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A newsletter published by the
International
Association of Reservation Executives
Issue
27, June 2005
IARE's
20th Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas Deemed a Success by
Participants
The
IARE 20th Annual Conference and Exhibition, held at the Hilton Dallas
Lincoln Center, April 23-27, 2005, not only met, but also exceeded
participant expectations.
The
IARE 2005 Conference Planning Committee worked hard to design a
dynamic conference that would attract and satisfy participants from
all levels of each company.
According
to the feedback received, individuals attended the conference because
it provided them with an opportunity to network with colleagues,
participate in a program with topics of immediate relevance to their
business, to support IARE activities and to meet with vendors.
Not
only did the conference meet individual expectations, but the overall
goals and objectives for the conference were also reached.
Attendance, conference speakers/programs and social events were
some of the important elements that hit their mark.
Attendance
Over the span of the five-day conference approximately 145 individuals
(including exhibitors/sponsors) attended, an increase of 51 percent
from the 2004 event. This shows that support for IARE is growing and
is evidence of a well-planned and relevant program.
Conference
Programming
The conference programs were selected for their diversity, insuring
each session would be appropriate for the entire membership. New for
2005, discussion groups based on job function (workforce planning,
training and development, customer relations and agent coaching and
monitoring) were popular. Also, the call center forums were divided
into sessions based on the size of the company. Thus, discussions were
able to remain tailored to issues of specific concern.
Social
Events
Any attendee knows the social events of a conference can be just as
rewarding as the educational programs. The Conference Planning
Committee designed each social event to provide attendees with the
opportunity to network with colleagues in a relaxed environment. The
Sunday Teambuilding Activity, a scavenger hunt in downtown Fort Worth,
was a huge success.
Thank
you to all who were able to come and share in this event! Thank
you to our 2005 Conference Sponsors:
IEX,
a Tekelec Company
Speechworks
TeleTech Holdings, Inc.
Voxify
West Corporation
Willow CSN
Witness Systems
Aspect Communications
Bay Bridge Decision Technologies
ClientLogic
etalk
FurstPerson, Inc.
Interior Concepts
The Next Level Sales Consulting
Signature Worldwide
Telvista
Trammell Crow Company
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Missed
the 2005 IARE Annual Conference? Hear What Attendees Had to Say
Twenty-two Hours and 41 Minutes: An International Perspective
Submitted by: LeAnne
Crocker, Director of Reservations; Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Boxhill,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Twenty-two
hours and 41 minutes.
Yes,
that’s how long it took me to get to the IARE conference this year
and I might add, worth every minute!
Being
the only Aussie present I was made to feel very welcome and I’m sure
I left my imprint along the way.
Many wanted to listen to my accent – I don’t know why –
as far as I was concerned everyone else had an accent and I loved
listening to theirs!
On
the Sunday afternoon, I opted for the shopping expedition (the
Galleria will miss me next year….) rather than the sport of knocking
a small ball around a very large course with the option of:
-
Losing
those small
balls in very tall grass (Do they have snakes in Texas? Wouldn’t
catch an Aussie going after the balls in tall grass!)
-
Losing/breaking/smashing golf clubs along the way.
-
Being
beaten ( I don’t like to lose!) or
-
Worse
still, being the only one on the course when everyone else is
at hole 19!
Orientation
was briskly and efficiently executed by our President Dan (who just
came in from golf). We
got to meet all the “newies” like myself and I instantly felt a bond
with everyone.
The
scavenger hunt on Sunday night was enjoyed by all – I made sure I
latched onto a DFW local on my team – we got some funny looks along
the way, especially when I opened my mouth with some Aussie pearlers
like: “You beaut, bonza mate” or “struth mate, strike me dead.”
I’ll leave the interpretation to you… The white team did not win much to my disappointment especially
when we thought we had everything “down pat!”
But lots of laughs along the way made up for it!
The
advanced, well thought out session planning that was done for the
conference certainly paid off. A
great inspirational speaker, Doug Whittle, opened the conference and
kept the crowd enthralled until lunchtime.
Subsequent
sessions during the next two days were of great interest to me as it
also cemented in my mind that no matter where you are in the world –
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES! The diversity session by Carmen Baker was especially
interesting given that we all seem to have some level of cultural
diversity, company diversity and self-diversity.
The
vendors/suppliers certainly got involved with everyone which was great
to see – the after conference sessions proved to be just as
important, I don’t think the Hilton bar will ever be the same!
The
international and global issues discussion group really got onto some
good topics that concern all of us and it was great to share and get
ideas back. We could have
gone on into the night but some of us had a Texas Rangers baseball
game to go to, foot-long hotdogs to eat and Mexican waves to
participate in!
My
goal for next year is to have at least two other Aussies from
different companies attend with me.
I’m on the hunt already…….
For me, the
best things that came out of the conference were not so much the big
things but the small stuff... ideas that help to tidy up a particular
area of concern, trying something new that is working for someone else
BUT most of all the camaraderie of meeting like minded people in a
like minded industry talking about like-minded issues.
We all attend conferences that pertain to contact centres for
all industries – but this is different –
THIS IS
OURS!
My
First IARE Conference: A Newcomer's Perspective
Submitted by: Angela
Hogan, COT Supervisor; InnLink LLC, Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA
In
April 2005, I was very fortunate to attend my first IARE conference.
I was very surprised at all of the information and activities
that were planned. I was able to speak and network with other call center
managers and supervisors.
I
received a lot of useful and helpful information.
It was a huge relief to know that other call center supervisors
have the same issues as I experience in my daily job.
It is interesting to know the challenges of my industry peers
and how they are dealing with it. The most helpful for me was the breakout sessions on call
centers. The interaction
is definitely a plus, but, I was also able to build relationships that
will allow me to communicate with my peers throughout the year.
I have begun to use quite a few of the ideas that I got out of
this session.
I
would recommend to anyone who is in the hotel business to attend IARE.
I can’t wait until the next conference!
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IARE Awards
Excellence in 2005
The
IARE Excellence Awards are presented each year to those who have
exceeded expectations in the areas of job performance, team
development, customer service and even community service.
Award
recipients are offered a complimentary registration to attend the IARE
Annual Conference so they can receive the award in person, an awards trophy and a prize check for $200.
Congratulations
to the 2005 winners and nominees:
Manager
Excellence Award Nominees:
Kristy Bolen,
Carlson Hotels Worldwide
LeAnne Crocker, Hyatt International Corporation
Laurie Fitzgerald,
Marriott Global Reservation and Customer Care
Debbie Fox, Choice Hotels
Jeff Keating, Accor North America
Julie Moffat, Westcoast Hospitality Corporation
Richard Ray, The Hertz Corporation
Cecila Reavis, La Quinta, Baymont, Woodfield Suites Reservation Center
Jennifer Welk, Omni Hotels
Vicky Willis, Omni Hotels
WINNER:
Mona
Adams, Best Western International
You
know your thoughts on who to nominate are right when other managers
come to you with the same name and pester you to make sure you
complete the form before the deadline. Mona Adams is our nominee for
manager of the year. She is a manager who knows how to manage people!
She does the obvious, like working well with her peers and other
department staff. But this past year she has gone above and beyond on
numerous occasions. When her peer transferred to another department,
she stepped up to the plate to commute and spend time in both call
centers. And not just during her 8 - 5 schedule M - F. When the new
manager needed time off for his wedding and honeymoon, Mona again
stepped up to cover two different sites - day and night.
But
the most impressive of all has been her attitude and commitment to her
staff since we announced the closure of our call centers in the US.
Knowing that even she doesn't have a position once this transition is
complete has not affected her ability to lead, motivate and act as a
cheerleader for her agents and supervisors who are struggling with the
reality. The weeks following the announcement she was as much a
counselor and life coach as she was a manager of a call center. She
was able to identify staff who needed the assistance of the on-site
counseling we provided. She was instrumental in managing the attitude
and work environment during the first weeks following the announcement
and getting staff re-directed to looking forward and focusing on the
customers we serve each day. From the beginning, she said that she was
committed to staying until we close to look after her staff. She
recently volunteered to spend 2 1/2 weeks in Manila training the
manager and supervisors of the outsource company. I admire her ability
to keep a smile on her face in the most difficult of situations and to
help people through a variety of emotions and situations. She is a
can-do person who continues to demonstrate a desire and ability to
help others. Mona always finds time to meet the needs of her family,
community through volunteering her precious time off and the needs of
a staff through a trying time, and always with a smile on her face. I
am honored to work with Mona as is everyone on our staff.
Supervisor
Excellence Award Nominees:
Doerte
Blanken, Hyatt Worldwide Reservation Centre Europe
Dawn Childers,
Omni Hotels
Craig Kawamoto, Walt
Disney Travel
Jen Mawson, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
Allegra Medina, WestCoast Hospitality
Ester Steward, La Quinta, Baymont, Woodfield Suites Reservation Center
Rochelle Stokes, Hyatt International Corporation
Jim Straker, Accor North America
Barbara Wilkey, La Quinta
WINNER:
Lia Larson, Radisson Seven
Seas Cruises
Lia
steps forward with her ideas to implement efficiencies, and willingly
volunteers to launch projects within her function. She is never
satisfied with the current processes and is constantly looking for
ways of improvement in daily processes as well as system
functionality. She understands both the user and programmer
perspectives and has incredible attention to detail, which makes her
invaluable to the team.
Lia
has shown exemplary leadership in training her team on the new or
enhanced functionality of the reservation system. She works very well
under pressure and maintains a positive attitude every day.
Lia
has proved that she is able to handle difficult situations with
minimal direction; she is respected by her co-workers, as well as her
management team and those outside of her department; she has set
extremely high expectations for herself and easily surpasses them each
day.
Lia
has gone above and beyond in so many ways. She is a team player who is
willing to sacrifice personal time to ensure that team goals are met.
Her performance has raised the bar for all others to strive to reach.
Representative
Excellence Award Nominees:
Irene Cummins,
Hyatt International Corporation
Mary Gaffney,
Omni Hotels
Daria Sweazy, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
WINNER: Julie
DeSaye, Choice Hotels International
I
would like to nominate Julie DeSaye for the IARE 2005 Excellence Award
in the Sales Representative category. Julie has been an employee of
Choice Hotels International, Inc. since March 1, 1999. She has an
infectious positive attitude that is always on display. Julie
consistently and successfully implements Signature Sales Training in
her daily routine. She is consistently positive about the training
program and willingly shares her enthusiasm. In addition to
demonstrating sales calls for her co-workers, she also demonstrates
calls for upper management. Julie adds a personal touch to all of her
calls and treats each customer with the utmost respect.
In
addition to her positive attitude, Julie sets high standards and goals
for herself. During 2005, Julie has maintained an average monitor
score of over 100%, which shows her commitment to Choice Hotels’
performance standards and an exceptional level of customer service.
Julie also sustained a conversion rate of over 52% for 2004. Julie is
known in the Minot Call Center for turning “lemons into lemonade”.
She looks for the positive side in all situations and remains humble
and modest when doing so.
She
is a wonderful mentor for her co-workers and has assisted several
associates in achieving their monthly incentive goals. For example,
Julie mentored with a fellow sales representative and assisted him in
achieving his monthly incentive goals for the first time of his
employment with Choice Hotels International. During 2004, the Minot
Call Center lost a valuable and precious employee due to illness.
Julie was instrumental in organizing and helping the associate’s
family during this time period. Julie assisted with buying school
supplies for the associate’s children and provided many meals to the
family during their hardship. This, too, shows Julie’s willingness
to help anyone out in all types of situations. Julie deserves to be
selected as the IARE 2005 Sales Representative because of her
contributions to Choice Hotels International and the outstanding role
model she is to the hospitality industry. She is a positive person and
a wonderful asset to our company!
Staff
Excellence Award Nominees:
Leticia
Bailey, Hyatt International Corporation
Marc Fehrmann,
Hyatt Worldwide Reservation Centre Europe
Adam Hernandez, La Quinta,
Baymont, Woodfield Suites Reservation Center
Ali Parrett, Omni Hotels
WINNER:
John Dobrotka, Wyndham
International
In
the big sea of the contact center world, there is always a calm before
the storm. And within that calm is a beacon… a light, a guide…
something that everyone looks to for direction. We turn to that beacon
for support. The strength and the tenacity of that beacon becomes, in
essence, one’s lifesaver. In the business world, we have lifesavers
all around us. At Wyndham, we are no exception. Allow us to tell you
about our lifesaver, John Dobrotka. He started as a flicker of light
when he joined our team as a Reservation Sales Associate in March
2001. In a very short time, he proved his value by sharing his
knowledge and creativity by assisting the training department with the
automation of the new hire training program. Needless to say, he
caught our eye. By his first anniversary with us, he had already
spread his light across the many technical aspects of our business. He
was instrumental in the automation of our training programs and the
implementation of our internal intranet. Then he really began to turn
heads… So much so, that he created a new position for himself within
the Wyndham world. He became our Reservations Office’s very own IT
guru… our lifesaver in more than one way.
As
a Generation Y-er, John has always been comfortable in and around
computers. He gets them. And everything there is about them. He is
able to take the simple ideas of others and turn them into automated,
technical masterpieces. Specifically, John has taken the reporting
function of our center to the next level by linking it to reports each
week which allows for accurate and up to the minute analysis. His
greatest accomplishment over the last year has been the creation of
ResStats. This program is THE program of the year… for our
Reservations Team, anyway. It allows the Sales Associates and Team
Leaders to see individual performance as it relates to revenue
produced, calls answered, call conversion statistics as well as tracks
the commission plan associated with this performance. All of this can
be done by a click of a button – thanks to John! With the
introduction of a new and complicated (to say the least) commission
plan for our Sales Associates last year, John found a way to make the
new plan easy to follow and understand… all by creating a step by
step program which allows each Associate to see his/her own individual
performance each day. This program was used in the communication piece
of the plan’s roll out but more importantly it became the real life
instruction guide for our team. John was able to link real life
production statistics from our reservation system to each individual
performer; thus, providing each associate with a clear picture of the
rewards for their performance.
In
addition, John created our Mystery Shop Database system, which our
hotels use to access their test reservation calls. Along with creating
this database, he also created fabulous reports that the hotel can use
to measure their success by staff member and overall percentage of
meeting the required criteria. And it does not stop there. John
created our RPM database, which is our Reservations Productivity
Measurement tool. This database allows hotels to record their call
data and reservation statistics by staff member and team. As a
company, this allows us to determine company-wide reservation
production. While this work has saved time and money, the most
impressive thing about John is his modest and earnest approach to all
that he does. He is a contributor in every sense of the word. Whether
it is providing guidance to an RSA on how to get through our system
quicker, or helping our payroll department link the biweekly payroll
with the automated commission calculations, John is always
available… to guide, to assist and to save. He’s our lifesaver…
our beacon of light. John is truly an exceptional individual who
exemplifies excellence.
IARE
Spirit
Award Winner:
Tricia
Wisehart, The Hertz Corporation
2005 Award winners (left to
right): Mona Adams, Julie DeSaye, John Dobrotka, Lisa Larsen and
Tricia Wisehart.
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2005-2006
IARE Board of Directors
Congratulations
to the 2005-2006 IARE Board of Directors, sworn in by Past President
Will Jansen of Best Western International at the IARE Business Meeting
on April 26, 2005.
-
President:
Dan Hoesing; Director of Reservations and Customer Service;
Carlson Hospitality Worldwide; Omaha, Nebraska USA
-
Vice
President/President Elect:
Michele Rowan; Senior Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa;
Hilton Reservations Worldwide; London, England
-
Secretary:
Ronda Trog; Director, North American Reservations; Best Western
International; Phoenix, Arizona, USA
-
Treasurer:
Yolanda Lowe; Vice President of Operations; InnLink, LLC;
Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA
-
Immediate
Past President:
Keith Brender; Vice President, Customer Communications; Vanguard
Car Rental, USA; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
-
Director:
Tracy Gaudette; Manager, Central Reservations; Coast Hotels Ltd.;
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
-
Director:
Denise Pullen; Assistant Director of Operations; Hyatt Hotels
and Resorts; Omaha, Nebraska, USA
-
Director:
Leesa Williams; Director of Reservations; Accor North America;
Columbus, Ohio, USA
-
Director:
Patricia Wisehart;
Director of Reservations; The Hertz Corporation; Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, USA
-
Board
Affiliate: Gini Hogenson; Manager of Reservation Services;
SunStream Hotels and Resorts; Fort Myers Beach, Florida, USA
-
Board
Affiliate: Jon-Roger Maranda; Senior Director; Amtrak;
Washington, DC USA
-
Board
Affiliate: David Townsend; Manager of Learning and
Development; Carlson Hospitality Worldwide; Omaha, Nebraska USA
-
Board
Affiliate: Scott Wright; Director, Business Development;
Willow CSN Inc.; Elmhurst, Illinois USA
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Members
Only
On-line
Bulletin Board
Would you like to get
your fellow members’ opinions on a new software product or
training program? Are
you using the IARE Member Bulletin Board?
See
new postings on the IARE On-line Bulletin Board
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About
IARE-News
The IARE-News is a quarterly publication
distributed electronically to provide ongoing communication and
information for IARE Members.
The IARE’s Communications & Technology Committee produces
IARE E-News.
Articles
may be submitted via email to iare@assnoffice.com
and are subject to acceptance and editing by the Communications and
Technology Committee.
Archives:
E-News:
March, 2005
E-News:
December, 2005
E-News: June,
2004
E-News: March,
2004
E-News: November,
2003
E-News: July,
2003
E-News: March, 2003
E-News: December,
2002
E-News: October,
2002
E-News: July, 2002
E-News: March, 2002
E-News: December,
2001
E-News: September,
2001
E-News: June,
2001
E-News: April, 2001
E-News:
February, 2001
E-News, December 2000
IARE ...
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Connecting people in every corner of the world
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East Arapahoe Court #2100
Centennial, Colorado 80112-1361 U.S.A.
Phone 303-694-4728
Fax 303-694-4869
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©
2005 -- International Association of Reservation
Executives -- All rights reserved.
Last edit 06/15/05
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