Breakout Sessions
Customer Service: From Bad to Better to Branded
• Martha Brooke, Interaction Metrics
• Patrice Bryon, ProFunds Group
• Jason Rosser, Abercrombie & Fitch
Developing a concise and consistent brand message is no longer restricted to the advertising department. Learn from top industry and branding experts on how to recognize the value that on-brand customer service communication can generate. This session will show you how to achieve branded customer service calls and emails using a three-part process. Through some high-impact group exercises, this session will show you how to craft messages on calls that can be used to condense your brand into a few simple statements that stick in your customer's head.
Weathering the Economic Storm: Maximizing the Value of Your Customer Care Center
• Jason Clement, Nike
• John Stieger, Procter & Gamble
• Susan Baranowsky, Campbell Soup Company
In today's economic environment, businesses are asking all functions and departments to increase their contribution to the bottom line. Panelists from Nike, Procter & Gamble and Campbell Soup Company will share their advice and experience in driving the value of their consumer care groups in a tough economy. You will hear about the strategies and initiatives they have used to create value through reducing costs and creating benefits.
Driving Value from the Voice of the Consumer
• Matt Cohen, Clarabridge—Moderator
• Christine Andrews, Walmart
• Chris Jones, Intuit
• Michael House, Maritz
• Trevor Croop, Gaylord Hotels
As the amount of consumer feedback increases on the Web and the constant stream of calls and letters continues flooding in, the need for accurate, credible and strong customer care analysis is more important than ever. Making decisions based on the wealth of information generated by the Voice of the Consumer can be daunting, but the right decisions will lead to more customer loyalty and better operational performance. In this session, panelists from several leading companies will discuss how Customer Experience Management (CEM) powered by Text Analytics can be used to gain deeper insights into consumer attitudes. Session participants will also learn how to drive actionable insights to improve customer satisfaction and lower costs despite the current economic climate.
Motivating & Retaining Agents in a Down Economy
• Patrick O'Shea, Comerica Bank
• Jennifer LaFrance, McCormick & Company
• Jack Sullivan, Unilever
• Jeanne Jones, ConAgra Foods
What do you do when your budget has been cut and you are still being asked to attract, retain and motivate high quality agents? The answer lies in the ability to structure your contact center as a self-development, career-path-oriented environment where continued learning is valued at a premium. This session will walk you through that process and explore best practices for hiring employees with the vision and skills needed to promote excellence.
From Production to Process to Culture: Evolving your Customer Experience
• John Goodman, TARP Worldwide
• Lynn Holmgren, Whirlpool Corporation
• Matthew Sanders, Hyatt
Everyone aspires to achieve a customer focused culture but tends to be stuck in the day to day production mentality of getting the phones answered and "making the numbers". This panel will give you specific steps to build measurable processes that lead to creation of a procustomer bias that even the CFO will support. By taking a look at the complete journey from getting the "buy in" of your staff to the long term relationships that result with your customers, there is no denying that customer service is a culture and that to be truly successful, processes/procedures need to support and enhance as well as nurture that culture.
Online Customer Service Evolved: Leveraging Next Generation Self-Service, Intelligent Chat and Specialized Representatives to Optimize Customer Engagement
• Lori Angalich, Astute Solutions—Moderator
• Linnea Johnson, Unilever
• Lisa Taubler, Scotts Miracle-Gro
• Susan Thompson, RE/MAX International
Today's cross-channel customer has more options than ever when it comes to contacting consumer centers. Fortunately for customers and companies alike, technology has evolved to support a rich, engaging and seamless experience as consumers move between these channels. Join this session for a look into the next generation of self-service, including optimization of virtual agents, management of e-reps and other cost-cutting technologies that are transforming the face of Consumer Affairs.
Taking Your Customer Experience to the Next Level
• Martin Hand, Continental Airlines
What does it take to move the customer experience at your company to the next level? Learn how Continental Airlines delivers value to its customers and discover ways that you can create a similar customer experiences within your company. This session will include practical insights and strategies for helping you take your customer experience to the next level!
Professional Development Sessions:
Facilitating Effective Meetings
• Jane K. Cleland, Author
The power of conducting clear, efficient and impressionable meetings will be covered in this interactive session. Discussions will focus on result-oriented process models for in-person, telephone, video conference and Web-based meetings. Participants will also learn the most effective ways to use visual aids, team-building activities and written material to create actionable results.
Breakthrough Performance: Doing More with Less
• Dr. Richard Chua, Juran Institute
In the face of change and financial uncertainty, customer care departments are relentlessly being pressed to do more with less and to improve overall quality. In this session, you will learn about various operational excellence methodologies and tools to help you to solve problems, reduce variation and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and services. Practical, easy-to-implement strategies will be thoroughly mapped out by the experts who are making them work and are achieving breakthrough business results.
Get Linked to LinkedIn
• Sarah Meenach, Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
• Andy Begnoche, HOLDCOM
With the growing influence of social media for engaging with today's consumers, it is more important than ever for customer care professionals to have a solid understanding of key social media tools. LinkedIn is one such tool that can help professionals in their work. Bring your laptop to this interactive workshop and learn how to develop and maintain online profiles customized specifically for consumer affairs professionals. Tips, tricks and best practices will be taught for beginners and advanced users alike.