The SOCAP 2007 Annual Conference, held last month in Palm Springs, CA from October 7–10, addressed some of today’s hottest business topics and offered attendees new sessions focused on professional development.

Keynote Speakers
The conference keynote speakers included leading business experts in the areas of building business relationships, diversity, customer service and consumer-generated media. Keith Ferrazzi of Ferrazzi Greenlight kicked off the Annual Conference with an inspiring talk on the value of building effective relationships in business as a way to grow revenue. Leading author Robert Spector talked about Nordstrom as the "gold standard in customer service" in his keynote address. Lenora Billings-Harris gave a data-rich keynote presentation on the growing multicultural consumer market and its impact on business. Finally, Pete Blackshaw of Nielsen Buzzmetrics closed the Annual Conference with his keynote talk on consumer-generated media as one of the fastest growing media types and how this consumer-driven media is "rewriting the rules of brand credibility" for companies.

Breakout Sessions
The breakout sessions at the Annual Conference included some new topics and presenting companies. Linnea Johnson of Unilever presented to a packed room on "The Marriage of Consumer Services and Marketing: Adding Value from Consumer Insights." In his session, "Managing Employees to Give Customers the Experience They Want Every Time," Scott Ackermann of eHarmony showed how his company is achieving optimal results in getting employees to embrace eHarmony’s mission and to deliver effective customer care. For companies deciding whether or not to outsource their operations, the session "To Outsource or Not to Outsource" presented by Elizabeth Tanis of Sara Lee Corporation offered helpful insights into the factors that need to be considered.

The conference sessions also included companies from the automotive sector. Sherry Hayes of Honda presented on the topic, "Building Brand Loyalty within the Your Contact Center." Sean Hudson of Toyota Motor Sales talked about customer advocacy in his session, "The Scion Approach to Building Customer Advocacy."

In addition, this year’s Annual Conference tackled other hot issues like the ways businesses are going “green” and the importance of social responsibility. Charissa McAfee of Waste Management addressed emerging green business practices in her session "Engaging Employees and Customers on the 'Green' Issue" and talked about why this topic is becoming increasingly important to all businesses today. Susan Kirby of Kirby Marketing Solutions discussed social marketing and corporate social responsibility as a growing area of interest in the business world in her session, “Can Doing Good Within Your Company Build Customer Advocates?”

Professional Development Sessions
A new element at the SOCAP Annual Conference was a series of sessions focused on professional development. These special sessions were longer in length than the other breakout sessions and covered the following skills: business writing/communication, developing customer service surveys, project management and leadership development. The professional development sessions were sponsored by the Kellogg Company.

Video clips of some of the Annual Conference sessions will soon be available on the SOCAP website. To learn more about all of the sessions offered at the Symposium, visit the SOCAP website.

SOCAP received an impressive response to its recent online evaluation survey of the 2007 Annual Conference held last month in Palm Springs, CA. Nearly 50% of the conference attendees responded to the evaluation.

According to the survey results, the SOCAP Annual Conference exceeded the expectations of 77% of respondents, with 26% of these attendees rating the conference as "well above expectations."

Other major survey findings:

• 74% of respondents indicated that Annual Conference speakers exceeded their expectations.
• 93% of respondents said they found Conference content to be relevant, practical and informative.
• 95% of respondents learned things at the Annual Conference that they could take back to their companies.
• 95% of respondents would recommend the Annual Conference to colleagues.
• 87% of respondents said they plan to attend the 2008 Annual Conference.
• 74% indicated that the Annual Conference was either a good or an excellent value for the money.

The job functions of respondents ranged from top-level executives to frontline agents and included first-time attendees as well as seasoned attendees with 10 or more years of participating in SOCAP conferences. Additionally, respondents were primarily corporate members but also included vendors, university staff and government employees.

Are you interested in reading what respondents liked most about the 2007 Annual Conference? Take a look at these actual comments from conference attendees.

Are you interested in serving on a SOCAP Committee or volunteering with a SOCAP chapter? If you answered “yes” and are interested in getting more involved, then please take a moment to complete SOCAP’s Volunteer Survey. Committees for 2008 are currently being formed, so get involved with a SOCAP Committee or chapter today!

Beth Thomas-Kim, Director of Consumer Services at Nestlé, was elected as the new 2008 Board Chairman at the Annual Business Meeting during the SOCAP Annual Conference. Beth has been a SOCAP member for 11 years. She has been involved in SOCAP at both the chapter and national levels.

In her message at the Annual Business Meeting, Beth discussed the impact SOCAP has had in her personal and professional lives—and the opportunities SOCAP offers to all members who take advantage of the networking and resources available. Read Beth's 2008 Chairman's Message from this meeting.

Congratulations to the following chapters for receiving 2007 Chapter Achievement Awards at the SOCAP Annual Conference:

Membership Achievement Award
Winners: Philadelphia and Wisconsin Chapters.

The Membership Achievement Award acknowledges chapter membership growth and retention. The criterion is the highest retention percentage of members based on the least number of non-renewing members from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007.

Chapter Newsletter Award
Winner:The Heartland Chapter for its April 2007 newsletter, which included "Meet a Member" and "Meet the Board" sections to connect with the membership.

The Chapter Newsletter Award acknowledges achievements in publishing a chapter newsletter. The entries for this award were judged on educational content, communication techniques, encouraging participation in local and national events and most importantly, innovation and creativity.

Outstanding Program Award
Winner:The Georgia Chapter for its March 15, 2007 Meeting "Tips from the Top." The Question-and-Answer panel, facilitated by Kimberly Boyer of Coca-Cola, featured Linda Pell of the Kellogg Company, Cathy Dial of Frito-Lay, Jeff Hagen of General Mill, Linnea Johnson of Unilever and Cheryl Holtzen of Omaha Steaks.

The Oustanding Program Award acknowledges chapter achievements in conducting programs and educational opportunities for members locally. The winning program offered the greatest value to members in terms of education, practical application and professional development.

Innovation/Creativity Award
Winner: The Southwest Regional Chapter for its "SOCAP SRC and ATA West Coast Chapter Annual Meeting and Holiday Luncheon."

The Innovation/Creativity Award acknowledges any activity or publication produced by a chapter that represents remarkable creativity or innovation. The entries for this award were judged on communication techniques, innovation and creativity that inspires other chapters and is worthy of national recognition.

STAR Awards

Read about the contributions of the 2007 STAR Award winners in the descriptions submitted by these outstanding individuals’ chapters:

Wade Hauser—Georgia Chapter
Georgia Chapter President Wade Hauser has worked tirelessly for the Chapter since becoming a member in 2002. His every decision has the chapter’s best interest at heart. He serves as a leader, mentor and friend to every member of the Georgia Chapter. Wade is the chapter’s biggest cheerleader—always singing the praises of SOCAP and advocating the benefits of being a member of the organization.

Dawn Kirspel—New York Metro Chapter
Dawn Kirspel, Secretary of the New York Metro Chapter, has been a member for four years. She is known for her quiet manner and willingness to give the time and effort to take on extra duties whenever needed. Dawn has made many contributions to the success of the New York Metro Chapter, and Dawn’s peers would like to recognize her for her contributions.

David Poeschl—Wisconsin Chapter
David Poeschl serves as Student Liaison for the Wisconsin Chapter and has been a member for four years. David is known by his peers as someone who is always professional in his demeanor, and responsive to the needs of the Chapter. David has done outstanding work on the chapter’s website and on developing an efficient registration! He has also done a tremendous job in helping the chapter improve how it communicates SOCAP to members and non-members. These accomplishments have contributed to meaningful meetings and the success of the chapter.

Dave Smith—Northwest Chapter
As Vice President of Membership, Dave Smith has been a member for two years. Dave has shown a willingness to roll up his sleeves and support membership growth in a variety of ways, such as maintaining and improving the chapter’s prospect database, setting up an event attendee tracking system that is more sales focused and coordinating logistics for the Seattle and Portland chapter events. Dave is always willing to do phone campaigns and leverage his network to increase attendance at events. He has personally spoken with every member in the Northwest Chapter! Dave has been instrumental in helping set the stage for membership growth, and SOCAP appreciates his commitment and hard work.

Rita Wood—Southwest Chapter
Rita Wood currently serves as the Southwest Chapter’s Treasurer, Nominating Committee Chair and member of the Newsletter Committee. Rita Wood has been a member for over 10 years and her company, Network Direct, is known as the hub of the Southwest Regional Chapter. Rita’s office has become the administrative arm of the chapter and consistently volunteers staff members to help with chapter events in every way possible.

Dana Allender—Ohio Chapter
A member since 2002, Dana Allender maintained the functions of the Ohio chapter in 2006 with little to no assistance. This year, Dana has been instrumental in planning chapter activities, offering best practices and creating excitement about SOCAP in an effort to recruit new members. Dana has held every office within the Ohio Chapter over the course of the past three years and is currently the chair of the Chapter Relations Committee Nominee. The Ohio Chapter would like to recognize Dana for his commitment and enthusiasm.

Did you have a favorite experience at the 2007 SOCAP Annual Conference in Palm Springs, CA?

Did you hear a fabulous speaker or gain a new idea at a session that will improve your business or move your career forward?

If so, then send an email to socap@socap.org and share your favorite conference experience with SOCAP. Responses will appear in next month’s Update Newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Georgia Chapter Participates in Silent Auction Charity Event

The Georgia Chapter of SOCAP is teaming up with the Georgia Chapter of ICSA (International Customer Service Association), the Southeast Chapter of ATA (American Teleserversices Association), the Georgia Chapter of CRMA (Customer Relationship Management Association) and the HDI (Help Desk Institute) to participate in a silent auction for the SafeHouse Outreach.

This should be a fun evening with the leading customer-focused professional associations in Atlanta. Attendees will be able to meet and network with the leading service professionals from some of the best companies in the world. Members and friends of the associations can attend at no cost, but should bring a gift valued at $25–$50 to put on the auction tables.

Attendees should RSVP with name, email, phone number to roccacall@aol.com by November 30.

Thursday, December 6
6:00–8:00 pm
Assurant Solutions
260 Interstate North Circle, SE
Atlanta, GA 30339-2210
(770) 763-1000

Don't forget to take a moment to review your membership record for the 2008 Membership Directory.

Please submit your updated member record to SOCAP by Friday, November 16, 2007. Your updated member record will be included in the 2008 print directory as well as the online directory.

If you have any questions about accessing your member record, please contact the SOCAP National Office.

Q: I am a new SOCAP member. How can I take advantage of my SOCAP membership benefits?

A. The value of your SOCAP membership can be measured in terms of what SOCAP does to strengthen and support your professional growth. Participation is also key to reaping the benefits of your SOCAP membership. There are four major areas where you can realize the SOCAP value proposition: networking, education, online resources and volunteering.

• Networking
  Peer-to-peer interaction can not only help you develop great contacts, but it can also advance your career and build long lasting professional relationships. Through your SOCAP membership, you can participate in Special Affinity Networking Groups (SANGs) for Food & Beverage and/or Executives, which provide tremendous opportunities to receive peer-generated information on relevant business topics 24/7. Additionally, SOCAP national meetings, including our Spring Symposium and Annual Conference, allow you to network with your peers from across the globe and to meet SOCAP business partners in our exhibit hall. Attendance at local SOCAP chapter events also provides more intimate networking opportunities.
  -
• Online Resources
  The SOCAP website offers a range of valuable online resources for members, including Update Newsletter ,articles from CRM Magazine, the Membership Directory, research studies and the SANG listservs. Accessing these resources will help you find answers to questions and generate new ideas that will make you stand out in the workplace as a customer care expert.
  -
• Education
  Through your SOCAP membership, you have access to different types of educational resources that can advance your career. The sessions at the SOCAP national conferences as well as at regional chapter events offer best practices, strategies and ideas on the most timely and relevant business issues facing today’s customer care professional. SOCAP’s CRM Magazine also provides great information on the latest trends and practices in customer care.
  -
• Volunteering
  There are many volunteer opportunities available through your SOCAP membership. You can volunteer for a SOCAP Committee, write an article for CRM Magazine or Update Newsletter, and/ or volunteer with your local SOCAP Chapter.