People Management
If you're responsible for managing people in the contact center, this track is where you'll find the ideas and resources you need to improve. We'll tackle the tough issues of retention, stress, and attendance, give you insights on coaching and selling, and set your supervisors up for success.
Session 101
How These Award-Winning Centers Create Powerful Cultures
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 602/603
Session Level: All
Rhonda Manski, Brenda McCord, Rich Van Meter, Sandy Winfield, Sarah Stealey Reed
High-performance cultures boost morale, employee engagement, customer satisfaction and loyalty, and business results. Come meet the ICMI 2012 Global Call Center of the Year Award finalists as they share how their centers create and use culture to drive path-breaking performance. You’ll get a first-hand glimpse into their perspectives on the responsibilities of leadership, the role of incentive programs, and whom to partner with internally in order to drive a successful culture. Don’t miss your chance to learn the inside secrets of these exceptional organizations!
Session 106
Transforming Agent Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 612
Session Level: All
John Wolf
Technology has changed customer interactions and while many organizations focus on the customer experience, improvements can be difficult to attain. This practical session challenges you to take a more holistic look at your center, and devise a better approach. You will learn how to prepare your agents to interact with your customers, and how to empower them with knowledge to represent your brand and positively influence the customer experience.
Session 201
Cultivating a Culture That Delivers Superior Results
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 602/603
Session Level: All
Dianne Durkin
How is it that some companies have emerged stronger than ever from recent economic turbulence? A big part of the answer is that they deepened engagement with employees, which fostered cultures that drive reliability, responsibility and accountability. Dianne Durkin will share how the US manufacturing facility for IKEA increased customer satisfaction by 21%, service revenue by 30%, and grew total revenue from $385,000 to $8.1 million, by creating the right culture. You’ll learn the steps and leadership behaviors that produce self-directed, creative, and innovative employees.
Session 205
Tackling the Five Hidden Causes of Poor Customer Service
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 609
Session Level: All
Jeff Toister
Do your employees deliver consistent, exceptional customer service? Unfortunately, in some organizations, far too many continue to fall short of their potential – even with significant training and coaching. Based on extensive research, Jeff Toister reveals five of the hidden, unusual, and even counterintuitive causes of poor customer service. Through a series of experiential activities, you will examine each obstacle in a way that’s both fun and revealing. More importantly, you’ll learn to create solutions for overcoming these challenges in your organization.
Session 301
The Ten Commandments for Writing to Customers
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 602/603
Session Level: All
Leslie O'Flahavan
Whether the vehicle is a letter, e-mail, live chat, or social media, ensuring the quality of written communications is a challenge faced in many contact centers. This session presents the Ten Commandments for Writing to Customers – no matter which channel you’re using. For example, learn how to write to support #3: “Thou shalt build rapport with the customer;” and find out how to avoid problems with #8: “Thou shalt use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.” Discover ways to distinguish between minor problems that don’t affect communication quality and those that harm first contact resolution, loyalty, and sales.
Session 303
How Electrolux Empowered Service Agents with Sales Skills
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 607
Session Level: All
Anne Slough, Jane Pearson-Wray
Expanding the role of frontline service providers to include sales skills can dramatically enhance their value to your organization and customers. But the learning curve can be steep. In this session, you’ll discover how Electrolux’s Appliance Contact Center successfully implemented a sales strategy, along with best practices to apply and pitfalls to avoid. You’ll gain an understanding of how to define the sales role, empower your agents with the confidence and skills they need, and take the steps necessary to drive more revenue for your organization.
Session 305
The Insiders’ Guide to Managing Today’s Multi-Generational Workforce
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 609
Session Level: All
Dan Hammelman, Ivy Meadors
Gen X, Gen Y, and Baby Boomers, oh my! Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before, and leaders are held accountable for employee engagement and results. Join two seasoned pros, Dan Hammelman and Ivy Meadors as they delve into recruiting, hiring, and retaining the modern day employee. They will explore situational management and
dealing with difficult personalities, and offer ways to engage your team through individual development plans, advanced training and education. Learn how to become an employer of choice for all of today’s working generations!
Session 401
Building an Efficient & High Performing Team
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 602/603
Session Level: All
Dina Vance
To build a high performance team, you need to hire, train and manage your people correctly. In this dynamic session, Dina Vance will share proven strategies to manage your employees – and build their ability to manage others. Improve your ability to select the “right” people for your center by utilizing situational interviewing techniques, and discover how to enhance your training initiatives by empowering your staff with judgment-at-work skills – allowing them to make better decisions and perform at higher levels.
Session 501
Training on a Shoestring: What Would MacGyver Do?
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 602/603
Session Level: All
Justin Robbins
MacGyver once said, “stay out of trouble, keep the expenses down, and don’t get killed.” For many training departments, this could become a personal credo. If you’re looking for fresh ideas and resources that can be implemented immediately, this session is for you. Engage in activities, brainstorming, and the sharing of best practices as you discover training concepts that others have accomplished at little or no cost. Be prepared to get “hands on” as you transform mundane materials into memorable learning experiences!
Session 505
Unleashing Motivation Through Meaningful Rewards and Recognition
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 609
Session Level: All
Patti Albright
Customer service week isn’t the only time of the year to acknowledge your employees! To keep your team motivated
throughout the year requires a meaningful rewards and recognition program that is understood and embraced by your
entire team. In this session, Patti Albright will outline the “who, what, where, why, when, and how” that will enable you to design a methodology and approach that works in your environment. Bring your ideas to share, and leave with clarity on the next steps for your program.
Operations Management
We’ve emphasized the “how to” in these critical operations topics so you can return home with actionable ideas for making immediate improvements to your contact center. Results are what you need, and this track will show you exactly how to achieve them in your own operation.
Session 102
Proactive Metrics That Boost First Call Resolution & Contact Prevention
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 606
Session Level: All
John Goodman, Janet Bailey
Are your metrics actually hurting your service? By some estimates, more than 80 percent of centers waste resources producing and reporting metrics that drive counterproductive behaviors. Identify the most common mistakes made as a result of unwittingly focusing on the wrong things – and how to put the right approach in place. Plus, get a practical, inside look at how Starbucks implemented a strategy that harnesses the right metrics and drives positive behavior. You will leave
excited and ready to craft a new approach to metrics that will improve first call resolution in your center!
Session 105
Contact Center Operations Management 101
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 609
Session Level: Beginner
Rose Polchin
Sharpen your working knowledge of the seven key operational dynamics in the customer contact environment: the unique
characteristics of contact centers; the link between resources and results; the relationship between service level and quality; how accessibility impacts productivity; schedule needs versus base staff requirements; staffing and telecom issues; and, the increasing demands on agents. Whether you’re new to contact centers or a seasoned pro, you’ll return ready and able to improve your operations, manage with confidence, and better meet the needs of your customers.
Session 202
Catastrophe Strikes ... And You Are Ready!
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 606
Session Level: All
Vickie Friece, Missy Zacks, Coreen Gaffney
Unexpected events – weather-related or otherwise – can have wide-ranging negative implications for your customers and teams. While most centers have a “recovery plan,” laying the groundwork to maintain satisfaction in the midst of chaos is imperative. This panel of seasoned pros from Hanover Insurance, Zions Bancorporation and GTA Travel will share hard-earned lessons in how they collaborate within their centers and across their organizations to prepare for the worst. They’ll reveal innovative approaches that will enable your center to exceed customer expectations, even when the chips are down.
Session 206
Mastering Agent Occupancy
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 612
Session Level: All
Tim Montgomery
Think you have nothing new to learn about agent occupancy? Think again! Although it’s one of the most important concepts for contact center managers to grasp and communicate, it’s also among the most misunderstood. Can you effectively explain why agents are just “sitting around”? Are you establishing and applying the right expectations? Drawn from real-world experience, this session will arm you with the tools necessary to ensure everyone understands the underlying principles of occupancy.
Session 302
Workforce Management for Multi-Channel Centers
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 606
Session Level: All
Tiffany LaReau
Is your organization adding another channel to the mix, even though you are barely keeping up with current workloads? Take heart! In this session Tiffany LaReau shares forecasting considerations for multiple contact avenues including email, web chat, social media, and live “walk-ups”. Learn how to overcome staffing impacts that are a result of introducing non-phone work, and walk away with a clear understanding of the effects these channels have on scheduling, occupancy rates, and agent workloads. You will return to your center with valuable tools and tips, to regain control in your center.
Session 306
How To Define the ROI of Your Quality Assurance Program
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 612
Session Level: All
Art Hall
So, you know the cost to run your contact center’s quality assurance function. But can you demonstrate the financial and operational impact? Learn how Voice of the Customer and first contact resolution scores enable you to calculate contact center ROI. Explore techniques for developing a customer-centric QA monitoring form, and learn a proven approach for designing a quality customer experience. Return to your center with the know-how to calculate and communicate quality assurance ROI!
Session 402
Cutting Costs ... the Right Way!
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 606
Session Level: Intermediate
Larry Eiser
Reducing costs does not need to be about arbitrary budget cuts and negative impacts on the customer; thoughtful cost
reduction can improve operational effectiveness and customer experience. Join this interactive discussion to learn practical approaches for streamlining costs and improving service. Discover ways to boost agent productivity, eliminate unnecessary contacts, make appropriate access strategy choices and rationalize overhead costs. And uncover tricks and traps to avoid, and the role investment should play in sustainable cost reductions.
Session 406
Which Service Metrics Are Right for Your Center?
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 612
Session Level: All
Gina Szabo
Managing a contact center can be difficult when you find yourself wading through an endless sea of data. By identifying the right metrics and harnessing your tools and resources, you have the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on your contact center, your customers, and your entire organization. This session will guide you through the process of evaluating and refining your existing performance measures. Discover how to ensure you
choose the RIGHT metrics to drive the RIGHT behaviors and desired RESULTS.
Session 502
Maximizing Service and Efficiency Through Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS)
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 606
Session Level: All
Greg Oxton
Solve it once, use it often – this is the promise of knowledgecentered support (KCS). Focusing on efficiently capturing and reusing the collective experience of an agent sounds like common sense, but instilling into operations can be challenging. In this session, Greg Oxton outlines an adoption model, based on member company experiences, that really works, and that maximizes the benefits of KCS. You’ll uncover their experiences, benefits realized, and lessons learned – information that you can use to implement your own KCS program.
Strategy and Leadership
If you’re ready to be inspired by fresh ideas on strategy and leadership, this is the track for you. We’ll delve into the “big picture” issues that keep you up at night, and provide insights into leading your team to success from the best in the business.
Session 103
Building a Better Customer Experience at Nationwide
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 607
Session Level: All
Martha Frye
In this inspiring case study, Nationwide Property & Casualty will share the strategy they used to literally transform associate engagement and customer enthusiasm. In point-by-point format, you’ll learn how Nationwide developed a roadmap based on Voice of the Customer data, created a culture of continuous improvement, and adopted new approaches to everything from screening and hiring to call segmentation and analytics. You’ll discover important details about the journey and identify key lessons learned; and, you’ll leave with a better understanding of the steps you can take in your own center to create great customer experiences.
Session 107
Making Work-at-Home Work for You
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 613/614
Session Level: All
Susan Hash, Scott Murphy, Michele Rowan, Seth Ettwein
The number of home-agent programs is increasing rapidly, and for good reason. A well-designed program offers substantial value in schedule flexibility, agent retention, expanded talent pools, business continuity and cost savings. But maximizing the effectiveness of an at-home program can be tricky. Never fear; this engaging panel of early adopters will share their secrets, including best practices, recommendations for success, and lessons they learned along the way. You’re sure to walk away with the guidance you need to launch and/or grow your center’s home-agent program with confidence.
Session 203
An Insider’s Look at Voice of the Customer Process
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 607
Session Level: All
John Goodman, Tara O'Dell
The inputs that make up Voice of the Customer data – surveys, complaints, monitoring, employee feedback, operations data, as well as input from sales, channels and social media – can be dizzying. So, how do you collate disparate data, and create one vision of the customer experience that enables you to establish rational priorities? Where does your team spend time focusing, and are they the right areas? In this practical case study, you’ll learn how a top organization developed a powerful Voice of the Customer (VOC) process that brought all of the pieces together to deliver dramatic results to the broader organization.
Session 207
Avoiding Cultural Pitfalls in a Global Economy
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 613/614
Session Level: All
Ben Paganelli, Susan Paganelli, Ted Stodolka
As national economies become increasingly global, it’s clear that cross-cultural differences – with both customers and associates – can derail effective business strategy. The contact center industry is particularly vulnerable to cross-national misunderstandings, due to the inherent lack of non-verbal cues. In this insightful session, Ted Stodolka shares his experience in breaking down cultural barriers at Marriott, and Susan and Ben Paganelli present methods for recognizing cultural differences and identifying communication break-downs. You’ll leave with the insight and comfort level you need to operate effectively across cultural divides.
Session 307
State of the Industry in Cloud Best Practices
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 613/614
Session Level: Intermediate
Bob Furniss
Creating a 360-degree view of the customer using CRM, Knowledge Management, CTI integration, Live Chat, and Social
Media Integration, today’s cloud solutions are the standard for many service and sales centers. In this engaging, best practices session, Bob Furniss will share case studies that provide insight into some of the top customer service companies in the world. Through “live-look-ins” and true screen-shots, discover new ways to engage customers and employees using the latest cloud technologies.
Session 403
How Sharp Rees-Stealy Supercharged Customer Engagement
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 607
Session Level: All
Kathy Hutchens, David McCann
In this compelling case study, Kathy Hutchens will describe Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Center’s multichannel, interactive approach to boosting customer engagement. The solution was easy, cost-effective, and attracted patients to become part of creating the ultimate care experience. You’ll see how the team garnered the support of senior-level leadership, and you’ll hear about the robust reporting capabilities they discovered, and the key lessons learned in design process.
Session 405
Unlocking the Competitive Advantage of Mentoring
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 609
Session Level: All
Ann Tardy
As retirement looms, many middle managers are being promoted for ... well, having a pulse and fogging a mirror. Too
often, individuals are promoted into leadership roles without the requisite development to ensure the organization’s success. Join Ann Tardy to discover the competitive advantage of mentoring as a leadership development tool. Practice engaging with Ann’s seven-step strategic framework for architecting smart mentoring initiatives, and discover the influences that will ensure that mentoring cultivates steadfast leadership at every level of the organization.
Session 503
How Farmers Insurance Transformed a Troubled Helpdesk
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 607
Session Level: Intermediate
Sally Pina
In this inspiring session, you’ll learn how Farmers Insurance transformed a troubled helpdesk into a high-performing unit, through the power of strong leadership. Learn how the leaders behind the story removed environmental obstacles to engagement, enabling the team to innovate and dramatically improve results. With candor and insight, Sally Pina will summarize the challenges Farmers faced, and describe how they achieved lasting performance improvement by creating the right vision, gaining buy-in from leaders, ensuring cooperation from agents, and implementing standard practices to improve performance.
Session 506
How Your Small Center Can Produce Big Results
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 612
Session Level: Beginner
Michael Sernoff, Sarah Stealey Reed
Although small- and medium-sized call centers frequently have fewer resources (both financial and human), limited resources does not need to mean limited results. To the contrary, the best small centers possess a nimbleness that their larger counterparts often lack. Gain a better understanding of these nuances and uncover ways to leverage
the innate agility you have, even without all the bells and whistles. Sarah Stealey and Michael Sernoff share techniques that enable you to quickly execute process improvements, infuse innovation, and delight customers. Learn to use your size as a competitive advantage!
Technology Management
The amazing array of bells and whistles in today’s technology is impressive – and overwhelming. This track will help you to understand what’s most important: how to use contact center technology to get the job done. These sessions range from selecting applications to using them, including how to coordinate across the organization.
Session 104
Innovative Approaches to Self-Service
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 608
Session Level: All
Lori Bocklund, Jacqueline Anderson, Scott Hickey, Justin Lemrow
Are you looking for ways to combat repetitive, low-complexity calls and make it easier for your customer to find answers? Join this rapid-fire, round robin panel discussion to hear how innovative approaches to self-service through IVR, Web, social, video and mobile – some in their infancy – are transforming agent interactions with customers and rocking the customer care space to its very core.
Session 204
Transforming Your IVR From Necessary Evil to Service Partner
Tuesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 608
Session Level: All
Joe Alwan
IVR systems have two main purposes: to provide a self-service option, and to route calls to the right place the first time. When IVRs fail, calls are misrouted, volumes increase and average handle time suffers. Increased calls and wasted agent time leave customers questioning your organization’s commitment to service excellence. In this session, Joe Alwan identifies key metrics for IVR performance management, benchmarking, and governance. Turn your IVR from a necessary evil to a helpful partner in delivering great service.
Session 304
Small Call Center Success: Creative Solutions at Abbott Vascular & DePaul University
Wednesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 608
Session Level: All
Larry Eiser, Dorian Anid, Susan Leigh, Tamara Taylor
Empowered by ICMI conferences and online resources, Abbott Vascular and DePaul University share how they applied the knowledge they gained to achieve big success in their small centers! In this session, you will see the steps Abbott Vascular took to create a 360-degree view of the customer and how DePaul University developed a call recording tool for critical planning and proof of concept. You will leave inspired by their success and ready to implement your conference takeaways!
Session 404
How to Select Your Next Contact Center Solution
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 608
Session Level: All
Lori Bocklund
Are you in the market for innovative ways to satisfy business objectives with effective solutions? Increasing sales, customer satisfaction and productivity might be your ultimate goals, but with so many choices, the search for the right technology can be daunting and downright confusing. In this session, you’ll learn a step-by-step approach to define your contact center requirements and find the optimal vendors and solutions. You’ll leave with useful tips to minimize risks in today’s market as you pursue your next great thing.
Session 407
Implementing Knowledge Management for Improved Service
Wednesday, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: 613/614
Session Level: All
Julie Mohr
Knowledge is dynamic. It has a lifecycle, and must be structured to provide consistency. Discover ways you can
manage knowledge as a product of your contact center and create a foundation for self-service. Understand the challenges of knowledge management while gaining a practical understanding of integrating, capturing, structuring and reusing knowledge through the case management process. Learn ways to improve efficiency and service effectiveness that will boost satisfaction in your contact center!
Session 504
Putting Analytics into Action
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 608
Session Level: All
Dee Kohler, Joe Alwan, Jessica Kaufman
ACD and IVR reports, Workforce Management forecasts and schedules, Quality Monitoring scorecards, CRM outcomes and more. The contact center has a multitude of data and reports – no issue there – but mature centers are ready to turn the information into insight and action with analytics. They want to work with other departments that impact the end-to-end customer experience to optimize processes, systems, training, and more. In this panel discussion, discover technology that will improve the way you capture, analyze, and share insights to truly make a difference for your company, your center, and your customers.
Session 507
Providing Stellar Service Across Multiple Channels
Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Room: 613/614
Session Level: All
Joe Bannon, Gerry Barber
Exceeding your customers’ expectations can be a challenge in one channel, let alone many. So, how can you optimize multi-channel interactions? Hear how your peers are leveraging today’s technology to truly deliver on the multi-channel promise. Our panelists (who are eager for your questions!) will cover topics such as multi-channel routing and reports, performance tools, cross-channel analytics, and co-browsing technologies that can improve your customer’s experience, whatever channel they choose.