I would like to thank the SOCAP International Board and the entire SOCAP membership for the honor and privilege to serve as your new President. Recently, I celebrated my three-month anniversary at SOCAP. This period has been marked by great change and opportunity for the Association and allows us to reflect and learn from our past successes and challenges and to focus more strategically on the present and future opportunities. I believe that SOCAP’s future is incredibly bright and I am proud to be part of the team that will lead SOCAP International to even greater prosperity and growth.

SOCAP International has a rich tradition built on a solid foundation of loyal members. The enthusiasm, support and camaraderie among SOCAP members are palpable. I felt it from my first day. It came through the warm welcome I received to SOCAP via emails from so many of you in this room or the heartfelt greetings I have received throughout this meeting. There is a special energy that is uniquely SOCAP and is nothing short of magic. This is at the heart of the SOCAP experience and the tradition of what it means to be a member of our Association… Read More

SOCAP International presented its Chapter Leadership Awards to deserving chapters at the recent SOCAP Annual Conference in Toronto. Winners were selected by SOCAP’s Chapter Relations Committee. The following chapters received awards:

The Ohio chapter won the Chapter Retention Award for achieving an impressive 83% retention rate for its members.

• The Southwest Regional chapter won the Chapter Newsletter Award for its in-depth Southwest Express newsletter.
  
• The New York Metro chapter won the Chapter Outstanding Program Award for its Consumer Affairs Awareness Program, which was covered by the local primetime evening news.


• The Greater Philadelphia chapter won the Chapter Innovation/Creativity Award for its SOCAP Mini-Symposium, which provided local members with educational highlights from the SOCAP 2006 Symposium in Washington, D.C.

• Mary Levy (D.C. chapter) – In her more than 20 years as a SOCAP member, Mary Levy has served on the editorial boards for both Mobius and CRM. She has also served on the Chapter Relations Committee and the SOCAP Board of Directors. A current member of the Conference Committee, Mary was instrumental in the success of the 2006 SOCAP Symposium in Washington, D.C.

• Tracy Parmly (Georgia chapter) –Tracy Parmly joined SOCAP International last September and soon became Event Coordinator for her Chapter. Tracy plans events, handles all chapter communications (including email communications), keeps track of registrations and sends event follow-up information.

• Karen Brill (Minnesota chapter) – As a Program Chair and member of the Membership Committee for more than three years, Karen Brill has consistently provided entertaining and educational speakers for chapter meetings. She has also implemented innovative ways to attract new participants, thereby generating opportunities for increasing membership.

• Karen Vaughn (Northwest Regional chapter) – As President-Elect, Karen Vaughn was instrumental in the 2005 expansion and rebuilding of the Northwest Regional Chapter. As President, she has maintained a far-reaching chapter supporting three major metro areas—San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. An excellent communicator and leader, Karen keeps the entire chapter engaged, and she enthusiastically pushes members to think of innovative ways to grow the chapter.

• Erik Thomas (Southwest Regional chapter) – Erik Thomas has been on the Southwest Regional Board of Directors and has contributed to the chapter’s technology forum. For the past two years, he has produced the chapter’s award-winning newsletter, the "Southwest Express.” The newsletter not only gives members with valuable information, but it also provides links to chapter surveys that allow members to offer direct feedback.

Congratulations to all of our winners! To learn how your chapter can participate in SOCAP’s Chapter Leadership and STARS Award programs, please visit the chapter awards page for details.

Motivation, networking and “super-fantastic” ideas were the hallmarks of SOCAP International’s 2006 Annual Conference held in Toronto. The three-day conference included keynote presentations from top industry speakers who both inspired and challenged conference attendees, breakout sessions that addressed critical areas of the customer care industry and the release of two new SOCAP research publications.

This year’s Annual Conference included a new format that integrated the breakout sessions between the general sessions. The breakout sessions were organized around the following themes: consumer experience, contact center operations, data capture and analysis and liability and risk. Sessions were facilitated by leading experts from business and industry.

During the general sessions, attendees were encouraged to stay focused and professionally active by the keynote speakers. Leading author and business consultant, Barbara Sanfilippo, opened the conference with helpful tips for how attendees could be strategic and savvy in their roles as customer care professionals. Former game show host, Bob Eubanks, shared some of his memorable experiences from “The Newlywed Game” to show attendees how to deal with people. Leadership expert and “Mr. Super-Fantastic”, Keith Harrell, delivered an inspiring, humorous and high energy talk on maintaining a positive attitude in personal and business situations.

The Annual Conference also included an international general session panel on customer care with representatives from Canada, Mexico, France and Brazil. TARP Worldwide made a presentation for the closing general session on two new SOCAP research publications—an industry benchmarking study and sourcing report. Industry network sessions and SANG meetings were held on the last day of the meeting.

The conference social finale—which was kept a secret until the last day of the meeting—was an evening at Casa Loma, a medieval-style castle in Toronto built in the early 1900’s. Conference attendees, including exhibitors, speakers and sponsors enjoyed extensive networking opportunities in Monte Carlo themed setting.

Overall, the SOCAP Annual Conference was a tremendous success. Photos from the event are now available on the SOCAP website.

SOCAP International recently welcomed three new Board Members at its Annual Business Meeting held during the Annual Conference in Toronto. Jeff Hagen of General Mills, Felicia Rinehimer of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Information Center and Mike Wilke of Wilke Thornton will take office as Board Directors on January 1, 2007.

Jeff Hagen has served as Director, Consumer Services at General Mills for the past eleven years. He is responsible for the oversight of three contact centers that respond to inquiries from consumers and food-service customers. He is also responsible for the technologies employed to support these centers and the reporting/analysis of consumer contact information gathered during these interactions. Prior to joining General Mills, Jeff was Vice President and General Manager of the Teleservices and Direct Response businesses of Gage Marketing Group, providing outsourced complex customer service and fulfillment services to many major companies. Jeff also served in a variety of roles with Carlson Companies. He is currently a member of the SOCAP Publications Committee and the Executive SANG Steering Committee.

Felicia F. Rinehimer has held the position of Director, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Information Center for the past 5 years. Her prior experiences include a career in customer service and logistics. Felicia began her career as a sales representative for the Personal Products Company of J&J. She has held positions as manufacturing supervisor, sales forecasting analyst, customer service supervisor, and national operations project manager. Creating some of the first cross-functional Operations teams, Felicia assisted in the launch of four critical new product lines, which established Personal Products Company as a leader in the highly competitive Sanitary Protection business. Her recent accomplishments include completing a successful restructuring followed by a co-sourcing initiative within the J&J Consumer Products call center. She served as a panelist at the 2005 SOCAP Annual Conference.

Mike Wilke is president and founder of Wilke-Thornton, Inc.—a global provider of Consumer Relationship System (CRS) solutions. For more than 20 years, Wilke/Thornton has been a pioneer and innovator of software for Consumer Affairs contact centers. A dedicated SOCAP International supporter since 1986, Mike is a frequent presenter at SOCAP events and was a key sponsor of the SOCAP Contact Center Maturity Model designed to improve the industry. A graduate of The Ohio State University (BA in Russian) and of OSU Fisher Graduate School of Business (MBA), Mike resides in Dublin, Ohio.

Are you in-sourcing your contact center when you should be co-sourcing? What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing? Answers to these important and timely questions can be found in the new SOCAP International publication, Sourcing the Contact Center.

This new SOCAP study, conducted by TARP Worldwide, examines contact center best practices, and looks objectively at the advantages and disadvantages of each sourcing solution. Additionally, the publication provides a scorecard to help you analyze your contact center against the key factors used in making optimal sourcing decisions. Whether your company is already outsourcing or just considering this practice, this new study provides extended detail on how to select and work productively with outsourcers, and how to backsource successfully.

Sourcing the Contact Center is an outstanding resource for finding the best sourcing solution for your contact center’s unique needs. To purchase this new SOCAP report, visit the SOCAP website. The cost for SOCAP members is $95.

Mark your calendars for SOCAP International’s 2007 Symposium, scheduled for April 15-18 at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

Building on the success of SOCAP’s recent Annual Conference in Toronto, the 2007 Symposium will include focused sessions on the role of customer care in business strategy. Speakers from a variety of industries will be featured. Thanks to attendee feedback from the Annual Conference, SOCAP also plans integrate new and creative ideas into the 2007 Symposium.

From The Best Offense Requires a Good Defense: Even the Best Executed Recall Still Requires an Effective Defense Against Potential Future Claims

By Melanie J. Gilbert, Esq.

Given the relatively low consumer response to recalls, it is not hard to imagine that future injuries or illnesses could arise through continued use of the recalled product. Recalled food could be consumed, causing illness; recalled auto parts could break, explode or otherwise malfunction, causing injury. In fact, potential legal claims may rear their ugly heads as much as six years into the future, depending on the individual state’s statute of limitations and other factors. If plaintiffs' attorneys, representing claimants of these post-recall claims, call the recall process into question, the recalling company may find itself reliving the recall by having to justify its actions and explain why the recall was reasonable and effective.

Therefore, consumer products companies of all kinds should be mindful of the potential legal exposure that looms for a period of time after a recall otherwise appears to be “over.” Some tips that may prove useful in this regard are listed below…

Have a question about your membership? Want to know how to join a SOCAP Committee or a SANG? Need an extra copy of CRM Magazine? Contact the SOCAP staff for assistance. We’re here to serve you! Office phone number: 703.519.3700.

Office of the President
Major responsibilities: The President manages the day-to-day operations of SOCAP International.

Matthew D’Uva – President - - x10

Education and Publications
Major Responsibilities: This department handles SOCAP’s Member Services, which includes conferences, publications and research. The department also manages the SANGs, product/service development, the SOCAP website, and the Resource Center.

Marjorie Bynum, Director – - x13
Cindy Collins Smith, Publications Coordinator – - x20
Jojuana Lawson-Wilkins, Membership & Conference Assistant – - x16

Marketing and Membership
Major Responsibilities: This department SOCAP membership recruitment, renewal campaigns, chapter relations activities, and marketing/advertising. The department also manages sponsorships and exhibits for SOCAP conferences.

Azelia Cutts, Director - - x12
Jojuana Lawson-Wilkins, Membership & Conference Assistant – - x16

Administration
Major Responsibilities: This department handles SOCAP membership payments, account receivables, personnel benefits and payroll. The department also processes event registrations and manages the SOCAP database and network.

Jean Dolecki , Director – - x15
Lygia D’Sa, Assistant Office Manager – - x0
Ron Leffler, IT Specialist – - x17