Niamh Reed
Niamh Reed
I'm a Keele University graduate and copywriter for digital engagement specialist Parker Software. I graduated with first-class honors in English with creative writing and was also awarded a certificate of competency in Japanese.
I can usually be found feverishly writing business technology articles – covering everything from AI to customer service – and drinking too much tea.
The emergence and diversification of the financial chatbot
After an eruption of overhype followed by a period of negation, the financial chatbot is enjoying something of a renaissance. In (seemingly) the blink...
The falsity of the chatbot vs live chat debate
You’ve likely encountered the chatbot vs live chat debate. This debate implies a necessary choice between the two chat-based service channels: it’s one, or...
Live chat is not a silver bullet for CX issues
Technology is too often treated as a plaster for customer experience issues. Companies turn to software tools in the struggle to deliver great CX...
The IKEA effect and the importance of personalisation in online experience
You probably already know the value of personalisation in customer experience. But do you know about the IKEA effect? The IKEA effect is a...
Live chat and customer anxiety
Customers come in all moods and mindsets. Some are confident, some are angry, some are calm, some are anxious. And when it comes to...
From tapeworm to rape: cautionary tales of chatbot tuning
Even the best and most advanced chatbots can find themselves out of their depth. For most, this results in an error message and a...
The decline of support tickets
Support ticketing systems have long been a foundational aspect of the helpdesk. They allow agents to collaborate, prioritise and manage every support query they...
Learning styles and the importance of versatility in customer service
Versatility in customer service comes in two forms. The first is the ability of the agent to adapt their explanation. The second is the...
Using empathy as your customer satisfaction currency
It’s a common belief that customer service is all about solving problems. A good customer experience comes from delighting customers with solutions and rewards....
The Three Billy Goats Gruff and the customer journey
Do you remember the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff? In it, three goat brothers longed for the grass on the other...
Customer service conversation killers
In a customer service context, conversations are more fragile than we might initially think. Agents are from Mars, customers are from Venus. In support...
An idle brain: customer service enemy number one
Our brains hate being idle. It's why we get annoyed if we must wait for something, but not when it takes us longer to...
Common hurdles to customer service accessibility
Customer service accessibility is too often viewed as just another buzzword for businesses to throw around. In reality, accessibility is not a buzzword, or...
Customer service worst practice: everything you shouldn’t do when supporting customers
There are a few things that you absolutely shouldn’t do when supporting customers. Being deliberately insulting, swearing and simply not responding are all obvious...