Customer

• Rime announced on Wednesday that it has raised $24 million in a Series A funding round led by M13 Ventures, with participation from Twilio Ventures, Corazon Capital, and Unusual Ventures. • The company currently manages over 100 million monthly customer calls for various enterprises, focusing on improving automated voice interactions. • The funding aims to address a gap in the market where enterprises still rely on legacy IVR systems because current AI voice technology often lacks the necessary effectiveness.

• The European Union has issued a competition ruling that grants SAP customers increased leverage during contract negotiations, particularly regarding maintenance fees. • The decision validates the use of third-party software support as a strategic alternative to SAP's own services, rather than just a cost-saving measure. • This shift is critical for organizations using ECC or S/4HANA, as it helps mitigate the risks of "premature modernization" and the accumulation of excessive technical debt.

James Sherwin-Smith says he will launch fresh campaign for change at the building society after losing vote at AGMA Nationwide customer has vowed to fight on after losing a historic attempt to join its board and is plotting a fresh campaign to boost democracy at the building society.James Sherwin-Smith secured about 12.5% of the vote, representing support from 75,939 Nationwide members, at the mutual’s annual general meeting on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Watchdog says about 1,700 people were affected during a price surge triggered by the Middle East crisisHeating oil customers whose deliveries were cancelled when the war in the Middle East caused a price surge are to receive compensation of up to £350 each following an investigation by the UK competition watchdog.As the crisis unfolded, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was investigating heating oil suppliers after complaints that existing orders were being scrapped, with customers offered new deliveries at a significantly higher price. Continue reading...

Ofcom levies largest-ever consumer protection fine after finding firm deliberately mishandled millions of phone callsVirgin Media has been fined £28m by the UK telecoms watchdog for repeatedly preventing customers from cancelling their contracts over a near-three-year period.Ofcom discovered that Virgin Media “likely mishandled” millions of phone calls between the start of 2022 and autumn 2024, with deliberate call-dropping tactics, unnecessary call transfers and putting customers on hold for “no reason”. Continue reading...

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, found guilty of common assault and actual bodily harm last year after incident in 2024A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail after being convicted of assaulting two female police officers and a member of the public at a Starbucks in Manchester airport.Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, from Rochdale, was convicted of common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm, following a four-week trial at Liverpool crown court last year. Continue reading...

• A report by team.blue, based on a survey of 10,059 businesses across 32 European markets, identifies a growing "Visibility Gap" affecting how companies reach customers. • The study highlights that the rise of AI, evolving search algorithms, and increasing advertising costs are fundamentally redefining the process of customer discovery. • This shift matters because traditional search methods are becoming less effective, potentially leaving smaller European businesses unable to compete for online visibility.