2020 forced many businesses to accelerate their digital transformation and experiment with different technologies as more of their employees working from home. Despite vaccines becoming available, most consumer studies show that people hope to continue working remotely. 

Recently Parks Associates, a connected device intelligence firm, hosted their first session in their Connected Health Summit. During this session, the focus was on leveraging the smart home for a healthy home and the impact smart home devices have for our senior populations. With many smart home health devices available, and that will soon be available, have the unique ability to keep seniors independent for longer. It is vital that we support our seniors in understanding and using this technology so they can continue to thrive. 

Global CX companies are expected to have customers of varying races, religions, and cultural characteristics. This makes it challenging to maintain positive multicultural interactions while delivering quality customer experiences. In a cross-industry employee survey conducted by PwC, 76% of the respondents claimed that diversity is a stated value or priority area for their organization. But to what extent does diversity affect customer experiences?

One of the most anticipated events of the century -- the development of the Covid-19 vaccine -- also happens to be one of the most contentious. Potential recipients from every segment of society have a wide range of concerns and many have grown distrustful of information sources they previously counted on.

On 28 December, a $900 billion pandemic relief bill was signed into law, which included enhanced unemployment benefits and direct cash payments. The immediate effect for financial services companies was an increase in customer inquiries, placing a large and unplanned burden on customer support teams, with some companies citing volume increases of over 1000%... yes 1000%.

Among the many impacts of the pandemic on economic life has been the need for brands and customers to figure out how to better interface with one another from a distance. In the short term this usually meant greater reliance on phone and chat-based interactions, however in 2020, the world quickly learned that these services - typically delivered via tightly packed contact centers - were themselves untenable.

It’s safe to say that 2020 has been an extraordinary year for people around the world. The pandemic served as a catalyst of change for people and businesses alike. It brought challenges that transformed the world around us, and in doing so it strengthened our resolve to be an organization that puts people first, incubates innovation, and celebrates diversity. 

The Experience Economy was in full effect, with 76% of consumers agreeing they would rather spend money on experiences over material items. But almost overnight, the pandemic upended this. Consumers now seek out brands who use technology to make their experiences with products and services seamless and contactless, while still retaining a human touch. We are entering the virtual experience economy.

Historian Yuval Harrari told Noema Magazine in June that the world is going to be “fluid and malleable”. As we draw near to the end of 2020, this remains true. Organizational resilience continues to be contingent on employing mindful risk mitigation strategies while retaining an entrepreneurial spirit.

 Guatemala is best known for its coffee, fascinating Mayan culture, volcanic landscape, and the beautiful, colonial city of Antigua. But most people are just learning about how this small country is loaded with homegrown produce and talent.