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Contact Center Show

Contact Center Show

It’s Time to Kill Customer Service Email

Sep 23, 2026 · 22 min · 9 segments

Email was supposed to make customer service cheaper. It didn’t. It was supposed to make it more efficient. It didn’t. Instead, we built a channel where customers write essays explaining their…

Email was supposed to make customer service cheaper. It didn’t. It was supposed to make it more efficient. It didn’t. Instead, we built a channel where customers write essays explaining their problems, wait hours or days for a response, answer a follow-up question, wait again, and somehow call this progress. Maybe it’s time to kill customer service email. This week on The Contact Center Show, Bob and I get into that argument, plus: Salesforce getting very serious about the contact center. Why digital workforce management may finally be moving beyond forcing phone-era math onto email and chat. Why the back office might be a better place to spend your next technology dollar than another chatbot. And why the contact center technology market has become one giant game of Hungry Hungry Hippos where every vendor suddenly claims to do everything. Also, naturally, we end by discussing whether AI is going to kill us all. A normal episode. #CustomerService #ContactCenter #CX #AI #Dreamforce

Email was supposed to make customer service cheaper. It didn’t. It was supposed to make it more efficient. It didn’t. Instead, we built a channel where customers write essays explaining their…

Speakers: Amas TenumahHostBob FurnissHost

Top entities: Salesforce×15 Erlang C×4 Dreamforce×5 Hungry Hungry Hippos Gartner×8

Salesforce Enters the CCaaS Conversation1:05 – 3:04

Amas TenumahHost

1:05

Let me give you a summary of what Dreamforce is about.

Bob FurnissHost

1:09

Okay.

Amas TenumahHost

1:10

Salesforce has now become the all of the above company.

Amas TenumahHost

1:13

And I don't know if that's a good thing or not, right? Like, yes, you can use Cloudforce.

Amas TenumahHost

1:18

Yes, you can use Slack.

Amas TenumahHost

1:19

Yes, you can use all of that.

Amas TenumahHost

1:21

So there was that.

Amas TenumahHost

1:22

And for our audience, I want to focus on what our audience calls about.

Amas TenumahHost

1:27

Bob, I got to tell you, they are serious about CCaaS.

Bob FurnissHost

1:30

They are.

Bob FurnissHost

1:31

Well, that's great.

Bob FurnissHost

1:33

It's been a, it's been a long time coming.

Amas TenumahHost

1:36

They very much are.

Amas TenumahHost

1:37

So, you know, they now they've made advancements that's made me believe now that they are serious.

Amas TenumahHost

1:44

Am I saying if you are a complex contact center, as you guys know, we don't carry the water for any vendors or anything.

Amas TenumahHost

1:52

I'm not saying you should go transfer to there, but I'm saying they are going to be a player in this space in a real, real, real, real way.

Amas TenumahHost

2:01

So.

Amas TenumahHost

2:02

I think that's something to keep in mind because now I've been a little bit, they're touring around, they're getting serious.

Bob FurnissHost

2:08

Well, that's good.

Bob FurnissHost

2:09

That's good for the companies that haven't made a decision and for the medium to small size companies that could potentially change.

Amas TenumahHost

2:19

Correct.

Amas TenumahHost

2:19

Yeah.

Amas TenumahHost

2:20

It's, I would say medium, small to medium size complexity.

Amas TenumahHost

2:24

So I've stopped.

Amas TenumahHost

2:25

Okay.

SalesforceCompanySoftware company
96%15 mentions
Erlang CEntity
88%4 mentions
DreamforceEntity
79%5 mentions
Hungry Hungry HipposGameGame
71%1 mention
GartnerCompanyCorporation
63%8 mentions
Artificial intelligenceEntityProfessional field
54%1 mention
SpotifyCompanyCompany
46%4 mentions
Request for proposalEntity
38%1 mention
AppleCompanyTechnology company
29%2 mentions
IT service managementEntity
21%2 mentions
SlackSoftware ApplicationMobile application
13%1 mention
IBMCompanyTechnology company
4%1 mention

TechnologyBusiness
Workforce ManagementBusiness > Technology > Contact Centers
Digital CommunicationBusiness > Technology > Contact Centers > Workforce Management
Contact Center SolutionsTechnology > Software > Salesforce
AI in Customer ServiceTechnology > Software > Salesforce > Contact Center Solutions
Email ManagementBusiness > Customer Service > Contact Center Operations
Digital ChannelsBusiness > Customer Service > Contact Center Operations > Email Management
Contact Center TechnologyBusiness > Workforce Management
Data AnalyticsBusiness > Workforce Management > Contact Center Technology
Process ImprovementBusiness > Workforce Management > Contact Center Technology > Data Analytics
Back Office OperationsTechnology > Digital Transformation > Customer Experience
Email vs Chat CommunicationTechnology > Digital Transformation > Customer Experience > Back Office Operations
Workforce ManagementBusiness
Contact Center OperationsBusiness > Customer Service
SalesforceTechnology > Software
Contact CentersBusiness > Technology
Customer ExperienceTechnology > Digital Transformation
Customer ServiceBusiness
Technology
Business
SoftwareTechnology
Digital TransformationTechnology

Salesforce Enters the CCaaS Conversation1:05 – 3:04

Amas TenumahHost

1:05

Let me give you a summary of what Dreamforce is about.

Bob FurnissHost

1:09

Okay.

Amas TenumahHost

1:10

Salesforce has now become the all of the above company.

Amas TenumahHost

1:13

And I don't know if that's a good thing or not, right? Like, yes, you can use Cloudforce.

Amas TenumahHost

1:18

Yes, you can use Slack.

Amas TenumahHost

1:19

Yes, you can use all of that.

Amas TenumahHost

1:21

So there was that.

Amas TenumahHost

1:22

And for our audience, I want to focus on what our audience calls about.

Amas TenumahHost

1:27

Bob, I got to tell you, they are serious about CCaaS.

Bob FurnissHost

1:30

They are.

Bob FurnissHost

1:31

Well, that's great.

Bob FurnissHost

1:33

It's been a, it's been a long time coming.

Amas TenumahHost

1:36

They very much are.

Amas TenumahHost

1:37

So, you know, they now they've made advancements that's made me believe now that they are serious.

Amas TenumahHost

1:44

Am I saying if you are a complex contact center, as you guys know, we don't carry the water for any vendors or anything.

Amas TenumahHost

1:52

I'm not saying you should go transfer to there, but I'm saying they are going to be a player in this space in a real, real, real, real way.

Amas TenumahHost

2:01

So.

Amas TenumahHost

2:02

I think that's something to keep in mind because now I've been a little bit, they're touring around, they're getting serious.

Bob FurnissHost

2:08

Well, that's good.

Bob FurnissHost

2:09

That's good for the companies that haven't made a decision and for the medium to small size companies that could potentially change.

Amas TenumahHost

2:19

Correct.

Amas TenumahHost

2:19

Yeah.

Amas TenumahHost

2:20

It's, I would say medium, small to medium size complexity.

Amas TenumahHost

2:24

So I've stopped.

Amas TenumahHost

2:25

Okay.

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