OPENING KEYNOTE: Jeff Toister

Hidden Obstacles to Outstanding Customer Service

It seems like customer service should be obvious: however, research reveals that event customer service professionals face hidden or even counterintuitive obstacles that make it difficult to serve customers at the highest level.

This highly engaging keynote session shares several common examples that affect all of us. The audience will learn through a blend of fun experiential activities, real-life stories, and cutting-edge research.

Participants will learn: hidden obstacles to outstanding customer service how to identify these challenges in the workplace tools to help you and your employees overcome these obstacles

• Optimizing a workforce is more a leadership mindset than an actual discipline.
• Workforce Management should be viewed as a cost saver versus a cost center.
• Workforce Management comes in all sizes, you have to determine what is best for you.

About Staniscia:

Staniscia Woolridge-Holmes, affectionately called "Stan", is the Workforce Analytics Manager at LegalZoom. A workforce management professional with over 16 years experience, she has held nearly every support role imaginable in a contact center from agent to telephony administrator.

Helping contact centers work efficiently while providing best in class service is her passion: Stan implemented a thriving workforce management program at LegalZoom that is helping the business optimize their workforce to not only reach but exceed goals on a consistent basis.

Moderator: Sheila Dunlap

About Sheila: Shelia Dunlap has worked at Trellis Corporation, formerly Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation for over 35 years. In her leadership role as Director of Operations, she has vast experience in customer service, collections and contact center operations.

Shelia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Southern University (Baton Rouge, LA).

Panelist: Rubén Cantú

About Rubén: Rubén Cantú is a first-generation college graduate raised in East Austin as a son of immigrants. He holds a B.S. in Radio-TV-Film from the Moody College of Communications and an M.S. in Technology Commercialization from the McCombs School of Business, both from TheUniversity of Texas at Austin.  He has founded various startups and as a social entrepreneur, his ambitions are focused on establishing a platform through media and entrepreneurship that allows society to reflect on its condition and spur progressive change.

Panelist: Bill Hopkins

About Bill: William E. "Bill" Hopkins focuses his law practice at Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton LLP on defending and protecting health care providers and health care professionals in matters of Administrative Law, Regulatory Defense and Litigation. Mr. Hopkins has also spoken at the local, regional and national level regarding licensure, compliance and enforcement matters. He obtained his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1995. With regard to Diversity, Mr. Hopkins has always been at the forefront of the issue, pushing for change in the legal industry. He has served as a Hiring Partner in Charge of Recruiting for a past law firm and addressed diversity issues.

Panelist: Felicia Johnson

About Felicia: Felicia Johnson is the Founder and Managing Director of The Gatson Group, a Diversity & Inclusion consulting firm specializing in translating diversity & inclusion strategic goals into practical results. In addition to strategy development and execution, Felicia also offers online training and in-person customized workshops on topics including Principles of Inclusive Leadership, Unconscious Bias, Winning Strategies for Effective Recruiting and Retention, and Leveraging Inclusion for Business Success.

Is your company burdened with too many solutions to problems? An endless supply of new product ideas? Is morale too high(again)? If so, this is a good presentation to skip!

About Ron: Whether climbing 1,000 foot cliffs or managing a contact center, Ron Safarik takes on many challenges. He’s led nearly every type of market research, new product development, process improvement, customer service and retention initiative imaginable, and now brings his insight, expertise and engaging humor to audiences around the region. Ron has over 30 years’ experience in the market research, insurance and financial services industries working for leading companies such as A.C. Neilson, Farm Bureau Insurance, The Principal Financial Group, Conseco, World Insurance and the Fringe Benefit group. At FringeBenefit Group, he is responsible for the customer experience including managing their contact center.

Lead with authenticity to inspire and connect to your employees! Instead of short caller interactions based on a goal, leaders must manage long-term relationships with employees who differ in personality, communication style, priorities, and values.

How can a leader consistently motivate and influence many different kinds of people every day? In this session, learn how authentic leadership uniquely influences people to connect with you, develop skills in authentic communication through practice, and learn communication skill-building exercises that can be used with your management team.

About David: David Staab is a communication coach and trainer in workplace leadership skills. He has over a decade of experience in customer-service roles and leading teams of client-facing service people. He is driven to deeply understand how people create trusting relationships and navigate conflict effectively. He is a regular speaker and writer on topics of communication and workplace culture. In his free time, he volunteers with a nonprofit to build public workshops on authenticity and relationship skills.

Finding the right talent can be one of the most challenging and exciting jobs a person can do. All too often, leaders hire for skill and terminate for behavior. A Credible Leader pays attention to making the right hire, onboarding effectively, communicating consistently, and giving feedback and coaching to keep employees motivated and productive. During this presentation, participants will learn about proven interviewing practices, onboarding strategies to create seamless experiences for new employees, and keeping feedback and listening flowing for the life cycle of the employee.

About Bob: Bob Lewis has more than 25 years of experience in leadership and management coaching and training, public education, human resources and leadership and management training. He has worked extensively to help corporations and organizations develop talent management processes, including behavioral interviewing, coaching and counseling employees, setting up mentoring programs, building leadership assessment tools, identifying and developing strengths, developing and implementing leadership programs and certifications, and employee retention and exit strategies. He has developed and delivered these training workshops to state and federal government, national and local corporations and educational entities throughout the United States.

How can we keep our employees engaged and productive amid constant change? In this session, you will learn how to energize your staff, refine your communication skills, improve teamwork, and creative a positive work environment through the principles of improv and 'on your feet' exercises. Learn how to get your team to connect, support, and adapt on the fly, building bridges in the workplace with kindness, laughter, and inspiration.

About Melissa: Melissa Love is the founder of Everybody Up! She has over 20 years of pedal-to-the floor experience working with companies nationwide such as Apple, Samsung and Expedia. Figuring out a way to get things done, work around obstacles and find opportunities for growth for her clients and employees has been her life-long mission. Sticky client situations are her specialty as working the front lines with clients has prepared her to bob, weave and hit any problem head on. She now combines her leadership and communication skills with applied improvisation tools to help businesses encourage individuality and vulnerability in the workplace. Melissa’s programs include team building, employee engagement programs, networking and public speaking workshops.

Is your organization getting the most out of your venders? Join Alan Forster and learn about how your organization can maximize your procurement with a key balance on gaining the best pricing and the performance with the Top 5 Top Critical Areas where your organization can impact change.

About Alan: Alan Forster defines success through delivering value for the organizations that he serves. His approach ensures that the success of all parties concerned are aligned.

Based in Central Texas, Alan’s current and past clients span commercial business, state & local government, education and non-profit sectors. He currently serves a diverse set of organizations as a volunteer and professional leader.

Alan is a past multi-year board member of the Austin Contact Center Alliance. He has been engaged in the design, implementation and maintenance of major contact centers and critical infrastructure for 30+ years. He is a advisor to Contact Center leadership teams as they leverage the latest technology solutions to deliver world class value for the missions that they serve.

Michelle López, Founder and CEO of P.E.A.R.L. Paragon Consulting, LLC, is a devout learning enthusiast! For over 30 years, she has recognized the power of the human spirit and has a knack for seeing what people typically don’t see in themselves. Her why is to help create a world where others see their potential and discover their why so they can live a life of meaning every day without question, doubt, or apology. She is a passionate entrepreneur, motivational speaker, facilitator and coach who finds new ways to create palpable landscapes in which individuals can choose to be empowered and equipped with a mindset and an arsenal of tools to vivaciously thrive in whatever area of life they choose to cast their nets.

Michelle currently serves as the Senior Director of Learning and Development where she lives out her why every day. She has had the honor to work with many LegalZoom learning enthusiasts. Together, they have contributed to growing LegalZoom into a Learning Organization through the development of LegalZoom University. Her external focus is on facilitating that same type of awakening in organizations in which they can clearly see that a balanced formula to a healthy bottom line is directly tied to their number one most valuable asset–their human capital.

In today’s consumer-conscious world, what’s the only thing between your customers and the door? An effortless customer experience! During our session, you will learn the dramatic impacts customer experience analytics can have on a company’s performance and walk away understanding the value of quality and performance management transformation using the synergy of human intelligence and artificial intelligence.

About Jim: Jim Iyoob is the Chief Customer Officer for Etech Global Services and is responsible for Etech’s strategy, marketing, business development, IT, program implementation, operational excellence and product development across all Etech’s existing lines of business.

He is passionate, driven, and an energetic business leader with a strong desire to remain ahead of the curve in outsourcing solutions and service delivery: with 30 years of experience in inbound, outbound, chat, analytics, AI and social media, Jim has an impeccable track record of innovation and advanced business intelligence.

Customer experience (CX) has been become a strategic differentiator for many successful brands. Research shows customers spend more money on brands that offer loyalty programs, and those that deliver a satisfying experience at every turn (online and offline). What is your business doing to develop a strategic and seamless omnichannel customer experience program across customer touch points?

Join us to learn where to start and the 5 key steps to gaining traction in your omnichannel CX model.

Rusty will share his experience and key learning from across the Consumer Electronics, Technology, Entertainment industries. We’ll also discuss: website chatbots, live chat, social media monitoring and support, proactive communications to new buyers, transactional support - all where the call center is the core pivot point. Are you ready for a seamless Customer Experience Program across all your touch points?

Moderator: Liz Feezor

About Liz: Liz Feezor is a writer and creative strategist who launched her career in contact centers. After 15 years in the corporate world, Liz struck out on her own in 2018 to launch Liz Feezor Creative, a firm dedicated to helping wholehearted professionals and conscious businesses tell their stories.

With previous roles in global human resources, employee benefits, technology consulting and translation services (English/Spanish), Liz draws on a wealth of professional experience to create high-impact messaging for her clients. In addition to her writing work, Liz speaks on a variety of topics and contributes editorial pieces to local and national outlets.

Liz is the VP of Communications for the Austin Contact Center Alliance Board of Directors.

Panelist: Leslie Wingo

About Leslie: A 20-year advertising veteran, Leslie Wingo leads an agency of people across multiple offices at Sanders/Wingo.

She is a respected community leader in the areas of marketing, social welfare, and cultural diversity. Leslie is responsible for the firm’s strategic direction and overall business development.

She has stewarded campaigns for State Farm, United States Postal Service, Burger King and other blue chip brands. In 2012 and 2016, Black Enterprise Magazine named Leslie as one of the nation’s Top Women in Advertising and Marketing.

Panelist: Brittany Naylor

About Brittany: Brittany Naylor leads the Support department at Evernote. Previously, she held positions at Service Direct, where she built and managed the CX department from the group up, and at Apple, focusing on new hire training, career development and new product initiatives. She is passionate about identifying gaps and opportunities in the customer journey and advocating on behalf of those customers and the CX teams that support them on product initiatives.

Brittany is the founder of ATXCX, a local meetup community dedicated to amplifying great customer support in Austin, as well as a member of Support Driven, CX Accelerator, and the Customer Experience Council.

Panelist: Lauren Kurtz

About Lauren: Lauren Kurtz is an HCM Consultant for Major Accounts at ADP. Lauren believes strongly in the 'move forward, give back' mentality and has cultivated a network of strong, supportive women who walk the same walk as well as a supportive fiancé who happily refers to himself as a feminist.

Lauren is an active Advisory Council member for Herdacity and serves as Co-President of Austin's Ellevate Network chapter. She has mobilized both members and community organizations in identifying meaningful and relevant topics and spearheaded a number of highly attended networking events including International Women’s Day panels in both 2018 and 2019.

Moderator: Mark Brody

About Mark: Mark Brody is a customer-focused Contact Center Industry Professional with over 25 years of experience spanning multiple industries to include client management, quality assurance, contact center leadership, and workforce management expertise.

He launched Brohawk Solutions, LLC. in August 2018 and is the current President for The Austin Contact Center Alliance (ACCA) and Board Member for the South Central Chapter of The Professional Association of Customer Engagement (PACE).

Mark works with small to mid-size contact centers looking to improve operational efficiencies and employee engagement, ultimately leading to improved customer experience.

Panelist: Christy Torrance

About Christy: Christy Torrance is a highly motivated, energetic and results-oriented Sales and Marketing consultant with Kelly Services, providing her clients with superior customer service and solution-based approaches designed to fit each individual client’s staffing needs and fostering successful business relationships.

An entrepreneur at heart, Christy has owned and operated two self-made businesses and understands the importance of keeping people and teams engaged to reach goals. She credits her career successes to her sense of optimism and drive to succeed, and her motto is “When your passion and purpose become greater than your fears and excuses, you will then find a way.”

Christy is the VP of Sponsorships for the Austin Contact Center Alliance Board of Directors.

Panelist: KatLynne Rockford

About KatLynne: KatLynne Rockford currently represents Allergan as a Talent Acquisition Manager, leading the Austin recruitment effort. She works closely as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner with leaders from Customer Operations, Inside Sales, and Product Surveillance to identify talent needs, progressive recruitment strategies to attract and hire top talent in the market, and cultivate a recruitment brand for Allergan here in Austin.

Prior to this role, she has worked in the Tech Industry at Google and spent a vast majority of her career in the Medical Device space, where she developed a team to deploy a Talent Acquisition strategy with a global reach. KatLynne holds a MS in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Denver and a BS in Business Administration from the University at Buffalo as well as her PHR Certification.

Panelist: Milan Batinich

About Milan: Milan draws from more than 15 years of combined Contact Center Management and Recruitment Management experience. His greatest talent is creating valuable connections and forming them into mutually successful relationships. Milan has assisted dozens of companies with their bottom line by providing award-winning service. His professional vision is to partner with Contact Centers across the country to help them reduce attrition while increasing their customer experience and employee engagement through Outsourcing, Recruiting, The Predictive Index, and Consulting. His mission to help others and improve their lives and companies is reflected in Milan’s integrity, accountability, and ethics.

Milan is a certified Predictive Index Survey Analyst, Certified Predictive Index Partner, Certified Talent Optimizer, and holds a Ministerial License with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI).