LiveOps Blog
Blooming Mother’s Day Performance by LiveOps Sprouts New Business Opportunities
Tim Whipple, VP Agent Services
Flowers and Mother’s Day go hand-in-hand. But celebrating so many moms on a single day can create an overwhelming spike in demand for a flower company. So when one of the largest online flower retailers came to LiveOps again this year to handle calls for the flower-heavy holiday, we understood the challenge.
In addition to the huge call volume that comes in every year, the other thing we can count on is that our community of independent agents loves this opportunity and can’t wait to start taking calls for the occasion. As we have done previously, we created a special community of agents focused on this specific retailer. (more…)
Clouds: A Brief Reflection on the Inflection Point
Keith McFarlane
I remember looking up at clouds when I was a child, trying to discern the shapes; seeing the many things clouds could become — Big Bird, a dinosaur, a slice of cake – had the power to make me smile, giggle, or just stare for what would seem like hours. And it truly was the becoming, that slow drift from one shape into another, that made the whole experience so magical: (more…)
Go Big or Go Home: It’s All About Doing Big Things
Maynard Webb, CEO
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m very passionate about what we do at LiveOps – not only because of the role we play in evolving the customer service industry, but because it creates an innovative and quality model for work. I couldn’t help but think about our work as I read the State of the Union address. A number of points struck a chord with me as a CEO but the one idea that resonated the most was: ”We do big things.”
It reminds me of my time at eBay – we did so many big things – and this same spirit and opportunity is the reason I chose to join LiveOps. We have been doing many big things. But, amazingly, the most rewarding part is not in the “bigness,” but in the individual pieces that are ultimately responsible for building a powerful (and big) story.
In the Internet world we used to have a phrase – you probably know it (and you probably loathe it): Go Big or Go Home. Although I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing with every ounce of your being or not at all, that’s not what I’m talking about here.
Going Big in this era is about something else. We at LiveOps are proud of the innovation and leadership role we play in transforming how sales and service work is done in contact centers. (more…)
Innovation Beyond the Hype
Maynard Webb, CEO
Innovation has become an overused buzzword. That’s dangerous because people could tune it out and that would have big ramifications. All great change in the world comes from innovation; it is so vital to building a better future. We can’t afford for it to become overplayed and tired.
We love talking about innovation because it’s inherently attached to hope and wrapped in inspiration. It sounds a lot less scary than previous topics I’ve written about such as Meritocracy or The Spirit of And. And, yet, innovation actually carries much more risk. True innovation rests on trying, failing, and trying again. (more…)
The “Spirit of And”: Part 2
Maynard Webb, CEO
Miracles don’t only happen on the ice—they happen every day in the workplace.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience several in my career. When I went to eBay in 1999 the company was battling some significant technology issues. Many people said I was crazy to join in the midst of such turmoil. Certainly during those dark days at eBay, no one believed it would evolve into the world’s largest online marketplace and transform the world of e-commerce. But the real miracle I witnessed was not eBay’s rise to greatness, but rather the many moments when I saw teams unleash their potential and brilliantly solve what was previously deemed impossible. (more…)
Meritocracy Part 1 – World Cup Fever
Maynard Webb, CEO
World Cup fever is here again and I’m more excited than ever — especially because this year I can catch the live games on my smartphone and laptop. The games are expected to get more online coverage than any major sporting event, and while fans across the planet are going ballistic monitoring matches, results, and statistics, I can’t help but think: why can’t work be more like this?
I’m not talking about the obvious good stuff — the energy, the teamwork, the camaraderie — I’m talking about the way the World Cup works. The event, like all athletic activities, represents a meritocracy at its finest. (more…)
A Letter to the Class of 2010: Carpe Diem!
Maynard Webb, CEO
Many of you will be starting new jobs in the coming weeks. Others might still be searching. Either way, many will tell you it’s a less than ideal time to enter into the workforce. Recent news headlines point to a grim job outlook that doesn’t exactly offer the inspiration for grads to conquer the world.
As the CEO of a fast growing company, and one that creates work opportunities for hundreds of people (contractors and employees) a month, I see the world of work very differently than the one that’s being reported in the headlines. (more…)
Beyond Geography: Location, Location, Location is so yesterday
Maynard Webb, CEO
It’s been an exciting week. On Wednesday, LiveOps visited the White House to participate in the Forum on Workplace Flexibility. We were honored to be included among business leaders, small business owners, labor experts, and advocates to brainstorm about creative ways to encourage flexible workplaces. (more…)
FCC Plan – Why Broadband Matters for the Future of Work in the U.S.
Maynard Webb, CEO
This week the Federal Communications Commission submitted a proposal to Congress outlining the actions needed to connect the U.S. by national broadband. FCC Agency Chairman Julius Genachowski notes: “It’s an action plan, and action is necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues.”
Of course, Chairman Genachowski’s statement and the FCC plan are fueling lively discussions about the real value broadband can bring to fixing our economy. (more…)
Lay off the Building, Keep your Talent
Maynard Webb, CEO
With so much talk about workforce reduction and the challenges companies face with too much to do and too little resources, I often get people’s attention when I talk about the value cloud computing can bring to building an on-demand workforce – I call it the new freelance economy. Adopting the principles of cloud computing – on-demand, pay-as-you-go, scale as you need the services, companies can contract quality workforces and individuals have more control to chart their career and work opportunities. An on-demand workforce can bring the best workers to companies to perform work and disband, once the work is complete.