DAY 1: EFFECTIVE COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
9:00-9:45 - COMPLAINT RESOLUTION AS A FACTOR OF LISTENING TO YOUR CLIENTS & ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS NEW TOPIC
Wendy Knight, Ombudsman, RBC Financial Group NEW SPEAKER
As ombudsman for Canada's largest bank, Ms. Knight's role is to ensure the client's problem resolution needs are met. Often an underlying and unaddressed issue may be the root cause of a problem. Sometimes the response provided by an organization may address the organization's needs rather than the client's. A strategy to take ownership of an issue, ask the right questions and be accountable to resolve a problem inevitably reduces the client's frustration levels and sets a new standard for a longer and mutually-rewarding relationship. This presentation will outline how dialogue encouragement and accountability fit into RBC Financial Group's overall process of complaint resolution:
- The effectiveness of the complaint process
- Are customers' needs being met? Why or why not?
- Challenges and future directions
- Best practices for complaints prevention and resolution
- Cost/benefits analysis of the ombudsman's office
- Resolution statistics and impact on client relationships
9:45-10:30 - IMPLEMENTING A RESOLUTION PROCESS & MANAGING PRIVACY COMPLAINTS NEW TOPIC
Kelly Taylor, Compliance Manager & Privacy Officer, TransUnion Canada NEW SPEAKER
Since the implementation of PIPEDA, attention and focus on the use of personal information has received a great deal of media attention. As a consumer reporting agency, TransUnion is no stranger to consumer complaints. Questions, concerns, and complaints about business practices are generally unavoidable when the business deals with managing personal information. Therefore, it is important for a company to have a process in place to receive complaints and effectively respond, avoiding unnecessary escalation of an issue. This discussion will focus on the importance of:
- Identifying the source of complaints
- Utilizing the knowledge of front-line associates
- Understanding the complaint and implementing necessary change
- Working with regulatory bodies through the investigation of complaints
11:00-11:45 - WHY WE SHOULD LOVE COMPLAINTS NEW TOPIC
Terry McCaig, Senior Manager, Client Relations, BMO Financial Group NEW SPEAKER
Where there's business, there will be complaints. A company's reputation is put on the line every time it deals with a complaint. What do complaints tell us and can they help build reputation? Do they force us to be our best or are they just an annoyance and a drain on our bottom line? What do companies need to know, understand and do when it comes to managing complaints? Why should we love complaints?
- Understanding why customers complain
- Impact to bottom line
- Reasons we should care
- Building a strategic approach to effective complaint management
11:45-12:30 - CASE STUDY: UPDATING THE SERVICE RECOVERY TOOLS USED BY FRONT-LINE PERSONNEL AT VIA NEW TOPIC
Jean Lemyre, Senior Officer, Customer Relations, VIA Rail Canada OLD SPEAKER
Successful service providers are renowned not only for the basic products/services they provide but also on well how they respond to and resolve service failures. VIA is no stranger to this dimension, as shown by the company's introduction of Service Recovery guidelines in the early 1990s to support its strategy of empowering front-line personnel. It is a critical element expected from customers who, besides demanding friendly and caring service as well as problem resolution, require companies to be flexible and recover from mistakes. This case study presentation will outline the project initiated by VIA in 2005 to review and update its service recovery guidelines in support of its objective of exceeding customer expectations.
- Support from key corporate stakeholders
- The consultation process used to obtain ideas and recommendations from front-line personnel on the critical recovery tools needed
- How to use the tools to ensure successful recovery efforts
- Using the communication process as a way to review and discuss the importance of taking ownership of the issues, take chances
1:30-2:15 - CASE STUDY: MANAGING, RESOLVING & ACTIONING THE ROOT CAUSE OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AT BELL CANADA OLD TOPIC
Glenn Marcus, Director Quality, Customer Value and Voice of the Customer, Bell Canada NEW SPEAKER
Executive care, quality and customer value are critical components to a successful organization. Using a "Connecting the Dots" methodology, Bell Canada has introduced a new initiative called the "Pink Panther Program," which aims to conduct in-depth analysis on executive complaints to identify gaps and opportunities that exist within the organization, be proactive, eliminate irritants and find global solutions. This need to identify process issues and gaps that cause frustration is important because these directly impact Bell's mandate to provide excellent customer service. This case study presentation will discuss the methods and structure Bell uses to investigate and perform a step-by-step root cause analysis on executive complaint issues as well as illustrate how this program is driving improved productivity, providing a superior and consistent customer experience and applying a best-in-class attitude while maintaining simplicity.
Bringing executive complaint issues to the forefront to ensure resolution
- Ways to improve customer experience
- Fixing customer dissatisfaction drivers
- Identifying coaching and training opportunities
- Creating new processes that challenge the status quo
2:15-3:00 - CASE STUDY: COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY & PROCESSES AT MICROSOFT NEW TOPIC Loren Kousaie, Group Manager, Customer Service, Microsoft Canada NEW SPEAKER Tom Blackwood, Group Manager, Worldwide Response Management, Microsoft Corporation NEW SPEAKER Customer feedback can be one of the most valuable sources of competitive advantage, market insight, and improvement opportunity, yet companies often find it difficult to harness this input into consistent, responsive action. Microsoft has recognized this opportunity and implemented a Worldwide Response Management system, leveraging a globally consistent set of tools, processes and resources to capture, track, and review feedback from its customers and partners, and then respond, escalate, and drive internal changes based on this feedback. In this presentation, you will learn how Microsoft has structured this global program and how it uses the operation to drive executive visibility, internal change and long-term customer satisfaction. The case study presentation will provide insight regarding the Response Management Program at Microsoft, including:
- Overall program vision and strategy
- Establishing shared accountability: gaining company-wide engagement and support
- Overview of program operations - the global framework, procedures and tools for feedback capture and management
- Measuring performance: service metrics, quality, satisfaction
- Creating visibility and awareness: business reporting and escalation procedures to drive internal change
3:15-4:00 - LEVERAGING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS & FEEDBACK IN AN OUTSOURCED CONTACT CENTRE ENVIRONMENT NEW TOPIC
Stan Gabriszeski, Senior Director, Customer Service, Indigo Books & Music NEW SPEAKER
Outsourcing call centre services has become a fairly standard approach in many consumer industries - cost and core competency factors can make an overwhelming case for doing so. Most managers are aware of the control risk associated with handing customer contacts over to another company. This concern is valid, but the larger risk is that, if not careful, one can lose touch with the prevailing customer reactions, attitudes, complaints, and ideas, which can be gleaned only through direct interaction with them. This discussion will present ideas on one of the critical keys to effective complaint management: how to remain intimate with one's customers in an outsourced environment.
- Using technology and process, implementing effective surrogates for "being there" with your customers
- Gathering meaningful data on customer inquiry reasons and root cause
- Ensuring that the "voice of the customer" will continue to be heard in your organization
- Ensuring that the outsourcer's service reps are properly representing your organization to your customers
4:00-4:45 - CASE STUDY: TRANSFORMING COMPLAINTS INTO A "VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER" SOLUTION OLD TOPIC
Geoff King, Senior Business Analyst - Customer Service Analysis, Canadian Tire Financial Services NEW SPEAKER
To meet customer needs, it's important that those needs be first understood. The "voice of the customer" is the term to describe the stated and unstated customer needs or requirements. In today's environment, you need to engage a more informed customer in the quest for growth and demand. While it is clearly crucial to obtain VOC input to decide what new products and services to offer, it is equally important that it be effectively used to gauge customer satisfaction and continually fine-tune existing products. This case study presentation will share Canadian Tire Financial Services' experience as it developed and grew its Voice of the Customer process solution to deal with customer complaints and suggestions and achieve maximum customer satisfaction:
- Objectives and processes in developing a VOC solution
- Motivation and business drivers behind implementation
- The step-by step process: the planning stage, customer surveys, and review of existing systems
- Lessons learned and results
- Defining the key components of VOC: collection, analysis, reporting, and taking action
- Implementing a system of continuous evaluation and improvement
- Securing employee and organizational commitment to service excellence and customer satisfaction
