5250 E US 36  |#1102B
Avon, IN 46123

info@paceassociation.org

This special holiday issue of the PACE Pulse, is designed to keep you up-to-date on all things PACE and on the latest news from and about the contact center industry!
P artnerships . A dvocacy. C ompliance. E vents.
A Letter from Our CEO
Stuart Discount

Happy December! I want to take this end-of-the-year opportunity to thank all PACE members for their support in 2018 and offer the best wishes from our Board of Directors and management staff for a very Happy Holiday Season and New Year.

If you have not yet joined PACE, this letter will highlight the benefits of a membership. If you have let your membership lapse, it will serve as a reminder as to why we exist. If you are an active member, we thank you and hope you will share the positive impact PACE continues to have on your business! 

PACE continues to expand its services to provide benefits to our members! Today, PACE offers more than ever before. If you are interested in learning how we can help your business, contact me today.

Have a very Happy Holiday Season! We look forward to engaging with you in 2019!

To read Stuart's entire message, click here .
Partnerships and Network
At PACE, we pride ourselves in building and growing partnerships to better benefit our members and the customers they serve. Check out the highlights and news from our member partners.

Want to experience a true partnership? Contact us to see how you can be a #ProudPACEMember!
Our member in the spotlight. December's member spotlight features ERC.
 
ERC is an agile, results-driven contact center that specializes in managing every part of the customer lifecycle, from customer acquisition to customer care to tech support to recovery and collections. Founded in 1999 by Kirk Moquin and Mark Thompson, ERC has grown into a company with thousands of employees and offices across four continents, capable of handling any customer service needs.

From the very beginning, ERC has been able to connect clients with unrivaled talent and technology, thanks to the company’s continued investment in both developing local workforces and implementing the latest technological breakthroughs. Every ERC employee has access to comprehensive training and benefits, as well as high-tech tools to help them carry out their jobs effectively.

For more information on ERC, click here.
BenchmarkPortal/PACE College of Call Center Excellence Certification Program

Are you taking advantage of our certification program? Our partnership with BenchmarkPortal allows mid-level managers and any of your staff members in need of certification to receive them. It's all part of the PACE membership!

The offerings include:

  • Contact Center Manager
  • 3-day in-person course
  • Quality Assurance Management
  • self-paced on-demand course
  • Coaching for Performance
  • self-paced on-demand course
  • Workforce Management
  • self-paced on-demand course
  • Supervisor
  • self-paced on-demand course
  • Agent
  • self-paced on-demand course

The following PACE members are qualified to take one or more BMP courses for free:

Silver Members : One (1) free course for the duration of your Silver membership
Gold Members: Three (3) free courses for the duration of your Gold membership
Platinum Members: Five (5) free courses for the duration of your Platinum membership
PACE's Resource and Supplier Directory 

Don't forget to take advantage of the PACE resource directory. The directory is open to the public and allows PACE members to promote their businesses to those looking for all types of contact center services. Each PACE member is entitled to a listing as part of the increased value we are offering to all of our corporate members.

For more information on the benefits of the PACE resource directory, click here.
Welcome New Members
Thank You Renewed Members
Are You Taking Advantage?
We want to make sure our members are taking full advantage of all that PACE has to offer. Look for future communications on PACE membership levels and the benefits of each. For information on the value of your PACE membership, click here.
Advocacy and Articles
Abiding by our pillars of education and advocacy, PACE brings you the latest news and articles impacting the contact center realm.
GCOM Acquires Triwest Communications
GCOM Worldwide  has agreed to acquire Triwest Communications. Triwest Communications offers customized voice, data, and hosted telecommunication solutions for many of the nation's leading call centers.

GCOM Worldwide is a telecom consulting firm based out of Newton, NJ, offering customized voice and data telecommunications solutions from top national and international business telecom providers.

To read the press release in its entirety, click here .
To submit an article for the PACE Pulse, contact Chris Haerich .

Click here for guidelines on submitting an article to News You Can Use!
The Anatomy Of Security Phishing
Submitted By:  Ronnie Mize , Chief Security Officer, Etech Global Services
"Malicious actors will always attempt to find a weak link to any organization. They no longer smell silicon. They feel blood. What this means is that attempts to exfiltrate a secure system or obtain secure and confidential files will start with the individual. A malicious actor will attempt to exploit someone to get this information. We have been discussing this at length as it has become a significant tool in the hackers arsenal. It is called Phishing!"

To read the article in its entirety, click here .

Caught In The Cross-Fire: Contact Rates Continue To Decline
Submitted By: Dean Garfinkel, President, Quality Voice and Data

Recent initiatives spearheaded by the FCC, intended to combat robo-calls, are accidentally blocking legitimate calls from companies innocently trying to reach their customers.

In this article a closer look is taken at the FCC’s crusade against robo-calls, and how contact centers are being caught in the cross-fire.

To read the article in its entirety, click here .

Important Forecasting Considerations For Inbound Contact Solutions
By Rich Hamilton, Director of Marketing & Product Development,  Quality Contact Solutions

Have you ever sat on hold, trying to call a company and finally gave up, never to interact with that company again? Making sure that your Inbound Contact Solutions operation is properly staffed is immensely important. Whether this is a first impression or an angry customer that is giving the company one last chance, each inbound contact can be vital.

To read the article in its entirety, click here .

The IPaaS Revolution: Call Centers And Next-Gen Integration Tools
Submitted By: Bill Pieper, President,  EPIC Connections

There's a lot of hype around robotic processes and business process automation in the call center, but what technologies are truly driving digital transformation in customer service? The answer: integration platform as a service, otherwise known as iPaaS.
Click here to find out what you need to know.


Robocall and the Contact Center Industry
Submitted By: Christa Heibel, CEO/Owner, CH Consulting Group
Sometimes, it is difficult to tell the difference between a reliable telemarketer and someone who uses the phone to lure callers or  promote hateful messages . In this age when almost everyone has a mobile phone, robocallers can follow consumers wherever they go. They can attack them in just one click.

To read the article in its entirety, click here .
PACE 2019
Board of Directors
Executive Committee:

Chairwoman:  Lori Fentem, Head of Call Center Growth & Strategy, Ring
Vice Chair:  Christa Heibel, CEO/Owner, CH Consulting Group
Secretary:  Mark Boehmer, Senior Director, Customer Service, Evolent Health
Treasurer:  Sam Falletta, CEO, Incept Corp.

Board of Directors:

Andy Balthaser, Vice President, Compliance, Alorica
Rebecca Carr, Director, Operations, WW (previously Weight Watchers)
Carmit DiAndrea, Global VP, Portfolio Market Strategy, Verint Systems
Joe Galvin, Vice President of Client Services, S&P Data
Mandy Horton, General Counsel, Careington International Corporation
Reid Houser, Head of Global Compliance and Privacy Officer, Sitel Group
Robert Kobek, President, CustomerCount and Mobius VP, LLC
Karl Koster, Chief IP & Regulatory Counsel, Noble Systems Corporation
Harvey Livingston, RVP OBTM-Web, AT&T Alliance Channel
Rob Marshall, Director of National Client Solutions Management, AnswerNet
John Nelson, SVP, Market Information Manager, Bank of America
Michele Powell, Senior Director, Operations Enablement, Aetna One Advocacy (A1A) division of Aetna, Inc.
Ken Sponsler, Senior Vice President, CompliancePoint
Michael Thompson, COO, TPG TeleManagement, Inc.
PACE is committed to representing the interests of its members before regulatory agencies and Congressional members. 

On November 27, 2018, Stuart Discount, PACE CEO; Michele Shuster, General Counsel for PACE; Rebekah Johnson, Chair, Communication Protection Coalition and Founder & CEO, Numeracle; and James Blitz, Vice President and Regulatory Counsel of SiriusXM had two meetings at the Federal Trade Commission.

The first meeting was with Commissioner Michael O’Reilly to get an update on the issues effecting PACE members. Commissioner O’Reilly was interested in PACE providing information on costs of a reassigned database and issues with call blocking and labeling. Following this meeting the group met with members of the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. 

Later that day Stuart and Michele had a meeting with Senator Todd Young’s office to discuss the Robo Call Bill introduced by Senators, Thune and Markey. The message delivered by PACE was that the bill will not help in curbing illegal robo-calling and will force a technical solution that is already in the works with an unreasonable timeframe mandate.

Stay tuned for more updates on meetings with Commissioner Pai’s office and others!
Compliance and Regulatory
We care about keeping our members and their customers compliant. PACE represents those who abide by industry rules and regulations and we are here to keep you abreast of the latest in the compliance and regulatory realms.
FCC Chairman Pushing for Reassigned Numbers Database

In the most recent action in an aggressive campaign to more effectively regulate unwanted calls and text messages, FCC Chairman Pai is  calling upon  his fellow commissioners to approve a proposal creating a single, comprehensive database of reassigned U.S. phone numbers. The database would allow callers to mitigate TCPA risks by verifying that numbers in their calling lists have not been reassigned to a third party. It will also help consumers avoid unwanted calls intended for the prior subscriber of their phone number.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.
December COF Meeting

Due to the upcoming holiday season, we find it necessary to make some adjustments to our December Compliance Officer Forum Call.
 
December call:
Wednesday, December 12
2:30 PM ET/1:30 PM CT

If you would like to be on the COF call, please contact Chris Haerich.
December DNC Holidays
Please be advised of the following upcoming state Do Not Call holidays:

  • Monday December 24, 2018 (Christmas Eve)- AL*, LA, MS** 
  • Tuesday December 25, 2018 (Christmas)- AL, LA, MS, RI and UT 
  • Monday December 31, 2018 (New Year's Eve)- LA, MS**   
  • Tuesday January 1, 2019 (New Year's Day)- AL, LA, MS, RI and UT

* Per Alabama.gov website ( http://inform.alabama.gov/calendar.aspx)

** Mississippi's governor has proclaimed December 24th and January 1st as discretional legal holidays for each state agency ( http://www.sos.ms.gov/Education-Publications/Pages/Proclamation-Christmas-Day.aspx). The law does not specifically require callers to recognize discretional agency holidays as DNC holidays. Callers should make their own determination on whether they may call into Mississippi on these days. 

Callers should suppress outbound telemarketing calls to consumers in the states listed above on applicable holidays unless an exemption applies. 

Finally, prerecorded message calls may only be made into Nebraska from 1pm to 9pm on  Christmas and  New Year's Day unless an exemption applies. 

This e-alert is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Please log into the  Regulatory Guide for more information. Please consult an attorney for legal advice.
Events and Education
One of PACE's pillars in our mission is to provide our members with networking and educational opportunities on a local, regional and national scale. Below are upcoming events supported or managed by PACE.
2019 PACE Annual Convention & Expo Call for Speakers

Do you have something to say? Do you think others in the contact center industry would benefit from what you have to share? Or, do you know a subject matter expert who can offer best practices and insight into the Contact Center industry? If so, submit an application to be a presenter at our Annual Convention & Expo 2019 (ACX'19) in San Antonio, March 31 - April 2.

Be a part of the learning experience! Our Call for Speakers ends  January 4 !
 
Benefits of Presenting
  • Showcase a product or service success that has been achieved at your company
  • Opportunity to educate leading contact center and customer engagement professionals and position yourself as an industry expert through an informational presentation
  • Promotion of your name and organization on our website, in our convention app, and in electronic marketing materials
  • Recognition of your expertise by PACE and 300+ industry professionals attending the convention
  • Opportunity to network with other experts in your industry
  • Presenters receive a complimentary convention registration

The deadline for submission is  January 4, 2019 . Selected speakers will be notified within 2-3 weeks of the deadline. Click  here  for submission guidelines.

Submit all materials to  Chris Haerich  and  Kayci Vincent  for consideration.
Become an ACX'19 Sponsor
Customer engagement professionals nationwide will convene in San Antonio to hear dynamic keynote speakers, engage in professional development, network with colleagues and conduct business. The number of attendees grows every year, and we anticipate this year to be the largest yet.

An ACX'19 sponsorship allows you to demonstrate your commitment to the Contact Center industry. Each sponsorship holds unique values and benefits. The more vested you are, the more successful your sponsorship becomes.

For a list of sponsorship opportunities and benefits, click here .
We don't want you to miss out on a memorable holiday celebration. Come out for great food, great company and contribute to a great cause!
As a special gift, we are offering 50% off admission.
Just enter  HolidayHalf  at  registration .
We hope to see you there!
 
Thursday, December 6
5:30 to 8:00 pm
The Salesforce Tower
 

$59 for Members - $69 for Non-Members
 
AGENDA
5:30 PM
Networking, Fun, Hors d’ouevres, Beer and Wine
6:45 PM
Welcome From The Chapter President, Sponsor Recognition, Looking Ahead to 2019
7:30 PM
Networking / US Marines Toys For Tots Door Prize Raffle / The Fun Continues
8:00 PM
Have A Safe Drive Home!
Bring a toy and a generous spirit to support our charitable door prize raffle.

All proceeds from the door prize raffle will be donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys For Tots.
PACE - InnerView Part 2 of 4-Part Webinar Series

Integrating the Brand into Agent’s Routines

Wednesday, December 5, 2018
12 – 1 PM CT/1 -2 PM ET

This session will pick up the on the first webinar's topic of consumer trends and the need for a more differentiated and "branded" customer experience by discussing ways the unique elements of a company’s brand and value proposition can be integrated into daily contact center routines. Brands can’t just be about advertisements, they need to connect with customers in every interaction!


Non-Members, register here.
PACE Members, register here.
Hear How a Teleservices Contact Center Implemented New Business Operations +60% Faster with Cloud

1 PM ET/12 PM CT
Thursday, December 13

Join the webinar to learn how innovation around data simplification can help contact centers:
  • Shrink implementation times by more than half
  • Improve agent and customer satisfaction
  • Easily build intelligent multichannel workflows
  • Drive comprehensive insight on the customer journey
  • Enable multichannel consent management

For information on presenters, click  here.

Register  today!
Toys for Tots - Toy Drive & Holiday Social
Join SOCAP’s Georgia Chapter, along with CXPA and PACE, as we celebrate the giving of toys to children less fortunate this holiday season. Topical conversations on Customer Experience, prize drawings, and tours of GM Voices Recording Studios. 

Wednesday, December 5
4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
 
Share Toys with Holiday Cheer! A new Toy or $15 donation, or more, for those in need, at the door is not require, but appreciated.  
 
Free event, but registration is required to attend. 
On behalf of all of us at PACE, THANK YOU for an engaging, educational and successful 2018. If you are a member, thank you being a part of the PACE family. If you are not yet a member, consider entering 2019 with a PACE membership.

Here's to a successful and rewarding 2019 for each of you!

With sincere thanks,

The PACE National Board of Directors, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Board of Directors and Management Staff   
 5250 E US 36 |#1102B
Avon, IN 46123
info@paceassociation.org
1(317) 816-9336
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