Issue 37, December 2008
A Message From President Ronda
Trog
Submitted by Ronda Trog, Best Western
International, IARE President 2008-2010
What a difference a few months
can make! 2008 was not as strong a year as 2007 but was holding its own
– right up to late September. Then the bottom seems to have fallen out
of the industry and the economy.
The association Board of
Directors holds a mid-year meeting each fall in the host city for the
upcoming annual IARE conference. As we were working on the agenda for
the meeting we found that not all of the board members could travel to
attend the meeting. Companies were restricting travel for their staff
and as time went on, we lost the attendance of a few others. We
conducted the most critical parts of the Board meeting via conference
call so that those unable to attend could still participate.
Recognizing the impact low
attendance would have on the value of the annual conference resulted in
the Board moving the date of the conference for 2009. We will be
meeting in St. Louis on September 20 – 23. The conference hotel, The
Chase Park Plaza, has been very flexible as they know first hand how the
economy is affecting our companies. Before making this critical
decision we checked with several vendors who assured us that the
September date should not be a problem for them.
We hope that with the later
date, the economy will improve and folks will be able to attend as they
have in years past. We encourage you to help recruit new companies into
the organization so that we can all benefit from each other’s knowledge
and experiences.
There are some great items in
the newsletter and I look forward to seeing everyone in St. Louis!
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Strategies in a Downturn Year
Submitted by Leesa Williams,
Senior Director,
Accor North America
Industry experts have given
their opinion on the impact to the travel industry for 2009 and we are
all bracing for a tight year. Whenever faced with tight budgets, you
are often asked to optimize all aspects of the operation, below are some
areas you may want to consider:
Optimization Strategies:
- Hire more part time than
full time staff. This allows for flexibility in managing labor
hours. If volume picks up you have the ability to increase
schedules without incurring overtime.
- Review your call scripts
and messaging to make sure you are taking full advantage of your
equipment to manage your calls prior to presenting to your agents.
- Generally in tight years
organizations adjust their key targets and goals. Review your Key
Performance Indicators to insure they are driving toward the goals
established for your organization.
- Communicate your
strategies to your staff and make sure you have a plan for ongoing
communication throughout the year. Fear of the unknown will have an
impact on the level of service you provide your customers.
- Review your incentive
programs for the year to incorporate “fun” activities such as “on
the phone games” and food days.
- Demonstrate ongoing
appreciation for your staff and work on maintaining high morale and
a positive work environment. When people are in tough personal
situations this can translate to your guests.
These are just a few that we
are looking at to maximize while maintaining a positive morale. Keep in
contact with your colleagues at IARE and share your experiences. It
will be a tough year for us all, networking and sharing ideas always
helps.
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Membership Committee
News
Submitted by
Jenifer Gibson,
Director of Operations, Accor North
America
The membership committee is
currently looking for new and old member leads as well as willing
participants for the membership committee. Our goals for 2009 are to
1. Increase
membership in the car rental, cruise line, travel agency, and boutique
hotel contact centers.
2. Retain
our current members enrolled in IARE
3. Develop
a strong membership committee.
As
a participant on the membership committee you will be reaching out to
our membership leads to promote the fantastic benefits of the IARE
organization. Please contact Jenifer Gibson at
mail@iare.com if you'd like to be a
member of this vital committee.
One
of the most important benefits of being a member of IARE is networking
and benchmarking with your peers in the industry. Each member has the
ability to directly impact this benefit by helping to drive membership;
the more members in our organization the more networking and
benchmarking possibilities available.
Please visit our website
frequently at
www.iare.com for new benefits coming to IARE members and look for
ways to promote membership to your peers that are missing out.
Help us maximize our peer list
to get the most out of your membership!
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The Power of IARE
Submitted by Ronda Trog, Best Western
International, IARE President 2008-2010
If you ask anyone who has been a member of IARE
for a few years you hear the same comments – “It’s not just me
struggling with employee morale issues” or “What a great group of people
that are so open to sharing their experiences”.
The Board has decided to help
facilitate networking and benchmarking efforts for IARE members
throughout the year. Each quarter a benchmarking call will be
scheduled. Topics will be identified in advance so that you can plan
to attend. The sessions will be no more than 1 hour. Depending on the
data or type of information being shared, you may be asked to complete a
spreadsheet file or survey and return to the IARE office for
compilation. They will mask company names and redistribute the final
benchmarking report.
Watch your e-mail for an
announcement after the first of the year for the date of the first call
and the topic. Don’t hesitate to suggest topics for the benchmarking
calls! This is your association and as mom always said “you get out of
life what you put into it!” Give us your feedback and participate to
get the most from your membership.
New IARE Members
Welcome to the following new
IARE Member:
Advertise on the IARE Web Site
Looking to reach
top decision-makers in the hospitality contact center industry? The IARE
web site
will now accept banner ads! The IARE web site is the place
where IARE Members go for industry information and is, of course,
accessible to thousands more
seeking information on this unique industry. Don't be left out,
click here to access a rate
sheet and order form.
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