Customer service is often considered a cost centre in many businesses. But ServiceNow's global head of customer service management, Nitin Badjatia said it doesn't have to be that way. On the contrary, investing in customer service can deliver significant benefits that outweigh the costs. I spoke with him at the recent Knowledge 18 event about this and how customer service can be elevated to a strategic focus rather than just operational.

We've all been online when an ad or "sponsored post" appears that seems to a little more about you than you expect or want. It might be a post spruiking enagement rings or a dating agency following a change in relationship status that you thought had been kept private, or offers to buy a product of a personal nature. While in some contexts, those offers might be helpful, some of us may find them creepy. And that's what a recent report found.

Businesses have a lot to do when it comes to customer experience. Customers want their interactions to be easy and always right. And businesses want to contain costs, boost revenue and increase loyalty. These were the key messages Nancy Treaster, SVP and GM of Strategic Operations for Verint focussed on when looking at innovations the company is bringing to the way businesses interact with customers.