1) Clinic for Contact Center Supervisors: Best Practices
All of us are convinced that effective supervision is a mission-critical practice for every contact center. Done right, it is one of the best ways to improve a call center's performance. The goal of this seminar is to present practical and proven solutions in several areas of contact center supervision:

• Best practices in applicant aptitude testing
  
• Applicant screening methods
  
• Minimizing agent turnover
  
• Centralizing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
  
• Maximizing agent assistance and minimizing cost
  
• Performance compensation to retain customers and agents
  
• Performance metrics for agents
  
• Workforce optimization practices
  
• Effective and efficient call monitoring and scoring
  
• Caller service recovery training

2) The "Training Makeover" Clinic
Most firms would love to have the time and resources to review their training for new hires and tenured staff and to update it so front-line staff is the best it can be for 2006 and beyond. This highly interactive and productive seminar is your opportunity with no extra budget required.

• Measurement Facelift So It's Coachable and Fair
  Front-line staff will mostly do what they are measured on. Discover the latest in quality scorecards and learn four ways to give yours a facelift so it's easier for coaches to use to develop agents. Bring yours and leave with some adjustments you can implement no matter which automated or manual scoring system you currently use.
  
• Workout for Content and Activities that Create "Model Behavior"
  Map specific training activities that ensure your CSRs demonstrate the key behaviors demanded by your quality initiative or any other expectations. Bring your outline for new hire training or any other programs you want to work on and use this time to perfect it.
  
• Timed-Release Delivery Methods that Enhance Competence
  Share how different firms mix delivery methods to ensure knowledge transfer. You will get the opportunity to decide how much e-learning is right for your group, how to integrate any self-paced lessons and the hottest ways to make even systems training faster and more useful. Role-play techniques and simulations will be used.
  
• Maintaining Long-Term Competence and Excellence
  Ensure that key learning points from any training program are reinforced by supervisors and peer mentors during 20-minute team meetings and "fly-by" coaching games. Bring your most difficult content and leave with a plan for the ideal activity you can hand out to your coaches including how to diagnose the knowledge gap, how to re-train the content, and how to debrief the activity to ensure agents know how to improve.
  Speaker: Ronna Caras

  3)Survey Design for Maximum Application: Online Survey Best Practices Workshop
  Learn all there is to know about online surveys as a research methodology, including dos and don'ts of online survey design, fielding, analysis and reporting. Several hands-on breakout group sessions with practical exercises will be used. Some topics include:
  

  • Online surveys in a customer service setting: benefits and uses
    
  • Optimizing your online survey program: from defining clear, realistic business objectives to optimal reporting for all your stakeholders
    
  • Effective online survey design
    
    • Deciding what information is needed/desired
      
    • Getting objective, actionable data
      
    • Writing good survey questions
      
    • Leveraging different question types/structures
      
    • Avoiding instrumentation and response 'bias'
      
    • Using scales and response lists
    
    
  • Survey frequency and audience management
    
  • International surveys - what to look out for
    
  • Customer satisfaction and balanced scorecards
    
  • Case studies will be used to demonstrate implementation of positive change strategies from survey results
  
  Speakers: John Reh and Jim Mantell, NetReflector, Inc.

  4) Emerging Strategies in Customer Communication
  Anyone returning from Europe remarks how much more advanced these continents are when it comes to adapting to the mobile lifestyles of its citizens. Wireless communications technology is pretty much the same as in the U.S. but those overseas are far more creative when it comes to useful applications. Over 84 percent of Americans over the age of 13 have cell phones with text messaging capability. Over 90 percent have used the Internet or email. In the former Soviet Union, the numbers are higher. Emerging strategies in customer communications will focus on inbound toll-free numbers even as more enterprises use outbound calling to enhance customer databases. As we evolve to the mindset that all customers are underperforming assets that need to be managed more effectively and efficiently, then all forms of communication must be integrated into a seamless CRM strategy.
  

  • During this session, we will:
    
  • Examine what is being done internationally
    
  • Discuss some successes in the United States
    
  • Talk about SMS text messaging, its advantages and liabilities
    
  • Explore ways to expand the communication methods available
    
  • Learn the advantages of permission-based communication
    
  • Explore brand expansion through multiplexed communication
  
  Speaker: Gary Szasz, CellMinder

OPTIONAL AFTERNOON CALL CENTER TOURS:

• California State Automobile Association


• LifeScan

As a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems for home and hospital use, LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson Company is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes with our OneTouch Brand Products. Since 1981 LifeScan has been caring for customers with an infrastructure built on state of the art systems and technologies. Handling in excess of 4000 calls daily, operating 24 x7, our highly trained OneTouch Customer Advocates capture inbound complaints, respond to general inquiries and support marketing programs. Additionally, a specialized group of Technical Service Representatives perform account sales to hospitals and long term care facilities. Our Customer Care Center supports product lines for both institutional business and consumer personal use. Some of the tools used by our OneTouch Customer Advocates include Siebel eMedical, Knowlagent elearning, Blue Pumpkin workforce management, Aspect Call Center and CMI, Aspect IVR, Verint Auto Quality, and more. Our tour will include an overview of these systems, future enhancements and an insight into LifeScan business. As a Johnson & Johnson World Wide company, we value our customers, thereby putting a great deal of time and effort into our very successful business continuity initiative. LifeScan welcomes your attendance and looks forward to this opportunity.