|
| Q. | How do I subscribe to Call Center Magazine? |
Click here to qualify for a free subscription.
| Q. | What are Call Center Magazine's awards? |
There are four different awards:
- Call Centers of the Year -- annual
- Products of the Year -- annual
- Editors' Choice -- irregular
- Best of Show -- within two months after select events
For more information on each of these, see Call Center Awards.
| Q. | Do I need to submit an application for any awards? |
No, you do not. The editors of Call Center Magazine select all awards.
| Q. | What are case studies? |
Case studies are features based on interviews with customer care managers about their call centers. Each issue includes at least one case study, and you can refer to our editorial calendar on this Web site to find out the topics of case studies scheduled for each issue.
These articles cover companies in many different industries, and they highlight at least one of three areas:
- Call centers’ experiences with implementing certain types of products, such as IP telephony and knowledge management software.
- Their practices of serving customers, whether these centers focus on support, assist Web site visitors or apply the philosophy of customer relationship management in their communication with customers.
- Their internal operations, such as recruitment, training, quality assurance and disaster recovery, plus other approaches to customer service that occur behind the scenes, like maintaining multiple locations or partnering with outsourcers.
In all these articles, we often take a broad look at the challenges call centers face in adapting to new expectations from customers, such as demand for live on-line service. Then we explain in detail how companies use new technology to help them meet customers’ expectations, and the impact of technology on how they serve customers.
| Q. | How can I convince you to write about my call center? |
The best way is to drop us a line by e-mail or call. Tell us about your call center. Our readers love to find out about companies that have good stories to share about how they serve customers.
Readers especially appreciate learning how companies successfully face challenges like retaining agents and establishing standards to maintain a high level of quality in the way agents communicate with customers.
To increase the chance that we might cover your center, we recommend that you look up the case studies listed on our editorial calendar. If you have a question about an article, it’s best to contact us about three months before the issue date displayed next to the article.
Then, if we plan to speak with people from your call center, there is enough time to arrange interviews and enough time for your company to prepare for the questions writers often ask.
| Q. | What is the Product of the Year award? |
These are annual awards for the best new products that have become available during the previous year.
Our choices reflect our wide screening of new tools through our research for articles, visits to vendors and centers, and industry events. We take into account whether these products perform certain functions particularly well or if they satisfy a broad spectrum of needs in actual call centers. We regularly speak with customer care managers whose companies use these products.
Call Center Magazine announces Product of the Year awards in the February issue. These awards are for products that debuted the year before.
| Q. | How do you decide what products to write about? |
For all articles, we select products that we believe can make an impact in a variety of companies with operations dedicated to assisting customers by phone and on-line.
We choose the types of products to which we devote features, whether they’re product roundups or case studies, based on feedback from readers and from our ongoing dialogues with call center managers and industry analysts.
Our product roundups highlight products in certain categories, like call monitoring systems. Case studies describe how call centers use certain types of products.
| Q. | What are the Best of Show awards? |
Best of Show awards refer to products announced or demonstrated at key events that the editorial staff of Call Center Magazine regularly attends.
| Q. | How do I find out what articles Call Center Magazine is in the process of writing? |
On our editorial calendar, you can find out about feature articles that writers are currently working on.
| Q. | Do you publish by-lined feature articles? |
Occasionally, but not often. We have a full editorial team of writers and editors. This team writes all the features in this magazine. However, there are times when an outside expert can bring a useful perspective to bear on an issue. To query us with an idea, send an abstract (as detailed as possible), including the affiliation and credentials of the prospective author, to Editorial Director Keith Dawson (212-600-3387, kdawson@cmp.com).
| Q. | Can I suggest ideas for articles? |
Yes. We welcome suggestions, and you can suggest ideas for standalone articles to Editorial Director Keith Dawson (212-600-3387, kdawson@cmp.com). We especially appreciate suggestions for profiles of call centers.
| Q. | Do you visit call centers? |
We do. If you would like for us to visit your call center, it’s best to contact Call Center Magazine's Editorial Director Keith Dawson (212-600-3387, kdawson@cmp.com) as far in advance as possible and to provide background about the center.
We will then let you know if your center is one that we plan to visit and write about in an upcoming feature or standalone article. In general, the member of our editorial staff who visits your center is the person who ultimately writes about the center.
| Q. | Whom do I contact about upcoming articles and awards? |
If you have any questions about Call Center Magazine's upcoming articles or awards, you are welcome to contact Editorial Director Keith Dawson (212-600-3387), kdawson@cmp.com).
|
 |
|
