Canadian Call Management Association
The Boost
February, 2020
President's Message
Garrett Bidewell
Hey everyone, and thanks for taking the time to read through this second CAM-X Boost of the new decade! I hope you’ve been able to take some time over the holidays to refresh with friends and family, pull together some fresh new ideas for your business, and have had a good start to the new year.
Here in Alberta we’ve had a pretty challenging month for weather, with almost two weeks of temperature near -40 degrees! Elsewhere there’s been crazy snowfalls, freezing rain, near-hurricane winds, and more - what a way to welcome the new year!
It’s important all year round, but especially vital during the winter to make sure your mental health, and the mental health of your team is optimal. CAM-X has many resources for mental health - with educational sessions that have happened in January along with upcoming sessions on coping strategies in February.
The Award of Excellence program has now officially launched with registrations closed for 2020, and I wish everyone the best of luck this year. Don’t forget that you can still register for AOE Plus keep an eye out for registration for this year’s AOD campaign coming soon.
Don’t forget to register for COACH U this year, as right now we’re working to finalize the schedule and program - and it’s looking exciting! Be on the lookout for more details in coming months.
With it being a leap year, you’ve got one extra day this February to do with whatever you wish. I challenge you to take this extra day to learn something brand new. I’ve been studying botany recently as a hobby, and it’s been an extremely rewarding experience and a great way to unwind.
All the best, Garrett
Garrett Bidewell
Membership Development Committee Report
Leslie Wilson
Respectfully submitted by Leslie Wilson & Garrett Bidewell
Freezing weather, blizzards, rain and ice. After all of the crazy weather pounds its way through, the Sun still shines in the end. That is what we do. Amongst the craziness of it all, in the end we shine.
Darlene Sitz of Mid-State Communications is our Member Spotlight this month. She has shone for 32 years doing what she loves. Helping those that need it and taking on a challenge when she sees the need. Having 10 siblings confirms the fight and desire she has to succeed.
Who or what characteristics made you the success you are today? Why do you get up every day and come to work? Please get in touch with me directly to leslie@teleconnectservices.ca and tell me your story. We all have a story, what is yours?
The Spotlight is for anyone; owners, senior management, operations team at any level, sales staff, programmers, supervisors and agents. We want to throw open the doors and make introductions that strengthen the connections within the industry! We want to get to know YOU!
One day an email may show up with some questions for you to answer so that when we all show up in Kingston, ON for the CAM-X annual Tradeshow and Convention in 2020, we will know more about the friends among us.
Convention Committee
Report
Brad French
Convention 2020 Kingston
Respectfully submitted by Brad French, Convention Chair
Hello Everyone, the 2020 Convention committee has put together an incredible agenda so far. Topics include:
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Employee Engagement
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Clarity with Coaching
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The Flip Side of Failing
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Remote Operator Hiring and Training
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Strategic Planning
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Technology Panel
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Operator Compensation
With speakers Sarah McVanel, Jen Gaumond, Garrett Bidewell, Tom Reandeau, Sydney Ryan, Cindy Roma, Jamey Hopper, Gordon Mott, Kathy Patterson and Scott Lyons to name a few!
Kingston is located in the middle of Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Syracuse. We are a short drive from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo and Syracuse and approximately a 6 hour drive from New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit. Lots of ways to get here including direct flight to Kingston via Toronto, flying into Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa or Syracuse and driving from there or fly into Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa and take the train to Kingston on VIA Rail. https://www.viarail.ca/ It is a great way to travel!
The convention committee looks forward to seeing you there. The 2020 convention will be September 30th to October 2nd in Kingston Ontario. Mark your calendars as this is one convention you will not want to miss!
Two Grey Suits
As a Manager, You Must Know How to Provide Feedback
This article is part of the TwoGreySuits Managing Employee Performance Series and is offered by our partner, TwoGreySuits as a service to our members.
Knowing how to provide feedback to employees is a MUST HAVE skill in being a good people manager!
When well done, it builds solid relationships based on candor and integrity. On the other hand, poorly expressed feedback will demotivate others and make for bad business and strained relationships.
Feedback is a stated observation/perception of another’s conduct or performance. It should be given with the same introspection and care in which it is to be received.
The message must be delivered in a thoughtful and well balanced manner (you control this) and received in a similar mature way (you don’t control this). Consider that the ‘real’ message received is based on 3 factors: 7% on what is said; secondly, 43% on how it is delivered; and thirdly, 50% on body language as interpreted by the recipient. These guidelines will help you give proper feedback:
• Get the facts – first, do your homework. Ask questions to get the facts, get the right facts and get the facts right. Be open to new information, for, if you have partial information you will predictably give inaccurate feedback. You will then look bad.
• Know who you are dealing with – Assess how the other person will react and tailor your message and method of delivery to that person. Generally, give positives in public and negatives in private; however, break this guideline if the person gets embarrassed easily and prefers these types of conversations to be done privately.
• Give them the feedback FIRST - The recipient of feedback deserves respect and courtesy – especially if the feedback is about something that went wrong. If you talk about someone behind their back and then, if they hear gossip from another person, you become the executive ‘weasel’ whose leadership role has now been compromised.
• Do it face-to-face – Particularly if feedback deals with criticism, mature adults deal with tough situations face-to-face, not by impersonal emails or by phone. Give it in person - this also lets you see the person’s reaction, thereby ensuring that the appropriate message has been received.
• Do it fast – People affected by important information need to hear it quickly – whether it is good or bad news. Few things are worse that waiting in suspense and feeling you are being controlled by someone. Once all facts are on the table, people are more relaxed and it is easier to deal with virtually any situation.
• Deliver the message in balance – Try to sandwich the positive and negative messages. This is all about balance, not manipulation, e.g., you could discuss a person’s positive intentions, critique a specific situation that did not work out, and then express confidence that you believe in them and that you see they are motivated to get better results next time.
• Do it with tact – Be direct and be sensitive. Give feedback on a person’s actions/issues, not on their personality. Never assault their personality. If you need inspiration for this, think of your own worst experience, that is, when you were on the receiving end of a poorly delivered feedback that didn't sit well with you.
• Keep cool - Discuss things professionally. If you find yourself being hooked into a mental or emotional battle, ask questions for clarification. Or, if someone is ‘losing it’, take a breather. Buy some time - things said in anger rarely turn out positively.
There are certain truths that endure: People want to be important, want to matter and be valuable. They crave self-esteem. By what people say and do, one message they regularly deliver is: “… notice me … I count! ...”.
Effective feedback is a gift that will make most people in most companies more successful. While your gift to them costs you just a little time, recipients say that receiving it is priceless!
To login as a user: camx.twogreysuits.com
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Password 10XMAC
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If you are not currently signed up, please email me directly linda@camx.ca
The TGS System is a one-of-a-kind product that includes:
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The HR Power Centre for dealing with the day-to-day people management issues that inevitably arise
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24/7 HR Hot Line
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Topical regular Blogs suitable for reprinting by the Association members
CAM-X UPDATE
Respectfully submitted by Linda Osip
Award Committee Update:
Registration open for the 2020 CAM-X Call Centre Award of Distinction
Details: https://www.camx.ca/awards
Education Committee Update:
Webinar schedule: all webinar recordings are available
January 8 - Perfect Call – Training with Leslie Wilson
January 22 - Part One: Psychologist Larry Martichenko will delve into the employee perspective: What employees are saying, what upsets them, why they go on stress leave
January 29 - Part Two: HR specialist Julie Holden will deal with HR practices and Mental Health Perspectives
February 5 - Part Three: Larry Martichenko and Leisa McDonald will tie everything together focusing on the Telephone Answering Service industry bringing both management and company perspective
This is a series you don’t want to miss!
Specially priced at: 125.00 per connection for all 3 webinars (you can still sign up)
February 26 – Coping Skills with Pat Vos
March 11 – Hiring, Motivating and Retaining Good Staff with Gloria Tonne
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST (all webinars)
CPET – Pre Employment Software
DEMO Available contact: linda@camx.ca
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Hire with confidence!! CAM-X pre-employment testing software provides an effective means to filter unsuitable applicants and reduce your overall hiring costs while testing for relevant skills necessary to succeed within our industry.
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Six Sections:
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Alphanumeric
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Reading Comprehension
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Spelling & Grammar
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Timezone
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Typing Test
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Audio / Comprehension, Message Taking and Call Handling
Show your staff they are worthy:
CSR and Supervisor Certification
Pre Employment Testing Demo Available
Contact linda@camx.ca for instructions
Member Spotlight
Darlene Sitz
Member Spotlight – Darlene Sitz of Mid-State Communications
Q. When did you join Mid State Communications and what brought you into the call center industry?
A. I never applied to work in the answering service industry, I was recruited when I went to visit a friend that worked @ Schklar Communications. I have never regretted a day and always loved to help people and I talk a lot so working in a call center was perfect for me.
I began in Answering Service in 1987 for Schklar Communications and we answered for our owner Mark Waters business.
Q. Can you tell us a little more about the evolution of your career path with Mid-State Communications?
A. Schklar sold their business in 1992 and Mark Waters decided to open his own call center to accommodate his Home Health Care and Medical Equipment Companies of 45 Offices.
Mark purchased the Local Tullahoma Answering Service and asked if I would work for him and we began in a tiny office with 75 accounts and one operator per shift 24/7.
We soon grew out of our small office and moved into our own building in Manchester TN.
We continued to grow our services by referrals from current customers. Mark turned the answering service over to his wife Alice and she built our company to what it is today with over 650 accounts.
Q. What was your first CAM-X experience?
A. Alice Waters, owner of Mid State Communications returned from an industry meeting nine years ago and presented the AOE program to us and this is how we began. We looked at the Award Of Excellence programs with ATSI & CAMX in our company and after studying the criteria the first year we gave our current staff a list of the criteria to study and we tested them verbally and written until we were confident we could follow the criteria.
Our first year was 2010 and we did well, we had 100% WOW on seven of our ten test calls so were excited and ready to make the testing part of our culture. Our trainer implemented the criteria into our training manual and taught new hires accordingly and Quality Control followed up with new hires every week.
We benefit from participating in the Award of Excellence programs because it makes us better at what we do and offer as an answering service. Our awards are proudly displayed in our Reception area and on our Website for all to see as they enter our company.
Our company has grown from a ONE seat 75 customer answering service to a new state of the art office with over 650 accounts and 40 agent stations plus eight remotes in numerous states from ten years ago.
Q. What platform do you use? Are you a member of a user group and why?
A. We are on Startel platform 13.1 and preparing to progress to 15.1 within the next few months.
We are members of Startel National Users Group (SNUG), Association of Teleservices International (ATSI), Canadian Call Management Association (CAMX).
Q. Tell us a little personal background about you, your family and your hobbies or interests
A. I have a huge family of 10 siblings this year was my 32nd year in answering service overall. I started out as an operator and learned every avenue of the answering service from how it was wired from the basement to the computers.
My hobbies are spoiling my 50+ nieces and nephews and I am an avid University Of Tennessee Vols fan, football, softball and basketball.
I have always helped co-workers from training them to answering calls myself for the first five years and gradually was promoted to Operations Manager in 1992, I have remained as Operations Mgr. for the past 27 years and hope to retire as Ops. Mgr.
The AOE definitely requires our team to work together and this is how we became successful.