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The Signature Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference

NEW NAME / EXPANDED FOCUS / FRESH CONTENT / SAME HIGH QUALITY

"Explore Your Options: Service Desks and Contact Centers come together to share and learn proven solutions."

 
 

 

 

"Described as one of the most unique & educational service and support conferences
in the world."

 

 

You should be part of this unique experience because you will leave with a fresh way of thinking.

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  Detailed Conference Program
  Pre-conference Program - In-depth Workshops
 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 2007

  9:00 - 12:00

Ivy Meadors

Communications Workshop: How to Develop and Deliver Advanced Presentations from the Boardroom to the Platform
Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

"People will consistently name public speaking as their number one fear—right up there ahead of spiders and death." (Wallechinsky, 1977)   

Do you get a pit in your stomach when someone asks you to speak in front of a group of people?  Do you spend hours, days, sometimes weeks preparing the slides for your presentation? Are you still using clipart on your slides and filling them with too much text and images? Do you really need slides each time?

In this workshop you will learn how to own the platform on the stage or in the boardroom and deliver an exceptional presentation with fewer jitters, using well designed slides or without them.  This session is unlike other sessions on how to deliver presentations.  Ivy guarantees you will hear information that will be new to you plus there will be role plays, one that you will NEVER forget.  This is a fun and educational, highly interactive session and one you won’t want to miss.

If you are an advanced speaker or just starting out, Ivy will share techniques for delivering your first or enhancing your hundredth presentation. The information you will learn in this session will contribute to your next “presentation” being awesome and you being confident in your delivery. 

Benefits of Attending

  • Key characteristics for the room setup (atmosphere, equipment, music, visuals, and distractions).

  • Learn about movement, appearance and positioning on the platform.

  • Gain ideas about what to wear for different presentations and how your appearance is key to the message.

  • Learn how to design excellent slides - lose the clipart! (color considerations, layout, use of transitions, etc.)

  • Hear how to increase or improve audience interaction.

  • Understand what defines an excellent speech.

This seminar delivers innumerable valuable tips. Attendees have said it was one of the best presentations they have attended for both personal and professional development.  We’re all on the “stage” at some point and advanced communication skills will have a powerful impact on your interactions.

Meet the Speaker:

Ivy Meadors is CEO and founder of High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc., a trade show producer and consulting firm specializing in help desks and call centers. Speaker-consultant, Ivy Meadors, has over 30 years of experience in call centers and help desks. She is considered one of the industry’s most respected leaders and is one of the top 5 most recognized names in the Help Desk industry.

The owner and producer of the Signature Customer Service and Support Conference aka Help Desk Professionals Conference and the Government Customer Support Conference, Ivy is the sole woman tradeshow / events company owner in our industry. Ivy is also co-founder and President of the Neighborhood and Worldwide Contact Center Professionals Association and President of the Help Desk Northwest User Group in Seattle.

Ivy publishes the online newsletter, eSharings, has been published in the top industry magazines and newsletters, wrote a monthly column for Customer Interface Magazine, received the IT Support News Award for being one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Professionals in the Service and Support Industry”, Support Technologies awarded her with recognition for being one of the greatest contributors to the Service and Support industry, and she received the honor of being one of the Top 10 Legends in the Help Desk Industry.

HOT Deal: There will be a drawing for our CD that includes 750+ online resources that is easily imported into your “Favorites” in Internet Explorer.  There will also be one surprise drawing to receive a “special gift worth $1700. You must be present to win so be sure and join us!

  1:00 - 4:00

Randy Celaya

Coaching Workshop: It’s not about you! : Coaching for Results

Randy Celaya, Results Focused Training

Coaching is more than a set of management actions for improving performance.  It is an involved supportive approach for allowing others to realize their full potential.  Coaching is a partnership for achieving results.  Coaching focuses more on motivation or interpersonal influence rather than on getting others to comply through a chain of command or hierarchy.  You will learn that Coaching isn’t a mechanical process between the coach and individual or team; it requires good chemistry, communication, observation and caring.  Coaching is the heart of peak performance in every successful organization.  Whenever you want to get buy-in, inspire or motivate, coaching is the answer. 

Benefits of attending:

  • Understanding the role of a coach
  • Learn 12 steps for effective coaching Interactions
  • Top 10 coaching cautions
  • Techniques for motivation and inspiration
  • Communication skills for coaches

Take Away:

Coaching Script (Model)

Meet the Speaker:

Mr. Celaya is a keynote event speaker, Certified Executive/Life Coach and Instructor with 17 years of support center industry experience. Randy has been recognized as a strong motivator, results focused coach and effective communicator working with groups or individuals to achieve success.

Mr. Celaya has worked extensively with Help Desks and Call Centers around the world to develop, coach and train Professional to Director level positions in Customer Support, Critical Thinking, Team Building, and Problem Solving skills. Randy was critical in the conception of one of the Help Desk/Call Center industries most recognized certifications in the support services industry. Randy has served as the Keynote speaker at Help Desk and Call Center events around the world.

 
 
 

Conference Program - Three Days of Education, Inspiration, Networking and Fun

 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, 2007

  7:30 - 8:30

REGISTRATION (Complimentary Coffee and Tea)
Get the Most from the Event: Join us in the General Session room for a conference overview from 8:00 - 8:30 AM

  8:30 - 9:00

Welcome & Introduction From High Tech High Touch Solutions' President, Ivy Meadors and
Co-Chairs Dave Stockwell (REI) and Daryl Covey (NEXRAD)

  9:00 - 10:00

Mikki
Williams

FEATURED KEYNOTE: A Balancing ACT: Walking the Tight Rope of Life

Mikki Williams, CSP

Learn how to achieve your goals in this powerful, life-changing program that deals with potential, inspiration, change and perspective. It addresses life skills, quality of life issues and wholeness as it relates to achieving balance in our lives.

Meet the Speaker

A Speaker Who Lifts You Up and Never Lets You Down™

Mikki Williams, CSP, is an experience…a one of a kind talent, eclectic, refreshing and smart. She has a dynamic ability to communicate to an audience, delivering practical information in a down to earth style. A speaker, trainer, consultant, coach, author, radio and TV personality and entrepreneur extraordinaire, she is a speaker resource for Vistage International, the world’s largest CEO membership organization and Group Chair of two of her own executive think tanks in Chicago.

A Certified Speaking Professional, Mikki has presented at The White House and President Mandela’s South African home, she was featured on the front page of the Wall St. Journal, honored as the United Nations “Outstanding Woman of the Decade” and ABC did a television documentary about her life. Mikki is CEO of Coaching, etc™ an executive and life coaching firm, helping people and businesses reach their potential. An Enthusiologist™, who went from dance choreographer through nine successful careers to word choreographer, she mixes entertainment and humor with business savvy and knowledge to share insight and inspiration for life changing impact. From the corporate world to the ever changing world we live in, she is a breath of fresh air; outrageous, fun, stimulating, informative and most of all, real!

  10:15 - 11:15

Lessons on Leadership

Ivy Meadors

(Part 1)

Workshop: How to Apply Non-Traditional and Traditional Leadership Techniques

Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

In today's business environment, leadership requires skills and character traits beyond the ability to get people to follow. Leaders are put in positions to influence and touch the lives of others.

Develop your leadership skills further by exploring non-traditional techniques in this potpourri of behavioral leadership practices. Learn how to apply the "Law of Attraction" and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) to deliver advanced leadership influences. Understand the behaviors of different generations to improve communication motivation and more. Become a leader of change using vital leadership techniques to respond to today’s changing realities.

Advanced Leadership requires taking personal responsibility to develop yourself, grow, and have a solid sense of self-determination. Leaders must be involved in guiding others when creating functional, healthy systems and processes and must know in themselves, what they are trying to teach their people. The study of behavioral psychology and the confidence to apply it well will launch your skills to a new level.

Join industry expert, Ivy Meadors to discuss non-traditional and essential leadership skills in this interactive session loaded with ideas, techniques and solutions.

Join this dynamic speaker to learn how to be a truly remarkable leader of influence.

  • Review the use of "modeling" in Neuro-linguistic Programming to lead and influence change

  • Learn how to develop rapport using matching and mirroring to achieve better communication and responsiveness

  • Examine the intricacies of gaining full commitment and its influence in the  spreading of ideas

  • Review techniques to succeed in leadership by gaining respect and trust

  • Learn how to use the "law of attraction" to attract great followers

  • Understand how to create “champions of change”

  • Learn how to move your team’s mindset from “fix-it-later” to “fix-it-before-it-happens”  (proactive vs. reactive)

  • Gain skills in applying knowledge of the different generational styles to improve team communications

  • Understand the psychology of transformational leadership

Meet the Speaker:

Referred to as the "Female Tom Peters"; internationally renowned, award winning, speaker-consultant, Ivy Meadors, is CEO and founder of High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc., the only woman-owned conference producer in technology and a consulting firm specializing in help desks and contact centers. Speaker-consultant, Ivy, has over 30 years of experience in contact centers and help desks. She is considered one of the industry’s most respected leaders and is one of the top 5 most recognized names in the service and support industry.

  High Touch Solutions

Vickie Bouffard

Management Strategies for High Levels of Agent and Customer Satisfaction
Vickie Bouffard, Quantum Performance Training

In this workshop, you’ll learn techniques for coaching your team and team leaders, and how to promote a productive and positive help desk work environment. Vickie will share case studies, do’s and don’ts and strategies for bringing out the best performance from your agents. From specific guidelines for positive rewards, to coaching steps for poor performers, this session will help you gain consistent performance that generates positive customer feedback.

Attend this session and you will learn:

  • Five things every agent needs to perform optimally

  • How to keep the environment positive and productive

  • Coaching steps to address performance issues

Meet the Speaker:

Vickie took typical corporate training and turned it upside down by utilizing accelerated learning methodologies making training highly experiential, interactive and engaging. Vickie is the ultimate source of contagious energy and enthusiasm. Her mission is to inspire others to greatness using her knowledge, wisdom, and energy. She was the top producing insurance agent in a national call center where she worked for two years. Vickie knows what it is like to stand – smile and dial!

For the last 15 years, Vickie has conducted numerous workshops, trainings and motivational seminars all over the country. Her dynamic high impact presentation style is packed with energy, enthusiasm and passion. You will not want to miss her!

  Technological Solutions

Chris Sortzi

Knowledge Management: 8 Steps to Deliver Exceptional Customer Experiences
Chris Sortzi, RightNow Technologies

The Internet, unlimited choices, and lower switching costs have empowered customers and brought about dramatic changes in the way consumers do business with both private companies and government agencies. Customers are now accustomed to automated voicemail menus, email and the internet and their demands have increased proportionally. As a result organizations today must exceed these rising expectations while working within resource and budget constraints. In this session you will learn about the eight most effective strategies and best practices you can implement to fully optimize the customer experience.

Key benefits of attending--You'll learn how to:

  • Provide easy, immediate access to information by leveraging a centralized knowledge base across all channels
  • Explore strategies and technologies that empower customers and frontline employees
  • Improve customer satisfaction levels while lowering operational costs

Take Away:

Hard copies of our scorecard titled: Baseline Your Experience Delivery (Quickly assess how easy it is for your customers to communicate with you).

Meet the Speaker:

Chris Sortzi joined RightNow Technologies in December 2006 to lead the US Public Sector team. Chris has over 20 years of experience in key business positions including Sales, Sales Management, Finance, and Business Development at CA, Unisys Corporation and IBM.

In his most recent position prior to joining Right Now, Chris was the Vice President for CA’s DoD and Classified Agencies business responsible for managing a team of over fifty people and over $200 million in annual revenue. Chris enjoys mentoring and coaching young kids through youth sports, giving to children’s charities and most outdoor activities.

  Business Strategies

Eric Albertson

Three Sources of Upset in Human Relations and Their Impact on Performance Leadership
Eric Albertson, Performance Leadership Group, Inc.

Over the last 20 years we have observed just three fundamental sources of upset in human relations. Becoming aware of these and progressively becoming more effective at managing these three is one of the foundations for performance leadership in any organization.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Hear things you have probably never heard before about what makes people tick
  • Understand the three sources of upset in human relations
  • Understand the one great trick of truly effective leadership that you can put to use today.
  • See why the magic isn’t in trying manage people but in managing conversations
  • Get a few simple strategies that can quickly enhance your ability to get results for the rest of your life.

Take Away:

A download of Succeeding In Businesses best selling (over 20,000 copies sold) eBook entitled  “Elevator Speech” along with a subscription to Eric’s internationally acclaimed weekly newsletter entitled ‘Success Tips’.

Meet the Speaker

Eric Albertson serves as the steward of SucceedinginBusiness.com and a partner of the Performance Leadership Group. Eric has been a marketing and sales executive and mentor for companies of all sizes for more than 30 years. Companies like Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Toshiba and American Express have enjoyed financial and performance rewards as a result of working with Eric. He's also mentored many small companies that now boast similar profitability, if not equal name recognition.

  11:15 - 11:30

 BREAK

  11:30 - 12:30 Lessons on Leadership

Ivy Meadors

(Part 2)

Workshop: How to Apply Traditional and Non-Traditional Leadership Techniques

Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

In today's business environment, leadership requires skills and character traits beyond the ability to get people to follow. Leaders are put in positions to influence and touch the lives of others.

Develop your leadership skills further by exploring non-traditional techniques in this potpourri of behavioral leadership practices. Learn how to apply the "Law of Attraction" and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) to deliver advanced leadership influences. Understand the behaviors of different generations to improve communication motivation and more. Become a leader of change using vital leadership techniques to respond to today’s changing realities.

Advanced Leadership requires taking personal responsibility to develop yourself, grow, and have a solid sense of self-determination. Leaders must be involved in guiding others when creating functional, healthy systems and processes and must know in themselves, what they are trying to teach their people. The study of behavioral psychology and the confidence to apply it well will launch your skills to a new level.

Join industry expert, Ivy Meadors to discuss non-traditional and essential leadership skills in this interactive session loaded with ideas, techniques and solutions.

Join this dynamic speaker to learn how to be a truly remarkable leader of influence.

  • Understand the of using radical leadership techniques in today’s changing environment

  • Review the use of "modeling" in Neuro-linguistic Programming to lead and influence change

  • Learn how to develop rapport  using matching and mirroring to achieve better communication and responsiveness

  • Examine the intricacies of gaining full commitment and its influence in the  spreading of ideas

  • Review techniques to succeed in leadership by gaining respect and trust

  • Learn how to use the "law of attraction" to attract great followers

  • Understand how to create “champions of change”

  • Learn how to move your team’s mindset from “fix-it-later” to “fix-it-before-it-happens”  (proactive vs. reactive)

  • Gain skills in applying knowledge of the different generational styles to improve team communications

  • Understand the psychology of transformational leadership

Meet the Speaker:

Referred to as the "Female Tom Peters"; internationally renowned, award winning, speaker-consultant, Ivy Meadors, is CEO and founder of High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc., the only woman-owned conference producer in technology and a consulting firm specializing in help desks and contact centers. Speaker-consultant, Ivy, has over 30 years of experience in contact centers and help desks. She is considered one of the industry’s most respected leaders and is one of the top 5 most recognized names in the service and support industry.

 
  High Touch Solutions

Kate Nasser

Right to the Heart: The Most Effective People-Skills for the Greatest Customer Service!

Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc.

A Signature Customer Service Conference must include the most effective people-skills for the greatest customer service. So straight from Kate Nasser’s full-day training workshop on customer service people-skills is this serious one-hour synthesis of essential “must-do’s” served with a side of humor. Join Kate Nasser, people-skills guru and dynamic speaker, as she teaches her passion – customer service people-skills. Kate can be reached at kate@katenasser.com.

Take back and share with your team:

  • Empathy: Why give it every time, how to say it, and one time to skip it

  • The 4C’s™ of Customer Service – the guide for greatness

  • The Geography of Customer Service -- where your customers’ live/work really matters

  • How to spot and communicate with different personality types – especially the driver!

  • BONUS: 3 toxic habits to avoid and coach out of your team members

Take Away:

  • 4C’s™ Reminder Card

Meet the Speaker:

Kate is wise, funny, down-to-earth, and just wild and different enough to inspire growth and improvement in individuals and teams. Her varied background as a business owner, certified teacher, technology professional and organizational psychologist, makes her credible to many.

Before founding CAS, Inc. Kate Nasser worked for American Home Products and Johnson & Johnson in Computer Systems Development and Client Services/Training. She has a B.S. Mathematics, M.A. in Organizational Psychology and is a member of the American Consultants League and the American Society of Training & Development. Kate’s customers include IBM, Time Inc., Pfizer Inc, Discover Card, The Gap, GTE, The National Institutes of Health, NIST, and US Veterans Administration, to name just a few. Please see endorsement page on her web site for additional customer information.

  Technological Solutions

Andre Angel

Remote Support: Leverage Your Support Organization as a Competitive Weapon and Set Yourself Apart

Andre Angel, CEO and President, NTRglobal North America

Customer satisfaction is your mission – are you using the most effective processes and tools? Learn how to unleash the full revenue potential of your support group, significantly cut costs, increase your ability to resolve customer issues on the first attempt and deliver exceptional customer service.

You will hear from Andre Angel, President and CEO of NTRglobal, a leading provider of remote support solutions for over 10,000 organizations talk about the advantages of remote support and how these technologies can improve customer experiences and help differentiate your organization from the competition.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn how remote support can reduce support costs while delivering a better support experience to your customers.
  • Understand what key features are needed in a remote support solution
  • Understand the importance of strong security in these solutions

Take Away:

Find out how remote support can improve customer satisfaction while gaining a competitive edge.

Meet the Speaker:

Andre Angel is president and CEO of NTRglobal North America, where he leverages many years of experience in the telecommunications and software industries.

Prior to his current role, Angel served as CEO of CODEKKO Software, a leader in server and application performance. Before CODEKKO, he transformed Expertcity into a profitable enterprise solution provider, which was acquired by Citrix. He also served as CEO of ElasticEdge, a content delivery company that solved last mile problems and simultaneous distribution of large content to millions of users, which was acquired by BackWeb.

Angel also spent several years with Nortel, including a post as global vice president of sales, marketing and e-business. He started and led Nortel’s $9.6 billion electronic commerce business and served as CIO of service providers, a $17 billion division. Earlier, Angel started and managed Nortel’s professional services organization (which grew to over $1 billion) and its alternate software delivery program (which grew to $450 million).

Angel holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of Toronto and is a celebrated concert pianist.

  Business Strategies

Todd Haley

Christophe Zajpt

Case Study: Honeywell - “Planning and Implementing ITIL and Six Sigma in a Global Environment”

Todd Haley & Christophe Zajpt, Honeywell

In today’s global environment, every organization wants to introduce best practices for managing IT Services.  How do you select which framework to implement? How do you put together an organizational structure that supports process? What processes should be implemented first and how do you train the staff so everyone understands all the concepts?

You have seen the presentations on theory on what you should do….. now see a real-world case study and learn from the successes….. and the challenges!

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn methods on how to blend multiple best practices

  • Thinking and planning around IT Governance

  • Selling and Marketing a process plan to Senior Management

Take Away: Global Process Roadmap

Meet the Speakers:

Christophe Zajpt Global Director, IT Effectiveness, Honeywell Global Technology Services

As a member of the Honeywell Global Technology Services Leadership Team, Christophe Zajpt  supports 2000 employees and contractors worldwide and is the global sponsor for process improvement initiatives including ITSM/ITIL, CMM, Six Sigma Plus, COBIT, Process Training, and overall Customer Satisfaction. He has held several international leadership positions for Honeywell including Director of IT for the EMEA and APAC Regions

Christophe holds an Engineering Degree in Computer Sciences and Information Technology from CNAM University (France), a Graduate Certificate in Computer Sciences from Nancy University (France) and a Bachelor of Science degree from Longwy University in France.

Todd Haley, Global ITSM Program Manager, Honeywell Global Technology Services

Todd Haley has 17 years of experience in business process re-engineering and staff management in a variety of industries including aviation, financial services, manufacturing, and information technology.  Todd is currently leading the Honeywell ITSM Program and spearheading the global deployment of the ITIL processes. 

Todd is ITIL Service Manager certified and holds a Six Sigma Green Belt.  He holds a BA in Political Science from Seattle Pacific University, a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Seattle University, and an Executive Education Certificate from the University of Washington.  Todd is a fourth-generation family member of chocolatier Brown and Haley, purveyors of world-famous Almond Roca.

  12:30 - 2:00

 NETWORKING LUNCHEON AND VISIT EVENT PARTNERS

  2:00 - 3:15 Lessons on Leadership

Randy Celaya

Creating Value: The Financial Role of Support   Financial Strategies for the Service and Support Manager
Randy Celaya,
Results Focused Training

It’s important to understand the financial role that we play in support. Understanding terminology and communicating the value of the services you provide is the key to success in business. You will learn what financial terminology the industry is using and the role ROI plays in the support center. You will learn how to position your support center as an asset and a value to upper management.

Benefits of Attending:

  • How to communicate the value of the support center

  • Understanding the financial terminology

  • How to calculate ROI

  • Maximizing your ROI

  • Activities involved in Financial Management

Take away:

Cost Itemization worksheet

Meet the Speaker:

Mr. Celaya is a keynote event speaker, Certified Executive/Life Coach and Instructor with 17 years of support center industry experience. Randy has been recognized as a strong motivator, results focused coach and effective communicator working with groups or individuals to achieve success.

Mr. Celaya has worked extensively with Help Desks and Call Centers around the world to develop, coach and train Professional to Director level positions in Customer Support, Critical Thinking, Team Building, and Problem Solving skills. Randy was critical in the conception of one of the Help Desk/Call Center industries most recognized certifications in the support services industry. Randy has served as the Keynote speaker at Help Desk and Call Center events around the world.

 
  High Touch Solutions

Karl Kleinbeck

Case Study:  Migrating from Instructor-Led Training to Blended Learning in the WaMu Call Center

Karl Kleinbeck, Washington Mutual

Challenge: WaMu wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to meet the growing need of ramping up a regional call center with a blended learning approach. It had to quickly launch a program that would be effective, include e-learning and experiential learning while changing as little as possible in the existing instructor-led courseware.

Solution: WaMu used the traditional rapid deployment process and applied it to a blended learning implementation. It incorporated the use of e-learning modules, system simulations, instructor-led sessions, and lab exercises to create an environment where newly hired employees could learn in a dynamic environment, while leveraging its expertise in e-learning and avoiding the need to “reinvent the wheel.” This approach provided the opportunity to meet the aggressive ramp-up of a call center by delivering a solution that was 35% more efficient with a reduction in time to performance of ~40%.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn best practices for rapidly deploying a blended learning solution to a call center.

  • Avoid the pitfalls of training in a fast-paced, call center environment.

  • Anticipate the change management issues that should not be overlooked.

  • Observe key e-learning modules that create an engaging learning experience.

Meet the Speaker:

Karl Kleinbeck has been designing training for ten years and is the Instructional Design Manager for Washington Mutual’s Enterprise Contact Center.  The ECC Design team creates instructor led, blended, and web based learning for the 4000 contact center employees in three countries and eight sites. The team develops training for telephone bankers that work in the retail bank, mortgage servicing, and consumer loan servicing segments of the bank.  The team has recently been focusing on creating eLearning that is taken at the bankers’ desks in short segments and emphasizes cross-sales skills and product knowledge.

  Technological Solutions

Peggy Gritt

Help Desk and Contact Center Communications Technology and Customer Best Practices Update

Peggy Gritt, VoIP Institute

You might be surprised to learn how many new tools are available to support centers to improve service and the customer experience. Technology is changing rapidly - mostly due to the widespread adoption of Voice over IP and therefore creating changes in other technologies such as voice recognition, quality monitoring, e-mail management. Support centers are over-hauling their technology, but are we really improving the impact on our customers? Is it time to also review better ways of handling your customer's inquiries and finding ways to automate contacts only where appropriate? As generations are more and more media savvy - are we keeping up with the times? Let's take a look at the communications technologies and best practices for skills routing, blending e-mails, instant messaging, and web chats with phone calls, and speech recognition. You don't have to be a technologist to come to this session as we will be discussing real-life scenarios for managing the customer experience with the appropriate blend of automation and agent-based communication.

First we will look at the state of web-based interactions, the technology available, and how support centers are using them. Is there a way to blend these interactions with phone calls and all other support center processes without breaking the bank? Next we will explore the best ways to handle speech recognition and voice response and decision making regarding approaches that are best for your customer environment. This session will also use a lively format and keep you entertained as you look at the wrong way versus the right way with each customer experience example. (Don't worry - no company names will be mentioned!!)

What you will learn:

  • Why implement web chat and when is it frustrating versus helpful
  • Best practices with managing multi-channel such as e-mail and web chat
  • How support centers are implementing speech recognition and the impact on the customer experience
  • Best practices with speech recognition to ensure a successful implementation
  • Ideas for improving information and content delivery from automation to agent
  • Quality monitoring and building your program for multi-channels

Take away:

Best practices scorecard for managing multi-channel contact center interaction

Meet the Speaker:

Peggy is the CEO of the VoIP Institute, Inc., an international organization to bring together users and potential users of VoIP to share case studies, best practices, and management information. She has 17 years background in converged voice and data technologies with a particular focus in IP contact center. She also has her own consulting practice.

  Business Strategies

Kory Smith

(Part 1)

Workshop:  Apollo 13: An ITSM Simulation Workshop - See and Experience ITIL Best-Practices in-Action
Kory Smith, SmITh Consulting

Apollo 13 workshop Participants get to experience first-hand the consequences of people, process and technology on quality, cost, customer satisfaction and overall business results. 

The simulation is more than a fun team-building activity.  It gives participants the opportunity to witness, in action, the benefits of integrated processes, the importance of continual improvement, the application of ITIL-based concepts for IT Service Management, and discuss how the simulated environment reveals problems and opportunities in their own working environment.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Translate ITSM best practice theory into real knowledge and thereby assist in effectively deploying ITIL processes to achieve real, lasting IT service improvement results
  • Show how good processes improve performance and bad processes cause failures, high costs, and dissatisfied customers (avoid process for process sake)
  • Experience the importance of working together as teams as opposed to individuals in ‘silos’ (organizational units)
  • Cements the understanding of the ITSM best-practices by putting them into action and showing the importance of the right balance of people, process and technology
  • Understand the need for clear role, priority and escalation definitions, and the need to be proactive

Take Away:

Summary white paper outlining the importance of simulation workshops to the success of ITIL initiatives, as well as, Apollo 13 key benefits, takeaways and lessons learned.

Meet the Speaker:

Mr. Smith provides his customers with Consulting Services focused on helping them to achieve IT Operational Excellence; the right services at the right time for the right cost. Kory’s most recent efforts have focused on performing ITSM assessments, facilitating Apollo 13 Simulation workshops, building and improving IT operational process areas, and delivering ITIL training.

Over the last 5 years, he was the Director of IT Service Management (ITSM) at Seitel Leeds & Associates where he was responsible for building and managing the practice, the corresponding services offerings, as well as their delivery capabilities. Kory holds the Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management, is an Apollo 13 certified trainer, has an MBA in Information Systems Management, and in the last 10 years has managed Service Desks and IT Engineering and Consulting Services groups.

  3:15 - 3:30

 REFRESHMENT BREAK

  3:30 - 4:30 Lessons on Leadership & High Touch Solutions

Kate Nasser

Tangible Ways to Rejuvenate and Inspire Your Team!
Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc.

Teams can lose motivation for many reasons. Overly frequent changes in management, no recognition, extremely punitive leadership style of a previous leader and the list goes on. Join people-skills guru and consultant Kate Nasser as she discusses the slow but very possible road back to inspired service greatness. You will hear true life examples of various teams’ journeys, understand the critical steps to leading your teams to greatness, and leave with a short but important list of additional resources that you can use to continue your professional development on becoming a better leader.

Benefits of Attending

  • Learn the 5 tangible and straightforward steps to rejuvenating a less than motivated customer service team

  • Spot and avoid these missteps to keep your rejuvenating efforts on track – no relapses here!
  • Hear and understand a 4 step plan to inspiring your service team to greatness
  • Insights and tips on being an inspirational leader of a customer service team

Take Away

An additional resource list of Kate’s favorite books on inspirational leadership and change. She has selected a few that will take you on a journey to excellence in becoming a more inspirational leader. Don’t buy every book – find these books and devour them!

Meet the Speaker

Kate is wise, funny, down-to-earth, and just wild and different enough to inspire growth and improvement in individuals and teams. Her varied background as a business owner, certified teacher, technology professional and organizational psychologist, makes her credible to many.

Before founding CAS, Inc. Kate Nasser worked for American Home Products and Johnson & Johnson in Computer Systems Development and Client Services/Training. She has a B.S. Mathematics, M.A. in Organizational Psychology and is a member of the American Consultants League and the American Society of Training & Development. Kate’s customers include IBM, Time Inc., Pfizer Inc, Discover Card, The Gap, GTE, The National Institutes of Health, NIST, and US Veterans Administration, to name just a few. Please see endorsement page on her web site for additional customer information.
 
 
  Technological Solutions

Peggy Gritt

How to use VoIP in the Service and Support Center including Advanced Issues and Troubleshooting

Peggy Gritt, VoIP Institute

If a tornado hit your building would you be ready? That is what a VoIP implementation can be like. Really. For those of you who have been through it - you might already know that without proper planning, your support center can be hit with some pretty major issues when moving to VoIP - whether you are a user or supporting it. If you would like a deeper understanding of the issues, ideas for implementing and saving money, and improving your customer experience with your service center technology, stop by this session. Updated and re-tooled, Ms. Gritt keeps you interested through basic to advanced concepts. The session starts by reviewing the state of VoIP in the industry and what the changes mean to your organization. The session moves into advanced concepts such as VoIP security and disaster recovery issues. In talking about these concepts, we will review real-life designs and how you can mitigate risk. If your support center is impacted by VoIP deployment, we will talk about the various components to a VoIP design and advanced troubleshooting issues.

What you will learn

  • How industry changes to VoIP technology impact your support center
  • Issues to watch out for in designing your migration to VoIP in your center
  • Basic definitions and why they are important
  • VoIP security issues and how to mitigate risk
  • VoIP and its disaster recovery benefits
  • Why adopt VoIP standards
  • Real life VoIP design considerations for your support center requirements

Take Aways:

  • VoIP 5 Minute Guru Guide

  • VoIP Design Checklist

Meet the Speaker:

Peggy is the CEO of the VoIP Institute, Inc., an international organization to bring together users and potential users of VoIP to share case studies, best practices, and management information. She has 17 years background in converged voice and data technologies with a particular focus in IP contact center. She also has her own consulting practice.

  Business Strategies

Kory Smith

(Part 2)

Workshop:  Apollo 13: An ITSM Simulation Workshop - See and Experience ITIL Best-Practices in-Action ( Part 2)
Kory Smith, SmITh Consulting

Apollo 13 workshop Participants get to experience first-hand the consequences of people, process and technology on quality, cost, customer satisfaction and overall business results. 

The simulation is more than a fun team-building activity.  It gives participants the opportunity to witness, in action, the benefits of integrated processes, the importance of continual improvement, the application of ITIL-based concepts for IT Service Management, and discuss how the simulated environment reveals problems and opportunities in their own working environment.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Translate ITSM best practice theory into real knowledge and thereby assist in effectively deploying ITIL processes to achieve real, lasting IT service improvement results
  • Show how good processes improve performance and bad processes cause failures, high costs, and dissatisfied customers (avoid process for process sake)
  • Experience the importance of working together as teams as opposed to individuals in ‘silos’ (organizational units)
  • Cements the understanding of the ITSM best-practices by putting them into action and showing the importance of the right balance of people, process and technology
  • Understand the need for clear role, priority and escalation definitions, and the need to be proactive

Take Away:

Summary white paper outlining the importance of simulation workshops to the success of ITIL initiatives, as well as, Apollo 13 key benefits, takeaways and lessons learned.

Meet the Speaker:

Mr. Smith provides his customers with Consulting Services focused on helping them to achieve IT Operational Excellence; the right services at the right time for the right cost. Kory’s most recent efforts have focused on performing ITSM assessments, facilitating Apollo 13 Simulation workshops, building and improving IT operational process areas, and delivering ITIL training.

Over the last 5 years, he was the Director of IT Service Management (ITSM) at Seitel Leeds & Associates where he was responsible for building and managing the practice, the corresponding services offerings, as well as their delivery capabilities. Kory holds the Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management, is an Apollo 13 certified trainer, has an MBA in Information Systems Management, and in the last 10 years has managed Service Desks and IT Engineering and Consulting Services groups.

  4:30 - 6:00

 NETWORKING RECEPTION AND VISIT EVENT PARTNERS

 
 
 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 2007

  7:45 - 8:45  

MASTERMIND SESSIONS (includes Continental Breakfast)
Gently facilitated discussions for in-depth discussions in small groups.

  9:00 - 9:50

Ivy Meadors

FEATURED KEYNOTE: Master the Skills of Mentoring: Influencing Lives for Life by
Building a Foundation for the Journey

Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions

Mentoring and coaching is a significant part of Ivy's life. In this session, you will be moved to become a mentor when you hear very "real" stories of changing lives for life.  Having a personal mentor or coach is key to building the foundation for your personal and professional roadmap. Ivy would not have realized the personal and professional success she has without the mentors in her life.

Learn what it takes to be a successful mentor and how to find the best mentor for your own development in this session. Being a mentor will change your life and other's forever.

Meet the Speaker:

Referred to as the "Female Tom Peters"; internationally renowned, award winning, speaker-consultant, Ivy Meadors, is CEO and founder of High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc., the only woman-owned conference producer in technology and a consulting firm specializing in help desks and contact centers. Speaker-consultant, Ivy, has over 30 years of experience in contact centers and help desks. She is considered one of the industry’s most respected leaders and is one of the top 5 most recognized names in the service and support industry.

  10:00 - 11:00 Lessons on Leadership

Eric Rabinowitz

How to Create a Culture of Success with Emotional Intelligence
Eric Rabinowitz,
DEMA Education

Have you ever wondered why certain people are successful and happy with their careers and others are not?  The latest research indicates that success and happiness in a career has little to do with raw intelligence but more to do with Emotional Intelligence.  What’s exciting about Emotional Intelligence as compared to IQ is the Emotional Intelligence can be trained and improved upon while Intelligence can not.  Being a professional that is attracted to the customer service profession you most likely have many of the skills attributed to Emotional Intelligence.  This workshop, through a series of exercises and games, will explain Emotional Intelligence, measure your Emotional Intelligence, identify those areas for improvement and create a personal action plan for improvement.

Benefits of Attending:  At the end of the session, the attendee will: 

  • Understand the concepts of Emotional Intelligence in the workplace
  • Have identified those area of weakness and create a personal action plan for improving those areas of weakness
  • Be able to position themselves in the organization and volunteer for assignments that will lead to personal success and happiness
  • Understand the basic motivations of the people they work with and how to get more out of people while maintaining a positive work environment
  • Have an exceptional conference experience that they can apply to their careers as well as personal lives

Take Away:

Each participant will take away an evaluation of their Emotional Intelligence strengths and weaknesses and a personal action plan on how they can improve upon their weaknesses.

Meet the Speaker:

Eric Rabinowitz is the CEO of Dema Education, and has been a recognized leader in the Help Desk industry since 1989.  He created the first Help Desk analyst-training program and was a key contributor to several industry career development programs. Mr. Rabinowitz led a group of subject matter experts from around the world and developed a new Help Desk Team Lead standard.  He also co-authored a technical support team leadership class curriculum. He has appeared on television and radio as an advocate for the support industry and has contributed to several magazines and books.  Mr. Rabinowitz has also been featured in several articles on help desk related topics in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and a cover story in INC Magazine. Mr. Rabinowitz is an industry leading Instructor and an Instructor Trainer as well as a much sought after speaker.

 
 
  High Touch Solutions

Case Study: Pointe South Mountain Resort Presents "How to Deliver Celebrity Class Service to Your Customers"
Paul Gray, General Manager, Pointe South Mountain Resort

How do you train and motivate your line level staff to deliver consistent high levels of customer service in the resort industry.  The presentation will include:

  • Insight and examples of developing and implementing new service programs.

  • How resorts measure their guest service and how we use these tools to improve.

  • The art of service recovery, because things don’t always go as planned.

  • How we use our mistakes to learn and improve.

  • Motivating and retaining team members.

Take Away:

Learn how the Resort industry develops service programs and trains staff to meet the high demands of the corporate and leisure guest.

Meet the Speaker:

Paul Gray was raised in the hotel industry, living in hotels with his General Manager Father for years. An Arizona native, Paul has worked most of his career in resorts around Arizona and has been at the Pointe South Mountain for 11 years.

  Technological Solutions

Dave Stockwell

(Part 1)

Workshop: Guerilla Help Desk: Creating an IT Support Center on Low to No Budget
Dave Stockwell, REI

The tools required to run a good help desk are expensive, very expensive.  So where does that leave those of us running on a limited budget?  Whether you are in a non-profit, run a small business, supporting a start up or simply out of cash, there are many ways to deliver the services of a large budget Service Desk without breaking the bank.  Come learn how to find these tools, learn how they work and experience the pros and cons as we build a working Help Desk during the session.

Benefits of Attending

  • Learn about the freedom of the open source world

  • Build a functional tool set with the need for a full IT department

  • Apply some of the leading hosted software technology to your daily work load

Take Away

From this session you will have the ability to build out your Help Desk, know where to find the necessary tools to do so and create a professional core IT tool set for your customers to use on a daily basis. 

Meet the Speaker

Born in the high Colorado Rockies, Dave Stockwell was rescued when his adoptive parents found him sleeping to the hold music from the DMV. Safely home to the jungles of Minnesota suburbia, Dave honed his survival instincts in customer service in retail.  Working at Recreational Equipment Inc. Dave has actively pursued the highest customer service standards for 17 years.  Thriving on left-over meeting snacks, Dave has fed his passion for the perfectly pleased customer with nearly a decade of Help Desk living.  He’s currently REI’s Service Desk Manager supporting over 9000 employees, a board member of the NWCCP and co-chair of the Signature Customer Service and Support Conference.

  Business Strategies

Corina Stretch

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Corina Stretch, Puget Sound Energy

Hear the story how Puget Sound Energy dealt with the largest wind storm in its history. Over 700,000 customers were without power.  In as little as 3 days 500,000 were restored. Hear how the Customer Access Center’s disaster recovery plan helped mitigated potential problems and effectively supported the operations of the department. 

Benefits of Attending

  • Developing and implementing a plan for disasters such as this or planning for the Pandemic flu is essential for all businesses.  You’ll want to be sure to attend this in-depth session to understand the importance of creating the right plan.

  • Learn the staffing and recruitment process

  • Hear the successes and lessons learned  

  • Identify key employees

  • Discover the necessity of motivating employees during long hours

  • Learn the benefits of at-home-agents (Distance support)

Take Away:

Handout listing references and links to critical continuity disaster recovery plans.

Meet the Speaker:

Corina Stretch brings over 19 years experience in the customer service department with Puget Sound Energy. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) serves more than 1 million electric customers and 718,000 natural gas customers. This is Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service territory stretching across 11 counties.  As a front-line supervisor, outage manager, trainer and support business analyst, she plays a key role in the 200+ seat department disaster recovery and continuity planning and well as daily business operations.  Corina will engage you in a lively discussion and provide worthwhile information that you’ll not want to miss.

  11:00 - 11:15

 BREAK

  11:15 - 12:15 Lessons on Leadership

Bill Price

Owning the Actions Across the Company -  Lessons in Leadership

Bill Price, Driva Solutions

Contact centers “cause” very few of the customer complaints or inquiries that they shoulder on behalf of the company. Using research in his forthcoming book The Best Service is No Service, Bill Price will share lessons in leadership where companies have recognized the need to own the actions across the company, instead of blaming customer service. He will describe three key steps that “Best Service” companies are taking: (1) tear down the walls, (2) make accountability stick; and (3) liberate the front line.

 What you will learn:

  • How to define these three steps owning the actions across the company

  • Ways to code contacts and circulate their content to engage the departments need to fix the underlying problems

  • What customer service can do to ensure that it doesn’t cause any complaints

Meet the Speaker:

President, Driva Solutions, and first Global VP of Customer Service, Amazon.com Bill Price was named one of the first wave of “Call Center Pioneers” in 1997 and has continued to innovate since then. Bill has over 26 years in the services business starting with strategic consulting with McKinsey & Company, CFO for a start-up IVR service bureau, VP & General Manager for four business units at MCI, and then almost 3 years as Amazon’s first Global VP of Customer Service. Since leaving Amazon in late 2001 to form Driva Solutions, Bill and his team have served more than 50 clients in the US, UK, Thailand, Japan, and Australia.

 
 
  Technological Solutions

Dave Stockwell

 

(Part 2)

Hands-on Lab: Guerilla Help Desk: Creating an IT Support Center on Low to No Budget
Dave Stockwell, REI

The tools required to run a good help desk are expensive, very expensive.  So where does that leave those of us running on a limited budget?  Whether you are in a non-profit, run a small business, supporting a start up or simply out of cash, there are many ways to deliver the services of a large budget Service Desk without breaking the bank.  Come learn how to find these tools, learn how they work and experience the pros and cons as we build a working Help Desk during the session.

Benefits of Attending

  • Learn about the freedom of the open source world

  • Build a functional tool set with the need for a full IT department

  • Apply some of the leading hosted software technology to your daily work load

Take Away

From this session you will have the ability to build out your Help Desk, know where to find the necessary tools to do so and create a professional core IT tool set for your customers to use on a daily basis. 

Meet the Speaker

Born in the high Colorado Rockies, Dave Stockwell was rescued when his adoptive parents found him sleeping to the hold music from the DMV. Safely home to the jungles of Minnesota suburbia, Dave honed his survival instincts in customer service in retail.  Working at Recreational Equipment Inc. Dave has actively pursued the highest customer service standards for 17 years.  Thriving on left-over meeting snacks, Dave has fed his passion for the perfectly pleased customer with nearly a decade of Help Desk living.  He’s currently REI’s Service Desk Manager supporting over 9000 employees, a board member of the NWCCP and co-chair of the Signature Customer Service and Support Conference.

  Business Strategies

Brenda Iniguez

What Does a Communication & Awareness Plan Look Like
Brenda Iniguez, FrontRange Solutions

Implementing ITIL or other large initiative?  Then developing an effective communications or awareness plan is key to your success. This session will look at the two different plans, and help you explore which or both are needed for your large initiatives.  It will address scope and content. The session will also provide actual sample details for building a communication and/or awareness plan taking into account your organization’s style, culture, demographics and tools.  The session also underscores how an effective formal communication plan can make or break the success of any initiative, which ultimately translates to bottom-line results delivery.

Key learning points:

  • What a large initiative communication plan is, along with it’s purpose and scope
  • What an awareness plan is, along with it’s purpose and scope
  • Sample templates for both a communication and awareness plan
  • How to get started building robust communication and awareness plans that match your organization culture and style

Meet the Speaker:

Brenda Iniguez is a seasoned IT Support Professional, with over 20 years proven experience in Fortune 100 companies, designing, building, consolidating, and managing their Enterprise Support Centers. In addition, she is ITIL Service Manager certified, and is well versed in the Service Management disciplines of Incident, Problem, Change, and Availability Management. Brenda is now Director with Pink Elephant, based in the SF Bay Area, leading Business Development for the Western US.

She is active in several professional groups, including founding member on the Board of Directors for HDP (Help Desk Professionals), active member of the itSMF National Conference Board, serving as Chairman Emeritus of the HDI Member Advisory Board for HDI-National, on the Board of Directors for the HDI Strategic Advisory Board, the Officers Board of the San Francisco HDI Chapter (Help Desk Institute), Conference Committee Boards for HDP, HDI, GCSC, ITSM, and itSMF. Brenda is an active speaker at national Support Conferences and has been quoted in leading industry trade journals (Computerworld, Technology World, Help Desk-Online, and IT Support News), and was selected by IT Support News as one of the Service 25 recipients; the leading 25 Support Professionals.

  12:15 - 2:00

 NETWORKING LUNCHEON AND VISIT EVENT PARTNERS

  2:00 - 2:50

Patrick Bultema

FEATURED KEYNOTE: State of the Industry and the Future of Support
Patrick Bultema, vSpring Capital

We’re back in the fast lane for changes in the support industry.  And more is on the way.

  • Web 2.0 models are impacting IT and the business of customers

  • Open Source and the "LAMP" stack isn’t just for software companies anymore

  • Compliance and regulation requires more and different control over your IT resources

  • An increasingly mobile and distributed workforce, and want’s needed to support them

These and other trends makers call for different thinking, strategy, and actions.  And that’s what you’ll get in this keynote.  It will enable you to be the best support professional possible for your company into the future.

Meet the Speaker:

Patrick Bultema is Executive Chairman of Aeroprise. He is also a Partner with vSpring Capital, a venture capital firm with special expertise and focus on the IT Service and Infrastructure Management industries. Patrick was previously CEO of FrontRange, and Chairman of the Help Desk Institute. He is widely recognize as one of the premier experts on the business of support.

"Back by popular demand delivering fresh new material"

  2:50 - 3:00

BREAK

  3:00 - 4:00 Lessons on Leadership

Executive Panel: Business Strategies to Address the Issues of Running Service and Support Centers Successfully

Panelists:

  • Patrick Bultema, CEO, VSpring Capital

  • Corina Stretch, Customer Services Manager, Puget Sound Energy

  • Becky Jo Glover, Director of IT, Miami Dade County

Running a successful, efficient and effective service and support center requires much more than tools, technologies and processes. It requires amazing leadership, a positive work culture and most importantly business strategies that will drive your center to success!

Join executives from service and support centers who are leaders in the industry as well as our own visionary guru, Patrick Bultema, in this highly interactive and lively panel discussion. You will hear strategies that helped to put these centers on top. They will share from personal experiences what works and perhaps more importantly what does not work in making your service and support centers a success! This session is high-energy so be sure to bring your burning questions!

  • Learn best practices from customer service and support centers who have “made it”
  • Hear proven strategies that you can take back to your organization and implement immediately
  • Discover how to empower your team and create a positive work culture
 
  High Touch Solutions

JJ Lauderbaugh

How to De-stress Your Service and Support Center for Greater Productivity
JJ Lauderbaugh,
Lauderbaugh and Associates

Workplace stress has a negative impact on help desks, businesses and individuals alike, and has been labeled a "worldwide epidemic”. It takes its toll on help desk productivity, job satisfaction, health, and retaining trained technicians and personnel. Now is the time to recognize the good stress from the bad stress on your help desk, and reduce the harmful physical and emotional responses that bad stress produces. You will learn to recognize the different types of stress, how change resistance causes stress, the dangers signs, its high cost, and how to de-stress with effective stress management techniques. You will learn the different stress phases, symptoms, and actions to take. You'll recognize what is causing your current stress, and create an immediate action plan to de-stress your help desk.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn two major methods to lower and prevent help desk stress

  • Understand the five keys that choke ability to change and causes stress

  • Identify the different kinds of stress that may have been overlooked

  • Recognize the symptoms and signs of helpdesk stress

  • Learn proven tips for coping, reducing and eliminating stress

Take Away:

Action Plan Worksheet with techniques to reduce your current help desk stress

Meet the Speaker:

JJ Lauderbaugh, CMC is the founder and President of JJ Lauderbaugh & Associates. JJ works with companies and associations that want to give exceptional customer service to increase customer satisfaction and sales, and with Directors and Call Center/Help Desk Managers who want to improve human performance. She has worked with help desks, IT support groups and help desk associations for over twenty-five years.

JJ is an international keynote speaker, trainer, facilitator, author and certified management consultant (CMC), specializing in leadership, customer service, performance improvement, call centers, up and cross selling, outbound calling, stress and change. Free articles, tips, streaming video and email newsletter are available on her web site.

  Technological Solutions

Donna Holt

ITIL V2 vs. V3 – Exploring the Differences and Similarities

Donna Holt, Help Desk Xlence

Let’s go on an expedition!  We’ll explore the basic differences between ITIL V2 and the newly-released ITIL V3.  Let’s follow the path of the new version which movement leads us towards a service-driven lifecycle approach to Service Management and contains more prescriptive guidance and demonstration of return on investment.

 We will embark on a quest to discover the new certification structure and the mysteries contained in each of the V3 core concepts.

  • We'll review the concepts contained in the five new ITIL Library books

  • We'll take a look at Continual Service Improvement and its benefits

  • We'll discuss the value of the Service Lifecycle to your business.

Meet the Speaker:

Donna Holt’s background includes customer service, sales, administration and management in diverse industries such as international trading, telecommunications, credit analysis and mortgage banking. She founded HelpDesk Xlence to provide best practices in the technical help industry, customer service/telephone skills training and consulting, and process infrastructure improvement. A turn-around specialist, she will help you take your helpdesk, call center, customer service group or information technology department through process improvement and training to become world class. She presents ITIL Foundations Training classes and is currently preparing for her IT Service Management Masters Certification.

  Business Strategies

Lou Hunnebeck

(Part 1)

Workshop: “Measure What Matters, or – Put Down that Report, and Step Away from the Database!”
Lou Hunnebeck, Third Sky, Inc.

Are you drowning in a sea of statistics, but you still don’t seem to be getting anywhere? Are you measuring some things just because you can?

This practical workshop session will help you develop a methodology for selecting the right measurements to use to accomplish your business goals and to review and revise your measurements on an ongoing basis to meet the evolving demands of the business.

We will discuss the different uses of measurements, the measurement methodologies that are in vogue and their relative merits, and how to avoid having the measurement itself turn into the objective. Participants will be given sample situations and be asked to brainstorm on the right measurements to use to suit the need.

Participants in this session will:

  • Understand the link between your measurement program and the success of improvement initiatives

  • Understand why people are usually resistant to being measured

  • Know the steps to be taken to create a well-balanced measurement program

  • Understand the importance of linking IT measurements to business results

  • Understand the necessity of continually reviewing measurements for relevance

Take Away:

Participants will leave with design & evaluation criteria for an effective measurement program.

Meet the Speaker:

An IT Service Manager with over 20 years of experience in service industries, Ms. Hunnebeck is currently Third Sky Inc.’s VP of ITSM Strategy.  Ms. Hunnebeck’s passion for improving how we do what we do has led her to IT Service Management from a background of process consulting, training and Help Desk/Service Management systems consulting.  Ms. Hunnebeck has led global teams in best practice and methodology design and her theatre background makes her a dynamic speaker and instructor.

  4:00 - 4:15

 REFRESHMENT BREAK

  4:15 - 5:15 Lessons on Leadership

Becky Jo Glover

Women in Leadership: Awakening Their Power Within

Becky Jo Glover, Miami Dade County Government 

Being a leader is no longer just a word used by authors, directors, managers or supervisors; leadership is a way of life . . . a chosen personal and professional lifestyle. Dare to take a walk on the wild side? Care to awaken the power that is inside? Women are continually challenged to manage leadership in their personal and professional lives; enhancing, adding and changing just a few skill sets can take an ordinary woman to and transform her into an extraordinary leader. Highly interactive and chaotic, this session will challenge your understanding of communication, discuss the “Branding YOU” concept and give you the tools to implement changes immediately. Are you up for it – take the challenge, what have you got to lose?

Participants in this session will:

  • Learn strategies on how to balance work and life

  • Discover techniques to help you achieve your highest potential

  • Gain the knowledge to be a more powerful communicator

  • Understand how “Branding YOU” can increase your career potential

Take Aways:

  • Daily Survival Kit

  • Monthly challenge calendar

  • Six month update contact from the session leader

Meet the Speaker:

Becky Jo Glover is the Assistant Director of the Government Information Center (GIC), Miami-Dade 311. She previously served as the Call Center Manager for Miami-Dade 311. Having worked for Coca-Cola USA as a Quality Assurance Manager in charge of the top five fountain accounts (Disney, McDonalds, Burger King, Hardees and Wendy’s), Ms. Glover was responsible for the cohesive delivery of service in a quality, customer-centric environment.

 
  High Touch Solutions

Michael Callahan
 

Twenty-Six Nuggets You Must Know About Hiring, Firing, and Inspiring Your Agents
Michael Callahan, Microsoft

Perhaps no other management challenge is more vexing than the magical mix of intuition, pragmatism, science and emotion that go into hiring and retaining great talent, and identifying and separating individuals who aren’t providing valuable contributions to your team and its goals.

As befits such a left-brain, right-brain experience, this session will mix analysis of recent call center hiring and retentions strategies, compelling leadership anecdotes about the value of intuition, and thoughtful guidance to help you identify potential, empower the valuable, celebrate the extraordinary and quickly but humanely let go of those whose strengths or inspirations lay elsewhere.

This highly interactive session will:

  • Enlighten you to the five most important questions you should ask every agent candidate

  • Enumerate the six hidden messages you can find in every resume

  • Inspire you with the four most amazing ways to celebrate individual success in a way that engenders excitement, not envy

  • Illuminate the eight early behaviors you can identify in new hires and what they mean for the short- and long-term

  • Humor you with three inspiring lessons about “lost causes” that will teach you to always look three times at an HR situation: once with intellect, once with intuition and once with a gambler’s mentality

Take Away:

In addition to the 26 Nuggets, each attendee will receive a cheat-sheet analysis of several recent national call center hiring surveys, a booklist of valuable resources for you and your managers, and a copy of the three inspiring “lost cause” lessons to keep you and your managers inspired.

Meet the Speaker:

An award-winning playwright, performer and published author, Michael Callahan is the Senior Support Program Manager for Hotmail, the world’s most popular web mail service with 260 million customers. His twenty-one year career in Help Desk and Customer Service Management has included the stratosphere (as the customer liaison for the Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”) with IBM), the city (as the designer of the most popular municipal publishing software program in history) and the mainframe (as support and customer service manager for the Attachmate Corporation).  In 2006, Microsoft awarded Michael with one of 20 annual “Great People, Great Performances Awards” for his outstanding contribution, which resulted in historic Customer Satisfaction scores and cost savings of $1 million dollars for 2006.

  Technological Solutions

Scott Vincent

Case Study: DICKEY-john Corp.: Unique Solutions for the Small/Medium Support Center
Scott Vincent,
DICKEY-john Corporation

Small to medium sized support centers face unique challenges to staffing, retention, incentives, and flexibility. Discover how one such company has used a variety of methods to improve customer satisfaction, staffing, recruitment, retention, training, and increased the value and importance of the call center in achieving the goals of the company.

Benefits of attending:

  • Leverage your available talent by looking beyond the resume.

  • Understand how to sell your Center! Promote, Promote, Promote.

  • Avoid burnout and reduce turnover.

  • Utilize and Appreciate training, it is not a cost.

  • Expand your agent’s visibility and value.

Take Away:

Example of DICKEY-john Corp general service and support marketing brochure.

Meet the Speaker:

Scott Vincent is the Manager – Customer Service for DICKEY-john Corp. Scott has over 15 years of experience in small to medium sized call centers and has extensive experience in team building, hiring and training agents, technical support centers, and managing agents supporting highly technical and diverse products.

  Business Strategies

Lou Hunnebeck

(Part 2)

Workshop: “Measure What Matters, or – Put Down that Report, and Step Away from the Database!”
Lou Hunnebeck, Third Sky, Inc.

Are you drowning in a sea of statistics, but you still don’t seem to be getting anywhere? Are you measuring some things just because you can?

This practical workshop session will help you develop a methodology for selecting the right measurements to use to accomplish your business goals and to review and revise your measurements on an ongoing basis to meet the evolving demands of the business.

We will discuss the different uses of measurements, the measurement methodologies that are in vogue and their relative merits, and how to avoid having the measurement itself turn into the objective. Participants will be given sample situations and be asked to brainstorm on the right measurements to use to suit the need.

Participants in this session will:

  • Understand the link between your measurement program and the success of improvement initiatives

  • Understand why people are usually resistant to being measured

  • Know the steps to be taken to create a well-balanced measurement program

  • Understand the importance of linking IT measurements to business results

  • Understand the necessity of continually reviewing measurements for relevance

Take Away:

Participants will leave with design & evaluation criteria for an effective measurement program.

Meet the Speaker:

An IT Service Manager with over 20 years of experience in service industries, Ms. Hunnebeck is currently Third Sky Inc.’s VP of ITSM Strategy.  Ms. Hunnebeck’s passion for improving how we do what we do has led her to IT Service Management from a background of process consulting, training and Help Desk/Service Management systems consulting.  Ms. Hunnebeck has led global teams in best practice and methodology design and her theatre background makes her a dynamic speaker and instructor.

   

Free Night - Enjoy the Resort with Family and Friends

 
 
 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24th, 2007

  7:45 - 8:45  

MASTERMIND SESSIONS (includes Continental Breakfast)
Gently facilitated discussions for in-depth discussions in small groups.

  9:00 - 10:00

Phil Eastman

FEATURED KEYNOTE: Managing the People Side of Change: Best Practices for 2007 and Beyond
Phil Eastman, Prosci

Changes to processes, systems and tools ultimately require people to change how they do their jobs.  Yet, employee resistance remains the number one obstacle to successful change.  Change management is the key to minimizing resistance, gaining buy-in from executives and reducing any impact on your customers.  This keynote session will provide a change management foundation and share lessons and best practices from Prosci’s new 2007 global change management research study.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn how change management can help your organization

  • Understand why employees resist change

  • Discover mistakes executive sponsors commonly make when leading change

  • Learn about the critical communicators

  • Gain critical success factors for managing major change initiatives

Take Away:  Free copy of Change Management: the people side of change book

Meet the Speaker:

Phil Eastman is a master instructor with Prosci Research. He combines more than 25 years of leadership experience with his passion for coaching, working with executives and building teams to improve performance.  His corporate experience includes 17 years in the banking industry. Phil was President and CEO of Key Bank of Idaho and has served in many community leadership roles including Chairman of the Board for the United Way of Treasure Valley.

  10:00 - 10:15

 BREAK

  10:15 - 11:00 Lessons on Leadership

Susan Wick

Case Study: A Bird's-Eye View into Alaska Airline's Support

Susan Wick, Alaska Airlines

Join Susan Wick for an aerial view of the support teams at Alaska Airlines and learn the creative solutions they use to empower agents, manage the work, and monitor performance. This session will dive into the internal employee support processes and how the organization structure helps facilitate the incident management process.

Susan will lead you through a discussion of the tools used by the team and how they benefit the support centers. You will also hear how the career progression for their agents improves job satisfaction. And lastly, she will walk you through a new company initiative, virtual assistants, that helps the front line customer service agents reduce their training time and improve the consistency being offered to our customers. You won't want to miss this session loaded with practical information and best practices that will benefit your organization!

What you will learn:

  • How to maximize work efficiency and effectiveness through the use of tools and technologies
  • Best practices and processes used at Alaska Airlines for improving customer service
  • How to increase job satisfaction and loyalty by empowering agents

Take Away:  

Sample reports that are used at Alaska Airlines for measuring performance.

Meet the Speaker:

Susan is a Director, IT Customer Services at Alaska Airlines. She has 20 years with Alaska Airlines and 11 years in IT. Her responsibilities include the field service and help desk teams. She has been part of the call center of the future team at Alaska Airlines and was a board member for Help Desk Northwest for several years.

 
  High Touch Solutions

Corina Stretch

Case Study: The Top 10 Reports that Management Wants Monthly
Corina Stretch,
Puget Sound Energy

Identifying the correct reports can often be one of the most challenging undertakings that a company may be faced with.  Whether you are a large or a small organization reporting is definitely a way to identify strengths, trends, training curriculum and employee productivity. Many questions will be answered during this lively workshop such as: What information should be captured?  Who reviews the reports? Why are certain reports important for your company?  How often these reports should be reviewed and/or studied.

Benefits of attending:

  • Learn best practices from other companies.
  • Focus on the difference between Help desk and Call Center reports.
  • Understand why certain reports lack review or fizzle out.
  • Identify the right reports for your company.
  • Reduce unnecessary reports.

Take Away: 

Sample Best Practice Reports

Meet the Speaker:

Corina Stretch is a front line supervisor for Puget Sound Energy.   Her 19 years experience in the Customer Service department has gained her valuable insight and in depth knowledge in the utility and customer service business. Corina is also involved in process improvement and in keeping abreast of the many new technologies the Company has adopted.  She is an instrumental member in the day to day operations including PSE’s Service Level guidelines and department goals.

 Corina is also a certified speaker and trainer for PSE.  She has conducted numerous engaging training workshops and presentations.  She will certainly delight and entertain you through meaningful group discussions and best practices for all types of businesses.

 
 

Technological Solutions

Brenda Iniguez

Root Cause Analysis: How it Can Add Value to Your Organization
Brenda Iniguez, FrontRange Solutions

This session will teach and review not only the ITIL best practices of doing ITIL Root Cause Analysis (RCA) but also will look at some of the nuances and finesse tips for doing it as well. It will examine who beyond the formal Problem Management team should have an interest or a role in RCA, as well as who should see the RCA results ¡Ä how high should these be published in an organization? And finally this session will look at several dollar equation examples where effective RCA can and has positively affected organization's bottom line.

Four Key Learning Objectives:

  • What is ITIL best practices RCA?

  • Who all should be involved in full RCA work?

  • Who should see the complete RCA results? How frequently?

  • How does true RCA affect an organization's bottom line?

Meet the Speaker:

Brenda Iniguez is a seasoned IT Support Professional, with over 20 years proven experience in Fortune 100 companies, designing, building, consolidating, and managing their Enterprise Support Centers. In addition, she is ITIL Service Manager certified, and is well versed in the Service Management disciplines of Incident, Problem, Change, and Availability Management. Brenda is now Director with Pink Elephant, based in the SF Bay Area, leading Business Development for the Western US.

She is active in several professional groups, including founding member on the Board of Directors for HDP (Help Desk Professionals), active member of the itSMF National Conference Board, serving as Chairman Emeritus of the HDI Member Advisory Board for HDI-National, on the Board of Directors for the HDI Strategic Advisory Board, the Officers Board of the San Francisco HDI Chapter (Help Desk Institute), Conference Committee Boards for HDP, HDI, GCSC, ITSM, and itSMF. Brenda is an active speaker at national Support Conferences and has been quoted in leading industry trade journals (Computerworld, Technology World, Help Desk-Online, and IT Support News), and was selected by IT Support News as one of the Service 25 recipients; the leading 25 Support Professionals.

  Business Strategies

Daryl Covey

Today's Winning Practices and Tomorrow's Directions in Government Customer Support
Daryl Covey, NEXRAD

This interactive session will share the newest white paper on winning practices gleaned from this year's nominations for the Government Customer Support Excellence Awards.  You'll also learn about the new strategic Cgov model for 21st Century Government's customer care, which you can review in advance at www.fedhelpdesk.osf.noaa.gov.  Join us to learn more about Government's newest directions in supporting customers, and bring your own experiences and ideas to share!

What you will learn:

  • The most effective ways in which Federal, state, and local agencies are supporting their customers across contact channels today

  • Creative approaches to ensuring a high performance staff in a knowledge-centered culture of service

  • A global framework for supporting Government's customers in today's evolving public sector paradigm

Take Aways:

  • White paper, "Winning Practices in Government Customer Support"

  • The Cgov Model for excellence in public sector customer support

Meet the Speaker:

Daryl Covey manages the NEXRAD Hotline, which supports a global network of advanced Doppler weather radars for the U. S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Transportation.  During his tenure the Hotline staff has been recognized with a variety of awards for excellence in customer support.

Daryl facilitates the Cgov community of practice, edits the monthly Cgov eNews, serves periodically as an invited advisor to government agencies on customer support, and has been interviewed for articles on public sector customer support.  He recently served as co-chair and primary facilitator for the federal Citizen Service Level Interagency Committee.  Daryl is a graduate of the Universities of Oklahoma and Wisconsin as well as the Federal Executive Institute.

 
  11:00 - 11:15

 BREAK

  11:15 - 12:15 Lessons on Leadership

Kevin Osborne

Ivy Meadors

How to Communicate Effectively Across Generations

Kevin Osborne, Bellevue Community College Student

Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

Each generation is inspired, motivated, and skilled in unique ways. How we communicate, lead, and build loyalty within our support teams has become a greater challenge then ever before. With Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and the incoming Millennials, today’s workplace is rapidly growing in diversity.

Join Kevin Osborne, a millennial, and Ivy Meadors, a baby boomer, in this highly interactive session as they discuss and compare issues, skill sets and communication styles most important to their own generation.

  • Gain understanding of the similarities and differences of each generation and how they work together best

  • Increase communication and productivity in a multigenerational workplace

  • Build an adaptable leadership strategy

  • Learn effective ways to collaborate across generations

  • Build employee loyalty across multiple generations

Meet the Speakers:

Kevin Osborne is a sophomore at Bellevue Community College. He has spoken on the topic of Millennials in the spring of 2006 at Starbucks Headquarters as part of a panel discussion with Ivy Meadors. Kevin is a recipient of numerous high school awards including the Principle’s Award, Gold Community Service Award, National Honor Society, and the Rotary Student of the Month. He has been a part-time Parks and Recreational Customer Service Clerk at the Community Center at Mercer View for the last year. Kevin is currently working towards a bachelor’s in International Relations/Chinese.

Ivy Meadors is CEO and founder of High Tech High Touch Solutions. Speaker-consultant, Ivy Meadors, has over 30 years of experience in call centers and help desks. Thirty years in the industry means being very experienced at being a baby-boomer.

 
 
  Technological Solutions

Sheryl Kingstone

Consumerization of the Enterprise and the Impact on IT
Sheryl Kingstone, Yankee Group

On average, 60% of IT spending goes towards “keeping the lights on” and system maintenance.  In some cases, that spend can be upwards of 90%, limiting the investment in new, more innovative projects.  Increasingly complex infrastructure, customized applications requiring costly maintenance and support, escalating energy costs and governance, risk management and compliance constraints have proven preventative to true IT transformation in most cases. The concepts of web 2.0, based a user-centric approach, have the ability to uniquely combine contextual information with transactional data making applications easier to use by line of business.

This session will review:

  • The future of enterprise software and its impact on IT

  • How to embrace consumer-based technologies while also maintaining compliance

  • New service delivery models –and a shift in dollars toward more strategic development

Meet the Speaker:

Sheryl is the director of Yankee Group’s Enterprise Research group with an expertise in customer centric strategies. Kingstone’s research helps business improve sales effectiveness, customer loyalty and acquisition. Specifically, she helps enterprise clients make decisions regarding the use of technology, business process and information to boost sales and optimize top-line business performance. She also assists vendors with custom research projects, messaging and positioning, as well as product road map evaluations. Kingstone researches and writes on the top trends in marketing and sales effectiveness and customer-centric processes, and evaluates all CRM application and delivery strategies.

Kingstone is a well-known industry analyst in the CRM market, with more than 18 years in the high-technology market. She has extensive speaking experience at conferences and seminars, is quoted in many business and industry journals and provides notable consulting experience with Fortune 1000 companies. Before joining Yankee Group, she consulted with a number of enterprise software companies in the areas of B2B e-commerce, CRM, e-services and internet infrastructure on company and product positioning, acquisitions and IPO strategies for Blanc & Otus. Prior to this, she worked at DataMirror and Praxis International, launching market making new products in the enterprise data replication, transformation and database software market.

As a recognized thought leader in the CRM space, Kingstone was awarded the 2006 CRM Influential Leaders Award and was also the first female to be inducted in the CRM Hall of Fame. She is also an advisor to variety of organizations and a judge on many annual awards.

  Business Strategies

Brandon Caudle

Case Study:  We Keep You Smiling! - Inside the Delta Dental Support Center
Brandon Caudle, Delta Dental

Delta Dental's internal support is spearheaded by a small team of IT professionals. The 'round the clock service this select group provides is what keeps Delta Dental fully functioning. This includes its sales force, call centers and claims processing units. Drill down into the Support Center and walk through its people, the processes and technology. Find out how Delta leverages all resources to put a smile on their employees' faces. This case study will show the evolution of the team, including both the people and the processes by which they keep an entire corporation happy and productive.

Attendees will depart with a deeper understanding of:

  • How to Upgrade from Help Desk 1.0 to Support Center 5.7 and Above

  • Best Practices for Customer Service

  • Team Building for Small Cubicle-bound Groups

  • Recognizing and Rewarding Employees on a Shoestring Budget

Takeaways:

Attendees will leave the presentation with thought provoking ideas and suggestions for evolving a good workplace into a great one.

Meet the Speaker:

Brandon Caudle is the Support Center Manager for Delta Dental of California. His hands-on approach and "customers first" attitude have led to increased efficiency and higher morale all around. Brandon’s straight forward manner and sense of humor are both evident in his Idea Rich presentations.

  12:15 - 1:00

 NETWORKING LUNCHEON

  1:00 - 2:00 Lessons on Leadership

Michael Callahan

10 Best Practices for Improving the Quality and Supportability of Products and Services You Use and Support
Michael Callahan, Microsoft

As closely aligned as product development and support organizations are supposed to be, it often feels like these two teams each speak a language the other doesn’t know.  Learning to speak the language of the developer can completely change the quality of your products, and the value your team represents to your company.

Contrary to what most product development organizations believe, software doesn’t end the day it arrives on a customer’s desktop. That’s the day it begins. Once a product or service is released, the cost of fixing an issue can be up to seventy times more expensive than it would have been to fix it prior to release.

In this session, you’ll discover how to transform your customer support team from an incident-driven, post-release, tactical group into a strategy-driven team of visionaries helping to build better products and services by influencing the way developers think about their code and their customers.

What you will learn:

  • How to ensure that you align support requests with top reasons for customer dissatisfaction and churn

  • Techniques to reduce support incidents and improve product quality by creating a robust top incident list that measures volume, criticality, product reputation score and competitive analysis

  • Ways to establish your team as a “moral authority” representing customers in such a compelling way, you’ll be sought out for your advice and feedback

  • How to resolve emerging issues more quickly by creating a dynamic communications model between your customers, your agents and your product team

Take Away:

Each attendee will receive a 6-month calendar which outlines immediate, short- and long-term activities designed to change the way you think about the products you support and the way you support them.

Meet the Speaker:

Michael Callahan is an award-winning playwright, published author, speaker, and the lead supportability program manager for Microsoft Corporation’s Windows Live Mail technologies. As the customer advocate for 300 million customers speaking two dozen languages in more than 30 countries, Michael has dramatically improved customer satisfaction while reducing costs and improving product quality through innovative programs and solutions. Michael was one of 20 recipients of the 2006 “Great People, Great Performances” awards at Microsoft. 

 
  High Touch Solutions

Madeline Svendsen

Leadership, Personality and Performance – The Secret to Unleashing Human Potential,
Madeline Svendsen, SCI, Inc.

There are some management challenges that technology and process improvement cannot solve.  Yet, these are the areas where most customer support or IT managers tend to focus, often neglecting development of your greatest resource - human potential.  Thus, basic to the success of any leadership endeavor is the ability to effectively relate to others.  This requires insight into human behavior and has many implications; managers can predict and shape behavior in such a way that inspires positive team communication, collaboration, and creativity from which flow the natural by-products of innovative business solutions and outstanding customer service.  To guide you on this path, you will become acquainted with the four basic personality types.  You will discover your own type and leadership qualities.  Using the Keirsey type indicator and hands-on exercise, you will see how types complement or conflict, and how as a manager you can channel strengths, motivate, resolve conflict and have fun.

Benefits of Attending:

  • As a manager, if you have been frustrated, wondering why people do what they do and how to work with “problem” personalities – wonder no more. You will be equipped to meet the challenge!
  • You will learn the language and style of each type to reduce conflict and enhance communication
  • You will gain insight into your leadership strengths and potential blind spots
  • You will learn how to develop strategies for dynamic team collaboration
  • You will acquire tools to guide you in motivating each type

Take Away:

The Keirsey Sorter with personality profile descriptions

Meet the Speaker:

Madeline Martinez-Svendsen is a Principal of SCInc., and has over 15 years experience in training and consulting.  She has provided executive and professional placement services to customer support centers, specializing in Information Technology, Finance and Accounting.  She is the former Executive Director of Diversity for the Salt Lake City chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she spearheaded the Diversity initiative.  She has spoken at various IT industry conferences and colleges, and has sat on the board of “Projects With Industry” to prepare individuals with disabilities for employment in the technical industry. She holds a BS in Computer Information Systems Management and holds various industry certifications.

  Technological Solutions & Business Strategies

Eric Rabinowitz

Process Olympics - (This specific session brought back by popular demand.)
Eric Rabinowitz, DEMA Education

Energy, fun, competition, teamwork, goal setting, exceeding your goals, importance of process, and process improvement all in one 40 minute Exercise?  Impossible you say?  I guarantee it!  This is the Process Olympics.  Imagine as your participants are asked to compete in an Olympic event against teams from around the world.  Can they beat the time of teams from Canada, Japan, New York and Mexico?  Participants are first told the four “golden” rules.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Everything starts with “a participant” and ends with “a participant”.
  • You must touch ball one, followed by ball two, followed by ball three.
  • You must keep the pattern.
  • The only person that does not need to touch one, followed by two, followed by three is “the participant” because everything starts with “the participant” and ends with “the participant”.

Using the Olympic methodology of practice, trials and going for the gold teams are challenged to improve their time through the exercise by improving the process.

Eric Rabinowitz, certified trainer and internationally recognized motivator will lead the exercise.  Mr. Rabinowitz developed the process Olympics and has facilitated the “Process Olympics” well over 100 times with groups of all sizes.

This experience will be remembered long after your meeting is over, and the lessons learned will be used by your managers and staff as a metaphor for success.

Meet the Speaker:

Eric Rabinowitz is the CEO of Dema Education, and has been a recognized leader in the Help Desk industry since 1989.  He created the first Help Desk analyst-training program and was a key contributor to several industry career development programs. Mr. Rabinowitz led a group of subject matter experts from around the world and developed a new Help Desk Team Lead standard.  He also co-authored a technical support team leadership class curriculum. He has appeared on television and radio as an advocate for the support industry and has contributed to several magazines and books.  Mr. Rabinowitz has also been featured in several articles on help desk related topics in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and a cover story in INC Magazine. Mr. Rabinowitz is an industry leading Instructor and an Instructor Trainer as well as a much sought after speaker.

 
  2:00 - 2:10

 BREAK

  2:10 - 3:10 Lessons on Leadership & High Touch Solutions

Michele Borboa

Communicating Workforce Management Information to Executives
Michele Borboa, Contact Center Resources

Workforce Management professionals are presenting to senior management on a wide variety of topics more frequently now than ever before.  For some, this represents a new skill set and a new challenge:  figuring how to explain WFM issues to executives.  If it seems like there is a communication gap between WFM and the executive suite at your company, you are not alone.  In this presentation, this former VP of Workforce Management at a Fortune 250 corporation provides insight and solutions to address that gap, so that Workforce Management staff can feel more confident and Operations VPs can get the information they need. 

 Benefits of attending:

  • Understand the role/perspective of today’s executive
  • Hear feedback from interviews with contact center executives on how they like to see WFM information presented and what leaves them wanting
  • Identify common pitfalls in presenting to executives
  • Get tips for successful WFM presentations

Take Away:

Sample report and presentation formats for various scenarios

Meet the Speaker:

In almost 25 years in contact centers, Michele Borboa’s work has repeatedly brought her back to the Workforce Management function.  She started as an Agent at AT&T, moving through a variety of other roles, including her first WFM assignment.  Her role as VP of Workforce Management came after an eight year period of consulting, to which she has recently returned.  Michele is an Advisory Board member for the Society of Workforce Planning Professionals, and has been a frequent presenter at SWPP conferences.  She is a Certified Workforce Planning Professional and holds a BBA from the University of Michigan.

 
 
  Business Strategies

Bill Price

The Best Service is No Service
Bill Price, Driva Solutions

Why do we continue to “cope with demand” from our customers who need to interrupt their lives to call or email or in other ways contact us for support?  Why can’t we make everything work so well that customers do not need to contact us or at least can obtain complete support from self-service or from proactive alerts?

In this session, Driva Solutions’ Founder & President Bill Price will share “secrets from Amazon” where he was its first Global VP of Customer Service, now put in place by companies all over the world and in verticals far from online retail, in “The Best Service is No Service”.  

You will learn:

  • How to challenge demand instead of merely coping with it
  • How to create engaging self-service and timely proactive alerts to deflect contacts
  • How to quantify benefits to your company, your agent, and most importantly to your customers

Meet the Speaker:

President, Driva Solutions, and first Global VP of Customer Service, Amazon.com Bill Price was named one of the first wave of “Call Center Pioneers” in 1997 and has continued to innovate since then. Bill has over 26 years in the services business starting with strategic consulting with McKinsey & Company, CFO for a start-up IVR service bureau, VP & General Manager for four business units at MCI, and then almost 3 years as Amazon’s first Global VP of Customer Service. Since leaving Amazon in late 2001 to form Driva Solutions, Bill and his team have served more than 50 clients in the US, UK, Thailand, Japan, and Australia.

 
 

3:20 - 4:00

 Closing Session: How to Apply Your New Found Knowledge from the Conference give-aways and Much More.
This is not your typical closing so be sure to stay until the very end.

 

Register now

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