5250 E US 36  |#1102B
Avon, IN 46123


The PACE Pulse is an informational newsletter 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

Hello PACE Members and Future Members,

Last week, over 150 contact center professionals attended PACE’s Annual Washington Summit. In case you missed it, our national events are a terrific way to meet, network and get valuable education with your peers. This year’s Summit focused on call blocking/labeling, TCPA reform and data privacy, - a concern for many companies. 

Data privacy is upon us. The train has left the station. So, the intent has to be to limit the regulations to common sense ideas and have one federal rule. Part of the Washington Summit included visits with federal legislators. More than 25 PACE members visited their Senators and Congressional offices and stressed the point of the harm on businesses and the consumers of multiple data privacy regulations. Not everyone in Congress agrees with PACE and our members on this issue. However, PACE will be at the table to make sure our members are heard and that our representatives understand how one rule is vital to protect consumers. 

We can't sit back and let others decide for us. That is why PACE will be active in this area. Representing our members does not come without the expense of going to Washington and making the case. To meet our needs, PACE has an Impact Fund that we use to pay for our advocacy. In addition, we have a PAC that is used to contribute to Senators and Congress men and women who understand the need for balanced regulations. 

If you are interested in helping or need more information, please reach out to me at 317-522-2799! This is more than a typical PACE update. This is a situation that needs the attention of PACE members now!

To read Stuart's letter in its entirety, 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. October's member spotlight features NobelBiz.

Since 2005, NobelBiz has innovated award-winning cloud solutions, performance-based routing, and data aggregation on a business reporting platform that reduces call frequency and improves contact rates. Together with their extraordinary customer service, NobelBiz has earned a solid reputation across the US and abroad.

Named one of the “20 Most Promising Business Intelligence Service Providers"​ by CIOReview, NobelBiz's innovation creates products, like LocalTouch® and VitalSigns® - that are increasing performance and enhancing productivity for inbound and outbound calling.


For more information on NobelBiz, click  here.
PACE's Resource and Supplier Directory 

Last month, PACE unveiled its new resource directory that is open to the public and will allow 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.

Benefits of the PACE On-Line Resource and Supplier Directory:

  • Single, comprehensive resource for members and non-members seeking a variety of contact center services
  • Members’ ability to craft unique messaging to attract and retain potential customers
  • Listings and rankings are based on PACE membership level
  • Internal and external resource development tool, allows members to see who other PACE members are and refer business to them. 
College of Call Center Excellence Certification Program
Our partnership with BenchmarkPortal continues to grow and we are now offering our co-branded contact center professional certification program.

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
REMINDER: BenchmarkPortal’s Call Center Campus (CCC) is next week, and because of our partnership with BMP, PACE members can attend with special discounts. CCC was named a “Must Attend Event” for contact center professionals. For more information on the event, click here.
PACE Member Directory
Not to be confused with the new Resource Directory that is open to the public, the PACE Member Directory allows members to open their PACE membership to all aspects of their organization. Whether it’s compliance, operations, training, QA, etc., your PACE membership provides all of the benefits that PACE has to offer to every department and title within your organization. We have a multitude of educational opportunities, compliance and regulatory information, advocacy, as well as the opportunity to network and refer business to other PACE members. 

We want you to be able to take advantage of all the membership benefits PACE has to offer. So, set up your organization's profile and your personal profile completely. Once that is completed, we can help you set up additional users on your company profile, if needed. We're here to help you and your colleagues get the most benefit out of your membership. 

If you have questions on how to or who can set up a member profile, contact Susan Burt at [email protected] or 317.522.2769
Welcome New Members
NobelBiz
Nexxa Group
Amalgamated Life Insurance Company Call Center Optimization Group Adtalem Global Education
Roth Jackson, PLC
ITyX Solutions
InnerView
Virido
Ensurety Ventures, LLC 
Caribbean Export Development Agency (CAIPA Secretariat) 
Thank You Renewed Members
1 & 1 Internet
ALSAC
American Residential Services
AmeriMark Direct, LLC
Broadband Dynamics
Careington International Corporation Customer Count
Etech Global Services
First Orion 
iPacesetters, LLC
Issues and Answers
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
KM2 Solutions
Neustar, Inc
OnProcess Technology, Inc
Orange Lake Country Club, Inc
S&P Data, LLC
Starpoint Resort Group
TPG TeleManagement
Voiceteam
Advocacy and Articles
Abiding by our pillars of education and advocacy, PACE brings you the latest news and articles impacting the contact center realm.
Searcy Award for Advocacy Recipient
On Monday, September 24, at the 2018 PACE Washington Summit, we honored the late Tim Searcy, former PACE CEO and trail-blazer for the association and advocate for those impacted by the contact center industry. 

We were proud to unveil the Searcy Award for Advocacy and to present the 1 st award to Tim’s wife, Michelle Searcy and his daughter, Ashton Searcy. Tim’s son, Connor Searcy, is stationed in Japan and was unable to attend the ceremony. 

The Searcy Award for Advocacy recognizes a PACE member, corporation or business for its efforts in advocating for the association and contact center industry at-large. 
To submit an article for the PACE Pulse, contact Chris Haerich .
Whose Job Is It Anyway?
Christa Heibel, Founder/Owner of  CH Consulting Group

Who is responsible for the customer experience (CX) in an organization? While your average contact center agent has a responsibility to ensure customer satisfaction, agents alone cannot control the entire brand experience of a company. The brand experience includes elements such as product quality, marketing and sales, technology, and retail shopping experience. Read the article in its entirety .

The Best Of Both The World's Is Required, But It Is PEOPLE Who Add More Value
Submitted by Etech Insights

It seems that more and more everyday processes and jobs are starting to include a measure of automation, where there’s less for flesh-and-blood humans to do a specific task to be completed. That’s most certainly become apparent when it comes to call centers. With that in mind, you should know there’s much to be gained when you harness the power of AI and people rather than letting it become a source of anxiety. Artificial intelligence is good, but it is people who are working on the information derived from the technology. Let’s look why Humans cannot be replaced by Bots/Machines/AI.

Read the article in its entirety .

Worthwhile Work = Success At Telemarketing Agencies
Nathan Teahon, VP at Quality Contact Solutions

At  Quality Contact Solutions  we have seven core values that guide how we behave. One of the most important of those core values is Conducting Worthwhile Work.

Worthwhile work is knowing that you come to work to represent clients you can be proud of. Being a telemarketing representative is not always an easy job, but when you are proud of the company you are representing and enjoy the types of calls you are making then you are much more likely to be fully engaged. It's important to us that our employees can sit down with their family at Thanksgiving and speak about the companies they represent with pride. 

To read the article in its entirety .
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.
Additional Consumer Rights Prompt New FCRA Model Disclosures

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) has issued an interim final rule updating two model disclosures under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Following the Equifax data breach and consumer concerns about the security of information in their credit reports, Congress passed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act requiring nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide “security freezes” free of charge to consumers. To read the article in its entirety, click here .

Failure to Comply with Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Can Be Costly for Businesses

The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed its first ever Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lawsuit against a residential landlord company on September 11, 2018. In its complaint against Twin Creek Apartments, LLC d/b/a Pavilion at Twin Creek, the Government alleged that Twin Creek illegally charged service members a fee when they terminated their leases early due to military relocation or deployment orders.

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

The PACE monthly Compliance Officers Forum, led by Reid Houser, PACE National Board Member and Head of Global Compliance and Privacy Officer for Sitel, is a benefit for PACE members only. 

The COF call is held on the 3 rd Wednesday of the month at 2:30 PM ET/1:30 PM CT. 

If you would like to be on the COF call, please contact Chris Haerich.
October DNC Holidays
Please be advised that  Monday October 8, 2018 is a Do Not Call holiday (Columbus Day) in Alabama, Rhode Island and Utah.  

Outbound telemarketing calls to consumers in these states should be suppressed on Columbus Day unless an exemption applies.    

Additionally, prerecorded message calls may only be made into Nebraska from 1pm to 9pm on Columbus 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.
Join us in Princeton for an amazing day of education and networking at the PACE Regional Contact Center Summit focusing on Understanding Compliance and Improving Operations in your contact center.
Princeton Summit

Date:  November 14, 2018
Time:  10 AM – 5 PM CT
Cost:  $99 for PACE Members;
$119 for Non-Members
Location:   Hyatt Regency Princeton
102 Carnegie Center Drive
Princeton, NJ  08540

For more information on our Princeton speakers, sponsorship opportunities or to register, click here .
PACE Compliance Webinar
Join PACE and MacMurray and Shuster for our FREE monthly PACE Compliance & Regulatory Webinar Series.
  
Employment Issues for Contact Centers
1 PM ET/12 PM CT
Thursday, October 18



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BenchmarkPortal - PACE October Webinar
PACE is proud to our partnership with BMP to provide monthly webinars relevant to the latest in industry news and trends.

Taming Turnover: Techniques that Work
Agent turnover is an expensive problem for many centers. Bruce Belfiore will address ways to bring down your turnover and increase satisfaction, productivity and loyalty in your work force.

Wednesday, October 24 at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT

To register for this free webinar, click here .
PACE - InnerView Four-Part Webinar Series

Putting Brands First: Aligning Brand Strategy with Contact Center Operations to win over Customers and Employees

Wednesday, October 24, 2018
12 – 1 PM CT/1 -2 PM ET

Every customer interaction is a reflection of a company’s brand. Do agents know what sets the brand they represent apart? Are they confident in telling the story? This four-part webinar series will explore ways to ensure contact centers are acting as marketing ambassadors and delivering the desired customer experience.


Non-Members, register here.
PACE Members, register here.
Annual PACE Convention and Expo

Plans are already under way for our Annual PACE Convention & Expo (ACX’19) at the  Hyatt Hill Country Resort & Spa  in San Antonio, Texas.

Call for speakers is now open! Our annual National Convention & Expo is the signature event for customer engagement/contact center professionals, bringing together industry executives from around the globe. ACX’19 combines high-powered networking and business development, coupled with cutting edge educational content.

For more information on speaker and presentation guidelines and deadlines, click here.

Don't delay, register today! Hotel reservations are now open. Book now.
 5250 E US 36 |#1102B
Avon, IN 46123
1(317) 816-9336
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