the call center industry now more than 30 years (which is really hard to believe).  And, throughout all that time, the one thing that is a constant for all successful managers is this one concept – “they loved their people!”

    If you are new to the customer service or call center industry, and either a new manager or thinking about becoming a new manager – ask yourself this question – do you love people? Do you love watching them succeed? Do you love the feeling that comes with a successful coaching session? Do you love the people part of your job? If not, it is not too late to...

  • 0 comments 976 reads
    Posted on 2010-09-09

    What a great day. I spoke this morning at the ACCA group (Austin Contact Center Alliance) annual meeting. ACCA is one of the best-run local call center groups in the country. Jewell Parker and the board do a great job. And I don’t say that because they have asked me to speak three years in a row – but because it is true! I was honored to be on the agenda again this year.

    My topic was Social Media in the Call Center (Contact Center, Interaction Center, Social Media Center – whatever you call it). The key learning that I attempted to share was that social medial is happening already for most companies. The question is how is the call center engaged in the experience. Customers are probably talking about your company on the web – blogs, Yammer, Twitter, YouTube, FaceBook, and many other social places. So, if the noise is out there, my question is, “what are you doing about it?”

    The most asked...

  • 0 comments 770 reads
    Posted on 2010-09-08

    Have you looked up lately and wondered how the heck it got to be September? Seriously?

    So why am I in the contemplative mood? Because I just realized it has been more than 60 days since I last posted to the blog. It does no seem that long, but there it is in black and white – more than 60 days.

    So it reminded me of how hard it is to stay on task. I know that blogging is good for my business. I know that it is a natural extension of the writing and training that I do. I know that it is therapeutic for my soul – but somehow I have not placed it high enough on my list to actually get it done.

    Question – how many things are on your list that just the same? What do you wish you had done last month (or over the summer) that you did not do? Now the tough question – what are you doing to make it a priority for this month or this week?

  • 0 comments 914 reads
    Posted on 2010-05-19

    I recently had the privilege recently to take a tour of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility in the world. The discoveries made there have changed how the world treats children with cancer and catastrophic diseases. It is a place where cutting-edge research happens every day. And what is even more amazing is that all patients are accepted without regard to the family’s ability to pay. The tour was amazing and reminded me of how blessed I am as a parent.

    It was also my honor to have more than the standard tour - a former patient conducted my tour. As we walked though the halls of the hospital she shared a perspective that was different. When she described what it was like to pull-up to the front door with her mom and to get out of the car and check herself in for the daily treatment, the perspective and the details were very real. I will never look at St. Jude or the kids of...

  • 0 comments 1,049 reads
    Posted on 2010-04-27

    I recently had the opportunity to be a guest editor for the Cutter IT Journal.  The article focuses on leadership within the IT organization but has some great learning for anyone in a leadership position.

    The editors also picked one of my quotes from the article as the Quote of the Day: “Culture plays an important role in how managers lead and how employees follow (or lead within their specific area). The culture of an organization is more than just the values, vision, goals, and strategies. It is more than a PowerPoint or a framed poster in the lobby. Culture can be defined as the “story” of the organization — the words employees use to describe where and how they work to friends and family. How does an organization define and align the culture? If it is misaligned, how can it be improved to have a more positive impact on employees’ work and the service provided to the customer?

    As we explore these questions, we need...

  • 0 comments 1,807 reads
    Posted on 2010-03-11

    It seems to happen with every generation. We look behind us and think - they are end of the world as we know it. My generation saw the he Gen-Xers as skaters and slackers - but today they are running corporations.

    At the edge of the Gen-Xers are the Millennials (defined as born after 1980), they are the new workforce.  They gave us Google, Facebook and Twitter. And they seem to be doing a pretty good job raising families and improving our lives.  But in the area of customer service and support, they perhaps offer a special problem for leaders.

    While their attention span is short, they have high expectations for success. Their measurement of success is not necessarily being “number 1″ but in “doing something that matters in life. Remember, they have been given trophies all their life, not for winning but for participating!

    They are the most connected generation every. They have never known a day without a TV remote...

  • 0 comments 4,366 reads
    Posted on 2010-03-08

    Over the years I have had the opportunity to speak at many ICMI events.  In 2003 I passed the process to become a Certified Associate (it was pretty intense!).  I have always felt honored to be a part of the ICMI team and have taught their premier workshop, Essential Skills and Knowledge, around the world.

    The organization just celebrated their 25th Anniversary.  If you have been around call centers as long as I have, you probably remember the huge trade shows from the past and perhaps attended a class taught by the Gordon McPherson (the guy that is credited with giving us the term “call center”).  To celebrate the history of the organization, the former President, Brad Cleveland recently sat down for an interview.  While it is a look at the history of the ICMI organization, is it also, in my opinion, a priceless look into the history of the call center industry.

    I love to tell people that I started working in call...

  • 0 comments 1,755 reads
    Posted on 2009-12-16
    bob-furniss-ccp

    I am always thankful for the opportunity to write for Contact Center Pipeline.  The publication provides consistenly relevant information for contact center leaders.  I am honored to be a part of the writing team several times each year.

    The December issue is filled with great information and includes my article “Leading The Culture Shift.” The article offers nine steps for redefining the vision, mission, strategy, goals and tactics of the organization - along with steps to understand and shift the culture based on those goals.  It does not offer a quick-fix but a long-term strategy for success.

    “Culture is not what the management team says but what employees say when management is not around.  Culture is the...