Canadian Call Management Association
The Boost
August, 2020
President's Message
Garrett Bidewell
Respectfully submitted: Garrett Bidewell, President
I can honestly say that this summer is none that I can ever remember. Wow, the changes in people's perceptions of reality are amazing, business on the other hand is going well, Seemingly we are coming out of this lock down of business and we are starting to see a big uptick in call volume and accounts coming back. I hope that you all are experiencing growth and or stability.
We are only 2 months away from our first virtual conference, Every week I am hearing about new technologies and how they will affect my business. I think, as I have in the past that replacing the human in our interactions is going to be a huge hurdle, if it ever happens. eg. Self Driving cars, needing to have a “just in case” person ready and willing to take over if the car can’t do the job. I think our industry is very similar. I have also heard of some really cool R & D within the AI world that increases behavioural models that provide real-time agent guidance during interactions, creating higher customer experiences while reducing training and onboarding.
We have a great lineup of speakers, Our Keynote speaker ( Sarah McNVanel) is going to Rock, our AI Panel is turning out to be amazing and with employee engagement as a focus there is sure to be a wide range of useful takeaways.
Make sure to register early! this is going to be exciting!!
On a personal level, I am finding these two podcasts to be extremely fulfilling, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Recently he interviewed Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has made numerous important contributions to the fields of brain development, brain plasticity, and neural regeneration and repair. They were discussing the Ability to learn in the best way possible. Being awake ( focused on duration-path-outcome), locking in the learned through the entering into a deep sleep or cycle that the brain is not doing duration-path-outcome,very interesting. You would need to listen to it yourself to fully understand what they were talking about. Additionally Bret Weinstein and the Dark Horse Podcast is another huge insight. Videos about adaptive evolution, good governance, the breakdown of civil discourse and subsequent mayhem at Evergreen and other college campuses, and about the emerging Coalition of the Reasonable. Extremely informative.
Books I am currently reading are The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt. It is really revealing of the current education system. As yo might know, I have three young children and I am personally worried about the long lasting effects of social media and the impacts that it is having on the young minds of today. Additionally I am reading The Ancestors Tale by Richard Dawkins, which was explained to me as a great educational book about evolution and ancient DNA. I’ve only read a few pages but what I have read so far is very interesting. The third book is more of an encyclopedia of plants and prorogation, which is really my hobby. I feel that plants or gardening can teach you so much about life, patience, hard work and reward.
Hope to see you all in October, Stay safe and in good health!
Garrett Bidewell.
Garrett Bidewell
Membership Development Committee Report
Leslie Wilson
Respectfully submitted by Leslie Wilson & Garrett Bidewell
Here we are coming into August. The meaning of August is “Respected and Impressive” “Strength of Character and Imagination” I think we can all say that after everything we have come through and may still be facing we can all find our Centre’s relating to August. Respect for each other and all of those under your employ. The impressive response to change and hitting it head on. The strength that it has taken everyone to deal with each situation as it arises and the imagination it has taken to adapt and over come the obstacles in front of us. It makes us proud to be part of such a grand organization.
Back in 2015 Hector with Your Answer Solution Center had the Strength and Imagination to start up a company that would support our Call Centre’s so we can focus on Sales and Growth. Staffing can be hard. Finding the right fit within your organization has its ups and downs. Your Answer Solution Center is here to help. Please join me in reading more about Hector with Your Answer Solution Center as our Member Spotlight.
Agents, Sales staff, Managers, Owners, no matter what our position, we are all successful. What made you successful? Why do you get up every day and work in the company you are in? 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; agents, supervisors, programmers, sales staff, management and business owners. We want to throw open the doors and make introductions that strengthen the connections within the industry! We want to get to know YOU!
Convention Committee
Report
Brad French
Virtual Convention 2020
Respectfully submitted by Brad French, Convention Chair
As you can see from the list serve our convention Agenda has been filled with great speakers covering an array of topics from motivating a remote workforce, driving behaviour through bonus plans, sales, virtual networking, automated intelligence, global new reality panel as well as the Awards program.
I would like to thank Scott Lyons from Extend Communications for sponsoring our keynote speaker Sarah McVanel. For those that have not registered I would highly recommend registering team members for this session alone! The price point makes it affordable and it will be an incredible learning experience for all levels in your company.
Desiree Bombenon has also put together an incredible line up of tech panelist for our Global New Reality Panel. This will be a highlight of the convention as we examine what trends and technology we will see in the future that will dramatically change our business landscapes. You do not want to miss this one either!
On top of this we will have Paul Leblanc, a serial entrepreneur and marketer discussing the importance of “Finding Your Why” in business and how it will accelerate your growth and attract top talent. I have had a few Zoom meetings with Paul and I know we will get many take a ways from his presentation.
I encourage you to register today at https://www.camx.ca/2020-conference . While it will not be our usual convention, I do believe the content will knock your socks off! Our convention committee has worked hard to put a good agenda together that you will not want to miss.
I know between three people in my PEG group that we have already registered 40 people for convention. Don’t miss out and book right away as Zoom meetings only allow for so many participants!
I look forward to seeing everyone virtually!
CAM-X UPDATE
Respectfully submitted by Linda Osip
COACH U is going Virtual
We are holding a Virtual COACH U for 2020 September 17 & 18
Program to include:
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Networking Breakout rooms with a wide variety of timely topics
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Gamification
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On-Line Learning Platforms
All sessions will be interactive with a focus on learning while attending.
AWARD TIP OF THE MONTH reminder
Regionalisms and Slang and other stuff! This is a big one!
This applies to both the CAM-X and ATSI Award of Excellence program
While call centres across North America are all targeting quality service, what’s quality in what part of the world is often times different than in another. The Award of Excellence program was designed keeping this simple but all-important factor in mind.
There is a section in the CPS forms called SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS which permits you to customize your program and the grading that is associated with specified exceptions.
As an example, did you know that you can customize your CPS form to accommodate for specific regionalisms and slang?
No matter what your SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS are, please be sure to share this with all staff who submit the CPS forms for your company in order that you benefit from the built-in program flexibility.
As an example, SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS can include: (These are examples only)
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Local Expressions / Regionalisms or Slang that is common place in your area and acceptable to your clients such as, y’all, OK, …
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Customer Expectations such as is the CSR to communicate that they are part of the office staff, or be upfront with the fact that they are a message center.
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Types of callers such as oilfield workers, apartment residents, skilled professionals, prospective new customers, etc.
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Provide specific information if the surname is not required, ie: hospital personnel provide only first name, therefore scoring based would be on full patient name.
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Are the callers the customer’s employees or their customers?
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Intended tone of the call (relaxed, professional, friendly, clinical, etc.)
If you have specific questions about what would be considered specialized information, please contact me directly linda@camx.ca
Webinar schedule: all webinar recordings are available
Remote Agent Webinar Series: Hiring, Training and Managing / Engagement
Your Host: Tom Reandeau
Weekly Huddle - Taking a break for the summer - see you in late August
A great way to network with your CAM-X family to share new ideas and coping skills. Meeting times are posted on the CAM-X Member List Serv and sent out as an Outlook Calendar Invitation. Watch for it. Cheers
Show your staff they are worthy:
CSR and Supervisor Certification
Pre Employment Testing Demo Available
Contact linda@camx.ca for instructions
Two Grey Suits
Social Networking or "Not Working"
This article is part of the TwoGreySuits Managing Employee Performance Series and is offered by our partner, TwoGreySuits as a service to our members.
SOCIAL MEDIA - COMPANY POLICY
Company policy around Social Media is fast becoming a hot topic of conversation around the water coolers in the workplace. In some cases employees are getting clobbered with harsh discipline for things they didn't even know there was a policy on. With the increasing use of many social media such as twitter, Facebook, blogs, MySpace, YouTube, linked in, etc., employers are struggling with what is and is not appropriate for use during company time and even outside of the normal business hours. Social media has become an important and every day component of how we now communicate, and it is certainly spilling over into the workplace. In terms of what is or is not appropriate for use at work, confusion abounds!!!
An overall philosophy statement used now by many companies often looks something like this: “While you are on company time, please refrain from online activities that don’t bring value to the Company. Think of your personal time online just as you think of personal phone calls or emails.” Many managers would say they have a very significant time theft issue going on in the workplace (unproductive social media use) and also that it is not that easy to deal with or properly address. Sound familiar?
Many employers now block access to certain websites such as game sites, social networking sites, entertainment sites, shopping/auction sites and sports sites. Some companies even use URL blocks to stop employees from visiting external blogs.
The other side of all this is the fact that social networking sites are a valuable part of marketing and advertising in today’s market from a business perspective. Many organizations are figuring out how to leverage off this, as an example, having a corporate Facebook page to which all employees can contribute.
Many managers would tell you they are having difficulty in drawing the line on use of social media in the workplace. We often hear that employees want access so they can communicate at lunch or on breaks as this is the best way they know of quickly getting up to date with everything going on as opposed to even a few years ago when numerous (more time consuming) phone calls would serve the same purpose. What is an employer to do when an employee has MSN open all day on their PC so they can communicate with their spouse who is at home with the newborn? Every time the employee hears a “bling” they stop what they are doing and connect on line with their spouse. Get the point – where is the dividing line? Employers need to take into consideration that social media has quickly become an important and significant cultural mainstay with how people choose to communicate, especially the younger generation.
So, what is the answer then? Some companies, for example, have a very simple blogging policy which says. “Please be smart in your on-line activities. They reflect on both you and the company. The ability to publish things that never go away and can be forwarded endlessly, well, it gives us pause, and we hope it does you, too.”
Check out our website, www.twogreysuits.com for all the latest in social media polices for your company, including a few free social media policy downloads. (Take the tour)
TwoGreySuits is a leading-edge provider of on-line human resource management information, processes, tools and forms servicing the North American market. They have integrated the HR practices associated with the key drivers of Employee Engagement within the well-organized information on the website.
To login as a user: camx.twogreysuits.com
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Enter your email address and Password CAMX01
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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
Member Spotlight: Your Answer Solutions Center
Q. When and why did you start Your Answer Solutions Center?
After identifying the great challenges that Call Centers across the nation were facing, I started Your Answer Solutions Center on June 15th, 2015. I understood that call centers were facing hardship with managing several aspects of doing business including staffing, the costs that come with staffing, payroll, agent attendance, holidays, over time, etc. I have a passion for communications and when I decided to move into the Call Center industry, I did not want to become another competitor. I wanted to stand out from the others. It was, and still is, of the utmost importance to me that I provide support, an alternative and a solution for current Call Centers and take the headaches away from them. In turn, Call Center owners can focus on what is most important to them….SALES AND GROWTH!!!! After much thought, I decided to create YASC as a new alternative for Call Centers.
Q. What does Your Answer Solutions Center do and how do you help your clients?
Call Centers have been utilizing YASC since 2015 to hire agents. After starting off with only 2 agents working from home, YASC has built a large team and earned a reputation of impeccable support and client care. YASC provides staffing support for Call Centers. One of the many challenges in our industry is the hiring and retention of reliable agents. By allowing YASC to manage the challenges of searching for, hiring, training, tracking attendance and managing payroll for staff, Call Centers are able to focus their time and resources on growing their businesses.
Q. What brought you to CAM-X and why did you become a member?
I first heard about CAM-X from Mike Leibowitz, who is a great friend of mine. Mike was enthusiastic about CAM-X and explained to me what a great organization CAM-X is and the large member list CAM-X has. He recommended that I join and take part in the annual conferences, as they provide wide exposure to potential clients. Ever since joining CAM-X, YASC has taken part in all of CAM-X's conferences and provided a high level of sponsorship for the organization, creating countless wonderful business relationships along the way.
Q. Please share a bit about the people that work for the organization.
YASC is a company that prides itself on the people who are a part of it. Our staff are professionals that take their jobs seriously. I am a firm believer that the heart of any organization is the people. I've always run my business under the principle that happy employees create a successful business. I consider every one of my employees a personal friend of mine and strive to create a business environment that breeds success. In return, our staff do their best to ensure that YASC provides our clients with the highest level of customer service. Our staff enjoy a company culture that puts business first, but also embraces a family-like workplace.
Q. What is 1 thing about you person that people would find interesting or a fun fact!
Before I created YASC, I worked for a large cruise line. I would be on cruise ships for months, at a time. One of the many benefits of this line of work was that I was able to travel the world and create long term friendships.