Appendix A
Resources
Here are some places you can turn to for additional expertise, support, and resources. This list is not exhaustive; it’s a place to start. We don’t have direct experience with all of these sources so we imply no endorsement by their listing here. Contact them, hear them out, seek alternatives, and use your judgment.
Associations
American Telemarketing Association (ATA)
4605 Lankershim Blvd., Suite 824
North Hollywood, CA 91602-1891
Phone: (800) 441-3335 or (818) 766-5324
The largest professional, non-profit, trade association that represents and serves the telemarketing industry. It is committed to serving the needs of its members, as well as protecting the rights of consumers and businesses who have telephone contact with its members. Its mission is to provide leadership and education in the professional and ethical use of the telephone to do the following:
- Increase marketing, sales, and service effectiveness
- Enhance customer satisfaction
- Improve decision-making
Help Desk Institute (HDI)
1755 Telstar Drive, Suite 101
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Phone: (800) 248-5667 (United States and Canada); (719) 528-4202
Provides targeted information about the technologies, tools, and trends in the help desk and customer support industry. Recognized worldwide as a customer support training organization. HDI also provides a networking forum for industry professionals. More than 50 Help Desk Institute chapters, locally formed and operated, thrive in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Institute of Management Consultants (IMC)
521 Fifth Avenue, 35th floor
New York, NY 10175-3598
Phone: (212) 697-8262
Fax: (212) 949-6571
Email: [email protected]
http://www.imcusa.org/
The leading association representing management consultants with members in the U.S. and overseas.
International Association of Business Communicators
Phone: (800) 776-4222 or (415) 433-3400
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.iabc.com
Products, services, activities, and networking opportunities to help people and organizations achieve excellence in public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, public affairs, and other forms of communication.
International Customer Service Association (ICSA)
401 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (800) 360-4272 or (312) 644-6610
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.icsa.com/
Globally, membership tops 3,400; offers a full range of programs, publication of surveys, and member research studies. ICSA members are managers, directors, vice-presidents, owners, and CEOs of companies of all types and sizes in virtually every industry—manufacturing and nonmanufacturing—from the Fortune 500 to the emerging blue chip giants of the twenty-first century.
National Speakers Association (NSA)
1500 South Priest Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: (602) 968-2552
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.nsaspeaker.org
The professional association for leading thinkers and presenters at conferences and meetings. Call or visit the Web site (searchable) for the Directory of Who’s Who in Professional Speaking.
Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP)
801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 404
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 519-3700
Membership is open to all professionals who are in some way responsible for creating and maintaining customer loyalty: vice presidents, directors, managers, and supervisors with responsibilities for consumer affairs, customer service, inbound call centers, market research, information systems integration, sales and marketing, database management, new business development, and operations. SOCAP membership is composed of close to 3,000 corporate consumer affairs/customer support professionals, representing 1,500 companies. Most of these companies are listed in the Fortune/Forbes 1000.
Contract Call Centers
AT&T Solutions Customer Care
Jacksonville, FL
Phone: (904) 636-2340
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.att.com/solutions/custcare.html
Provides outsourced customer- and employee-care services including customer inquiry, sales-lead generation, Internet support, order and account management, dealer-locator programs, help desk and crisis care, and administrative support for human resource programs and employee benefits plans. More than 8,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Microdyne Support Services
Alexandria, VA
Phone: (703) 329-3700
http://www.microdyne.com
Provides outsourced technical staff and management for telephone technical support (TTS) centers, and warranty and after-warranty service depots with a staff of more than 150 TTS professionals.
Tele Tech Customer Care Management, Inc.
1700 Lincoln St., Ste. 1400
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 894-4000
Operates several customer service centers in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Provides services such as customer enrollment, account inquiries, product information, and technical help-desk support.
Customer Service Consultants
The Bentley Company
22 Kane Industrial Drive
Hudson, MA 01749
Phone: (508) 562-4200
Fax: (508) 568-9468
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.bentleygroup.com
Knowledge, expertise, and action for building world class service environments. Assessment and sales of sales force automation; service technology consulting; systems integration and implementation; customer satisfaction surveys; and change management consulting. Other offices in Bellevue, WA; Sunnyvale, CA; Oakbrook Terrace, IL; and Lillburn, GA.
The Castle Group
Tony Castle
1204 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 333-9373
E-mail: [email protected]
Other offices in Miami, FL and Ridgefield, CT.
The Castle Group offers a full range of services that include: assessment, implementation, and support of client customer service centers.
Customer Care Institute
P.O. Box 19627
Atlanta, GA 30325
Phone: (404) 352-9291
Fax: (404) 355-5059
Email: [email protected]
Bulletin board: http://www.customercare.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.htm
CCI’s staff is frequently called upon to assist companies with evaluating and reengineering the customer care function.
Technical Assistance Research Programs (TARP)
1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1400
Arlington, VA 22209
Phone: (703) 524-1456
Fax: (703) 524-6374
Also offices in London and Melbourne.
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.tarp.com
TARP is a customer service research and consulting firm offering a wide range of services to help businesses maximize customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and positive word of mouth. Offers CRIS (Customer Response Information System), a software solution that offers customer call centers complaint and inquiry management. Also offers assessment of standards and policies, benchmarking services, satisfaction surveys, training programs, and communication skills workshops.
Customer Service Training, Conference Keynotes, and Suppliers of Behavioral Assessment Tools
Don Blohowiak
(Co-Author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Great Customer Service)
Strategic Advisory Services
P.O. Box 791
Princeton Junction, NJ 08550-0791
Phone: (609) 716-9490 or (888) LEADWELL (532-3935)
Fax: (609) 799-8271
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.LeadWell.com
Helps service organizations boost employee productivity and market effectiveness. Award-winning marketer. Author of four other popular books on leadership, marketing, and change. Delivers fast-paced, thought-provoking keynote presentations at leadership conferences around the globe. Plans and facilitates strategic planning retreats. Uses validated behavioral and values-based assessment instruments to improve hiring and team productivity.
Lisa Ford
Ford Group, Inc.
140 Seville Chase
Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone: (770) 394-4860
Lisa Ford delivers high-energy speeches and seminars in customer service, leadership, team skills, communications, and personal power. Her customer service video learning system is one of the all-time best-selling videos in customer service.
T. Scott Gross
HCR #1-561
Center Point, TX 78010-9700
Phone: (210) 634-2122 or (800) 635-7524
Fax: (210) 634-2338
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.posgross.com/
T. Scott Gross is the author of some of the most popular books ever written about excellence in customer care, including Outrageous: Guilt-free Selling & Unforgettable Service and Positively Outrageous Service. Known for his high-energy platform skills, he shows audiences how to turn customer service into an invincible marketing strategy.
Sue Hershkowitz CSP
High Impact Presentations
14826 N. 54th Pl.
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (602) 996-8864
E-mail: [email protected].
Sue Hershkowitz is an international expert in written communications. She has spoken before more than one million people during the past 17 years. Author of Power Sales Writing: What Every Sales Person Must Know to Turn Prospects into Buyers!
Shep Hyken CSP
Shepard Presentations
711 Old Ballas Rd., #103
St. Louis, MO 63141
Phone: (314) 692-2200
E-mail: [email protected].
Shep Hyken delivers presentations combining information, humor, and magic on internal service, customer service, and motivation.
Terri Kabachnick, CSP
Terri Kabachnick & Company, Inc.
160 West St.
Cromwell, CT 06416
Phone: (800) 275-8374
Fax: (203) 635-0477
An expert on retail organizations, Terri Kabachnick brings real world relevance and an engaging interactive style, which distinguishes her presentations, workshops, and retreats. She also offers behavioral and values-based assessment tools.
Ron Karr
(Co-Author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Great Customer Service)
Karr Associates, Inc.
1355 15th St.
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (800) 423-KARR (5277)
Fax: (201) 461-5621
E-mail: [email protected]
Ron Karr is a professional speaker and consultant who works with organizations that want to dominate their markets and get closer to the customers they serve. His clients include Marriott, Hertz, and the International Customer Service Association. He also offers behavioral and values-based assessment tools.
Kaset International
8875 Hidden River Parkway
Tampa, FL 33637-1017
Phone: (813) 977-8875 or (800) 735-2738
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.kaset.com
Kaset International is a partner in the Times Mirror Training Group, the world’s largest provider of professional training and information services. Helping organizations achieve extraordinary customer relations has been the company’s sole mission for nearly 25 years. A fully integrated series of training programs—service quality solutions for the front-line, senior management, and everyone in between—geared to both private and public organizations. Consulting support as needed throughout the training implementation.
Bill Ringle
Internet Expert/Professional Speaker
Phone: (610) 284-0846
Fax: (610) 284-9185
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.starcomm.com/Ringle/
Provides a real-world business perspective and hands-on expertise for putting technology to work.
Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE
Sanborn & Associates
695 S. Colorado Blvd. #415
Denver, CO 80222
Phone: (303) 698-9656
E-mail: [email protected]
Delivers high-content motivational speeches and seminars on customer service, leadership, teambuilding, and mastering change.
Holly Stiel
Holly Speaks
728 Bay Rd.
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Phone: (415) 383-4220
E-mail: [email protected]
An internationally renowned concierge and author of Ultimate Service and Thank You Very Much. She delivers seminars and keynotes on hospitality.
Judy Suiter
President
Competitive Edge, Inc.
P.O. Box 2418
Peachtree City, GA 30269
Phone: (770) 487-6460
Fax: (770) 487-2919
Competitive Edge’s motto is “be daring, be first and be different” in all training areas including customer service. Also offers behavioral and values based assessment tools.
David Yoho
Professional Educators, Inc.
138 Evergreen Rd., Suite 106
Louisville, KY 40243-1410
Phone: (800) 220-0440
E-mail: [email protected]
David Yoho, a dynamic speaker and educator, specializes in call centers and tele-service training.
Internet and World Wide Web Services
Avit Corporation
Contact: Dan Doyle
1355 15th St.
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 886-1100
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Provides consultative and creative/production follow-through for Web site development, video, and interactive CD-ROM programs.
Bock Information Group
190 El Cerrito Plaza, Suite 404
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone: (800) 648-2677
Fax: (510) 531-3598
Email: [email protected]
http://www.bockinfo.com
Wally Bock helps companies develop Internet strategies and products and services for the digital age. He is the publisher of electronic newsletters such as Executive Briefing about using the Net to improve business and is the author of Net Income: How to Cut Costs, Boost Profits and Enhance Operations Online. A free trial subscription to Wally Bock’s Monday Memo, sent by e-mail, is available by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
Silknet Software, Inc.
The Gateway Building
50 Phillippe Cote Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 625-0070
FAX: (603) 625-0428
http://www.silknet.com
World Wide Web-based customer service software; Internet-based service solutions that can serve as a replacement for, or complement to, conventional call centers. The “virtual service rep” allows customers to serve themselves through the World Wide Web, thus eliminating hold times while also relieving “live” service reps from performing many mundane duties, so they can focus on truly complex customer issues.
StarComm Development, Inc.
P.O. Box 1013
Drexel Hill, PA 19026
Phone: (610) 284-0846
Fax: (610) 284-9185
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.StarComm.com
Internet training and Web site development.
Publications
Call Center Magazine
1265 Industrial Highway
Southampton, PA 18966
Phone: (800) 677-3435
Publication for people who manage call centers.
Customer Service Review (CSR)
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.csr.co.za
This Web-based electronic newsletter is published monthly in South Africa. With a global focus and numerous examples from North America, this periodical covers service technology, customer loyalty, case studies, service trends, and checklists for service organizations. Subscriptions are sold in U.S. dollars via major credit cards right over the Internet. A single issue subscription is available for $9; a 12 month subscription goes for $79. A free sample issue is available on the Web site.
TeleProfessional
209 W. 5th Street, Suite N
Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone: (319) 235-4473
Publication for professionals who make their living over the phone.
First-Rate Customer Service
The Economics Press
E-mail: [email protected]
Newsletter published every two weeks. Readership of 40,000 people around the world. For a sample copy of First-Rate Customer Service, send e-mail to [email protected] (don’t forget to include your mailing address!).
Working Solo Online
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.workingsolo.com
This Web site is designed for independent entrepreneurs, and features an electronic version of Terri Lonier’s “Working Solo Sourcebook,” a collection of more than 1,200 valuable business resources that’s been transformed into a full searchable online database. Other areas take you to details on Working Solo books and products, small business articles and news, and past issues of Working Solo eNews, a free monthly e-mail newsletter that’s filled with information and ideas for busy entrepreneurs.
Telecommunications Equipment and Customer Service Software Systems Vendors
Applied Voice Technology
Kirkland, WA
Phone: (206) 820-6000
Fax: (206) 820-4040
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.appliedvoice.com
Specializes in solutions for call centers with fewer than 75 agents. Develops, manufactures, markets, and supports a broad line of open systems-based, advanced CTI (computer telephony integration) software products, and basic call answering and voice messaging systems.
Aurum Software, Inc.
Santa Clara, CA, with offices worldwide
Phone: (800) 683-8855 or (408) 654-3463
http://www.aurum.com
Leading provider of customer relationship management software. Offers the Aurum Customer Enterprise, a suite of client/server applications that increases the productivity of an organization’s sales, marketing, and customer service functions. Consulting integration firms, including Cambridge Technology Partners, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, GE Information Systems, IBM, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse, have selected Aurum for delivering enterprise customer relationship management solutions.
Clarify, Inc.
San Jose, CA
Phone: (408) 573-3000
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.clarify.com
Front office solutions for customer service, field service, internal help desk, quality assurance, and sales and marketing. Customers include Amoco Corp., Cisco Systems, GE Medical Systems, Georgia-Pacific, Hewlett-Packard Co., MCI, Microsoft Corp., Motorola, Sprint PCS, and Transamerica Corp.
CTI Interactive
1343 Canton Road, Suite B
Marietta, GA 30066
Phone: (770) 919-9075 or (800) 776-5773
Fax: (770) 218-1494
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.cticid.com
Computer telephony integration software products and interactive voice response systems including Call Commando, a suite of computer telephony solutions for call centers in small offices and the middle marketplace.
PowerCerv Technologies Corporation
400 North Ashley, Suite 2700
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 222-0886
http://www.powercerv.com
Integrated software applications for customer asset management providing sales, marketing, and support management across an enterprise. Applications include sales force automation, and customer support/help desk. Integrates with other supply chain applications for manufacturing, distribution, and financials.
Scopus Technology
U.S. Headquarters:
1900 Powell Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
Phone: (510) 597-5800
Fax: (510) 597-8600
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.scopus.com/
Customer information management systems. The company’s integrated product line automates customer support, sales and marketing, and quality assurance functions to enable companies to enhance the quality of their products and services, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce time to market.
Teknekron-Infoswitch
Fort Worth, TX
Phone: (800) TEKNEKRON or (817) 267-3025
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.Teknekron.com
Existing global base of more than 500 call center customers (such as AT&T, Wireless Services, American Express, and British Airways), representing over 1,200 installations and 250,000 agents. Developed call center tools and technologies, such as service observation and evaluation software, and computer telephony systems, all devoted to increasing productivity and enhancing customer service. Systems Integration solutions include full multimedia integration of voice, data, images, and screen-based telephony on a single, window-based desktop.
Headsets and Small Office Equipment
Hello Direct
5893 Rue Ferrari
San Jose, CA 95138-1858
Phone: (800) 444-3556
http://www.hello-direct.com
Catalog seller of telephone productivity tools.
KGP Telecommunications
Rosemary Russo
East Wing, Suite 300
4250 Veterans Memorial Highway
Holbrook, NY 11741
Phone: (888) 547-8353
Offers a free 10-day trial, two headsets at a time, and special pricing if you use David Yoho’s name. Just tell them Dave sent you.
Ziehl Electronics
Joan Ziehl
115 Meacham Ave.
Elmont, NY 11003-2631
Phone: (800) 654-1066
Offers a free 10-day trial, two headsets at a time, and special pricing if you use David Yoho’s name. Just tell them Dave sent you.
Workplace Injury Prevention Consultants
WorkRight
Matthew Gibble, P. T.
Gary Flink, P. T., A. T.C.
1355 15th St.
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 224-8717
Fax: (201) 224-6381
Provides assessments of injury risks in your service establishment and any related training issues. Referrals given for specialists in your local area.