1 ACCE Customer Service Survey102 Responses March 2004
2 What are the primary elements of your customer service strategy?
3 What are the primary elements of your customer service strategy?Topic Sales or membership staff only All staff Management-level and higher staff only Volunteers Board of Directors Customer service training 20 65 9 25 12 Job description contains customer service responsibilities 21 75 7 17 10 Performance appraisal includes customer service aspect 73 8 3 2 Gathering member feedback (program evaluations, satisfaction surveys, etc.) 35 55 22 31 23 Recognition (newsletter, website, at meetings/events, etc.) 19 52 18 49 New member orientation or welcome packet 41 16 40 Renewal packet or call 64 13 33 Outreach calls or visits 56 26 58 30 Exit interviews/surveys for dropped members 72 15 Recording all member contacts in membership database or central location 47 Segmenting your membership and assigning specific staff or volunteers to a group or groups of members 46 Invoices/billing/late notices 57 28 1
4 What did we miss from the list above?Invoices are handled only by our bookkeeper. While all of us should be versed in customer service, I only see my position as being truly customer service oriented. While it's not in my job description, it is always something in the back of my mind - to meet the needs of the members - answer their questions, help them if they have issues, etc. The categories on this survey are not clear to me... what are you looking for? Also, the word "only" changes the answer to your questions. What about chambers with 1 or no staff? Section 2 - what are you asking - who does this? Finance sends all invoices and membership sends letters for past due accounts. Reporting to members on how they actually participated as a company and how they actually benefited; based on report generated from management software. Office/Accounting staff functions Invoicing is done by our administrative assistant as well as the data base maintenance. We are a state chamber exec. association, so most of these survey items don't apply. Role of Accounting personnel
5 If you segment your membership by monetary contribution, do you have a separate retention plan for your top 20% of investors?
6 If you segment your membership by monetary contribution, do you have a separate retention plan for your top 20% of investors? Choice Count Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Sample Asked Percentage of Total Sample Yes 30 31.6% 29.4% No 65 68.4% 63.7%
7 What's in the plan for the top 20%? Please elaborate.More emphasis on community initiatives and community betterment projects to involve them with. Our top 20% are in the tourism business where we have incredible benefits and value - our penetration is close to 100% and we strongly focus on this sector in our programming and strategic goals. There is benefit schedule for our enhanced investors that pay $1,000 or more. The highest level is $30,000 or more. Each of the levels provides additional benefits to include at the highest level 8 free tickets to the Annual Meeting, free advertising in our news letter, listing and links on our web site. Top 20% of accounts are contacted by President, Sr. Staff and Board of Directors Something we call Concierges Service for sponsors. One call - one person stop for all requests. CEO, COO chairman responsibility Sales Representative and membership Director help with this Personal contact from the CEO. Senior Management calls
8 What's in the plan for the top 20%? Please elaborate.Key Account visits by the President and occasionally selected staff/board. Special invite for groups of investors to have breakfast with the Chamber President. Upper management follow-up with Board of Directors Personal meetings with Chamber President and Board Chair each year, well before renewal time; One-on-one meetings with top investors on strategic plan updates, major initiatives. Annual reviews in person with their key staff. Our president makes is a point to call those top investors to thank them every now and then. It is built into the top membership investment level and includes high-level interactions, annual visit by CEO and a board member, and some VIP invitations. We segment out the top 75 companies and approach each accordingly. Extra print recognition Primarily Calls made by Board of Directors and President Extra Recognition on website Special Customized Plaque given Preferential seating when possible Includes follow-up by President.
9 What's in the plan for the top 20%? Please elaborate.Full time staff person that visits them on a regular basis Annual visit by President Membership software used More interactive engagement. Special activities (eg. small group discussions with Members of Congress, other persons of note). More personal contact. Pro-active contact from our newly created position of "Chamber Concierge." This person provides a single point of contact for the upper tiers of our membership and is responsible for helping that member fully understand and utilize chamber resources and benefits. Chairman's Circle for top members who pay us $5,000 to $25,000 levels Board of Advisors - Member Relations Committee Partnership 2010
10 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?6-month satisfaction survey Continuing to improve our networking events. Personal member contact either through phone calls or visitation. They enjoy consistent communication but not from a retention standpoint. Personal relationship Outreach calls asking how their partnership is. We have created a community-wide customer service program known as STEAMBOAT Genuine - focusing on genuine, hands on, exceeding expectations service throughout the community. Recognition of members through testimonies on flyers, stories on web site, articles in newsletter. People like being recognized and their business being promoted. The calls from our Ambassadors has also been very beneficial in building relationships with our members and getting feedback from the. We don't have a plan but what we do is bounce ideas off my Membership Development Committee. If they approve then it is taken to the executive board who will either approve/disapprove of a matter - such as health insurance or finding a vendor for a major project. We had the question recently about whether or not we need to host another Job Fair. We asked the Membership Committee and they suggested asking the membership. So, in my bi-weekly fax to the members, I posed the question of whether or not to have a job fair. Three members responded. So, it is evident from that response that a Job Fair is not needed right now. (Is this what you are looking for?)
11 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?President's Council a group of volunteers who call on members 3 months prior to their renewal date "Operation Thank You" and website referral updates. Returning phone calls in a timely manner. Relationship building methods: personal , thank you notes & calls. face to face continual contact with the membership Quarterly calls to members, our very in depth monthly newsletter and personal visits. One-on-one conversations with members by CEO, staff members, Board of Directors and Ambassador Committee members. monthly personal contact All staff is charged with solving any problem that may occur. There is no "passing the buck". Personal contact and customization of program by staff. Personal contact. We get high marks for our friendliness and welcoming atmosphere in our yearly member survey. We answer the phone with a live person. Yet we are committed to high tech communication as well. It's a balance.
12 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?Face to Face Discussions Focus groups held on regular basis by senior management staff and chairman of the board with members. This allows our members to talk about what is happening in their businesses, what is happening in the community and what effects these are having on their businesses. Director of Membership Betty Church, 70 Ambassadors contact every member each year, networking at numerous events and getting members involved with Chamber programs. Constant communication. Not certain yet - just implemented Finding the pulse of your member and connecting them with what they are looking for whether that is corporate citizenry, making contacts with particular departments or finding them a venue for their product or service. Check in calls and calling to inform them of a new program that they would be interested in. Membership retention calls and an open door policy to allow members to suggest new programs and/or events Scheduled monthly calls from different staff and volunteers
13 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?Personal visits or small groups of membership segments. ing, calling and the Ambassador program!! Immediate response Personal contact face to face visits Building personal relationships, helping everyone out large or small member. Responding quickly when an issue arises. Person to person visits, follow-ups, notes, calls...."we are always there for your business..." One on One contact. Referral mailings indicating the number of monthly phone, walk in and website referrals. face to face meetings Customer Service Management Model - internally developed Face to face meetings! Quick responses to our member needs, being proactive
14 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?One on one visits, small informal networking groups Having personal contact with members throughout the year, and especially when we are not selling them a service or asking for a contribution. Also, providing programs and services that truly benefit members and have value to them, not just the Chamber. Building strong personal relationships. Personal phone call or visit. Remembering names and active listening. Personal contact monthly from an outreach outside contractor Always deliver what you say and more. We work for the members. Their demands take precedence over anything else. We have four full-time staff who meet with 1000 businesses to find out what their economic development needs are. Meetings are replicated annually...some every 18 months. In all, we make contact every 18 months with nearly 1500 members Our new member contact timeline - several contacts during the first year. effective? Not sure anything we are doing is effective other than getting people involved as volunteers. When times are tough unless they are deeply engaged in our activities, they are not choosing to renew even if they like us and think we do good work.
15 What is the most effective customer service strategy you use?Frequent communication Good communications & customized/personalized services. ing, calling, writing a personal not, Ambassador program Calling members before and after renewal. Visits.. s.. Diplomats Club -- personal visits Other than one-to-one contact, membership surveys. Ownership of customer service issues. No passing the buck. Lots of personal attention and responsibility. Personal contact with the member Testimonials Personal contacts and attention.
16 What method(s) do you use and how often, to track the efficacy of your customer service efforts?
17 What method(s) do you use and how often, to track the efficacy of your customer service efforts?Topic Monthly Quarterly Annually Other Total retained accounts 61 14 34 3 Total canceled accounts 71 13 24 2 Accounts retained through staff-driven initiatives 38 10 16 7 Accounts retained through volunteer-driven initiatives 23 8 18 12 Accounts retained by a specific strategy (i.e., outreach calls vs. s or 26 Member satisfaction rating 43 Exit interviews 32 4
18 Other ways you track the efficacy?Contact calls made by Ambassadors Direct phone calls and face-to-face meetings/visits with members. This answer is for #8 but there was no box for comments there. We don't have a head of membership. All staff is responsible for membership along with their other duties. Not tracking aggressively yet each month sending our bills and personal note written and a lot of calling One-on-one member feedback. each month see who has paid then after 90 days hand it to our sales rep. can save the member Customer satisfaction surveys
19 Is head of membership is also the head of one of your chamber's most important/core program(s)? For example, the same staff member heads up your membership and government relations departments, or heads up membership and business development departments.