The November 2013 Issue of TAS Trader

Amtelco Cloud-Based Platform

TAS of the Month: Sound Telecom

Sound Telecom just opened their new “Sound Lounge,” featuring pool, Ping-Pong, foosball, HD TV, Xbox 360 Kinect, personal use computer and phones, lounge, and reading area. Now, Sound Telecom employees can work hard and play hard!

Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is the publisher and editor-in-chief of TAS Trader. Check out his latest book, Sticky Customer Service.

To have your TAS featured in an upcoming issue of TAS Trader, just post your photo on the TAS Trader Facebook page – and then ask your staff to like it!

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The 49th Annual CAM-X Convention and Trade Show

The 49th Annual CAM-X Convention and Trade Show was held September 24–27, 2013, at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda. In addition to announcing the 2013 CAM-X Award of Excellence winners, the following individuals received special recognition.

Casey Smit Receives Hall of Fame Award at 2013 CAM-X Convention

Casey Smit Inducted into CAM-X Hall of Fame: Casey Smit was inducted into the 2013 CAM-X Hall of Fame. Casey accepted the award during the gala banquet at the recent CAM-X Annual Convention and Trade Show.

Debbie Iacovone nominated Casey for this Hall of Fame award on behalf of everyone at Re: Messaging Solutions. Debbie said, “Casey has always taken a ‘people first’ approach in business.” She added, “One of his mottos is ‘It’s not about how interesting you are but rather how interested you are.’ Casey and his wife Gail always ‘got interested’ in people.”

Upon receiving the award, Casey says, “The funny thing about an award like this, it always comes as a surprise—a very pleasant surprise. Getting involved with CAM-X back in 1990 for the first time was a huge eye-opener for me: the incredible sharing of information, the friendliness of the members, the great friendships that evolved, but mostly the determination of the board members to create a better industry for everyone. I have benefitted from all my experiences with CAM-X and this industry, and I can’t thank everyone enough for this recognition.”

The CAM-X Hall of Fame was established by the Canadian Call Management Association in 2001 to recognize dynamic individuals whose leadership has contributed to the evolution of the telephone answering service and call center industry. The Hall of Fame celebrates inductees for their accomplishments, vision, and leadership, as well as for their tireless efforts to promote, support, and protect the industry.

Michael Leibowitz receiving award from Sydney Ryan at 2013 CAM-X Convention

Michael Leibowitz Recognized for Ethics, Integrity, and Quality: Congratulations go out to Michael Leibowitz of Call Experts in Charleston, South Carolina, for winning the 2013 Tom Ryan Award for Ethics, Integrity, and Quality Above All. Leibowitz accepted this honor at the convention.

The coveted Tom Ryan Award is presented annually in memory of one of the contact management field’s most ardent advocates, Tom Ryan, a pioneer of the telephone message industry. This industry-specific award pays homage to companies that exhibit quality service while adhering to a mandate based on a commitment to ethics and integrity above all else.

Also taken into consideration is the company’s overall dedication to maintaining a cohesive working environment, practicing ongoing internal and external customer service initiatives, and continuous involvement in industry and community programs.

Upon receiving the award, Michael said, “Tom Ryan was an industry icon who raised the bar in many ways. I am honored and humbled to be chosen for this award. I share this with the people of Call Experts who are dedicated to the values Tom Ryan held dear.”

Pat Vos Receiving Award (with Linda Osip) at 2013 CAM-X Convention

Pat Vos Receives Barbara Bradbury Pay It Forward Mentoring Award: Congratulations go out to Pat Vos of Intercon Messaging Inc. in Drayton Valley, Alberta, for winning the very first Barbara Bradbury Pay It Forward Mentoring Award. Vos accepted the honor at the CAM-X Convention.

Speaking about the creation of the award, CAM-X member Gary Blair said, “If ever there was a person who emulated the embodiment of the definition of mentor, it is my friend and colleague Barbara Bradbury. When she announced that she would be retiring and moving into the next phase of her professional and personal life, I thought it imperative for an industry that has benefitted so much from having had her within our ranks over such a long while to ensure the continuation of what she created: an incredible, industry-wide focus on the importance of mentoring the next generation of agents, supervisors, managers, and owners. Such generosity of spirit, knowledge, and business acumen – and an unlimited willingness to share it could only be properly honored by the creation of the Barbara Bradbury Pay It Forward Mentoring Award. This award was created to honor those individuals following in Barbara’s footsteps.”

Upon receiving the award, Pat says, “It is truly humbling. Looking at the award is a daily reminder to be the best I can be every day. This award, for me, is a gift of forgiveness and second chances, and for that I am most grateful.”

Paul Binion receives the Donald Swift Education Endowment (DSEE)

Paul Binion Receives the Donald Swift Education Endowment: Introduced in September 2008, the Donald Swift Education Endowment (DSEE) is based on the belief that if an individual were given an opportunity not normally available to him or her, a motivated personality would deliver amazing results. The DSEE award is presented annually to the person who is deemed to most exemplify the mission statement and values promoted by CAM-X.

Matching that definition, Paul Binion of Call Experts in Charleston, South Carolina, was honored with the 2013 Donald Swift Education Endowment and attended, for the first time, the 49th CAM-X Convention and Trade Show.

The DSEE was designed to assist one dedicated person from a member organization, who may not normally attend, the opportunity to experience the value of a CAM-X convention. The trust fund was established to cover the attendee’s expenses, including conference registration, accommodation, and travel.

“The opportunity to get an inside look at our industry is an experience that I will always remember. Oftentimes my vision is limited to the location itself or the job I do for the company, and receiving the award, as well as being able to make the trip to a tropical island to receive it, gave me the opportunity to get a real inside look at our industry as a whole,” said Paul. “Being able to interact with owners and operations managers of other call centers across the continent has given me a much broader perspective of just how big our industry is.

“As for the receiving the award itself, the biggest moment for me came when I realized the award was based on the external things I do that are unrelated to the role I play here at Call Experts. The work I have done and continue to do in the nonprofit arena is done for the benefit of others without any expectations of reward or praise for those efforts. Just to have my name submitted for consideration for such an award was an honor itself, but to have received it and to have been recognized by an international organization is the highest honor I have ever been given. I am indeed humbled and thankful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Based in Grimsby, Ontario, CAM-X (www.camx.ca) is a Canadian-based trade association for the call management industry, which includes call centers, telephone answering services, voicemail services, and other communication services. CAM-X’s goal is to contribute to their members’ profitability by fostering a willingness to exchange ideas, experiences, and solutions while promoting the general welfare and ethical standards of the industry.

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Telephone Answering Service News

Alston Tascom’s ADAM the SoftSwitch with Dynamic Operator: Alston Tascom’s ADAM softswitch and Evolution MS-SQL database will now dynamically assign an operator to an available position when they sign in for work. The knowledge about which positions are available is already in the system, so the system decides which position to assign. This is especially useful for remote operators because it eliminates the need to coordinate which position should be used for login. For more information, contact Alston Tascom at 866-282-7266 or info@alstontascom.com.

Peter Melton Joins Professional Teledata: Professional Teledata announced that Peter Melton has joined their team as a senior telephony engineer, bringing with him twenty-eight years of expertise, knowledge, and experience in the telephony arena. “Peter Melton brings the vitality and perspective to this position that fits perfectly with our vision for the future at Professional Teledata,” said Pat Kalik, president of Professional Teledata. “Pete understands what we are all about. His experience and expertise make him the perfect person to join our telephony team, where he will continue providing quality and support for our valued customers.”

Amtelco’s miSecureMessages Compatible with Apple iOS 7: Amtelco’s miSecureMessages smartphone messaging and paging replacement application is now compatible with iOS 7, the latest release of the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch operating system. “Amtelco made a commitment to the Apple iOS platform with the development of miSecureMessages 3.0 this spring,” said Kevin Beale, Amtelco vice president for software, research, and development. “The app was totally rewritten for version 3.0 to look and feel like a native Apple app. This effort went a long way to help miSecureMessages work seamlessly with iOS 7 when iOS 7 was released.”

People to People Ambassador Programs Taps Outsourcer: People to People Ambassador Programs selected Sound Telecom to handle its after-hours and overflow support calls, which increase during the winter and holiday season. People to People Ambassador Programs sends over 15,000 students to more than forty countries each year. The company is dedicated to the design and delivery of travel programs geared toward high school and college students. “Our travelers get the best of both worlds from our programs: great educational travel experiences and excellent customer support,” said Rhonda Lashbrook, delegate care manager for People to People. “We don’t cut corners on customer service. Our traveling students require support on a 24/7 basis.”

Telescan Moves to New Space: Roger Young, president of Telescan, a division of Amtelco, announced the move of Telescan’s offices November 1. “After twenty-five years in our previous location, it was time for a change. The new space provides a more technology-driven environment and better collaboration for our sales, service, and software development groups to serve our customers’ needs. Please come and see us in our new location at 617 Salt Lick Road, St. Peters, Missouri.”

Tascom Enters Its 35th Year Serving the TAS Industry: The first Tascom system was installed in 1980 in Alaska; it was a thirty-two-position system. Tascom was one of three product lines for Conrac Alston, a company noted for building billing systems for large central offices throughout the world. In 1986, Mark IV Industries acquired Conrac Industries and renamed the company to Alston, a Mark IV Company. In 1994 Wayne Scaggs, employed since 1979, acquired Alston and renamed it Alston Tascom, Inc. Alston Tascom, Inc. is entering its twentieth year. Mark your calendar for a big celebration in November 2014 and celebrate with them.

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[Posted by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD for TAS Trader.]