
Sit-Down | CCO | CC | CHRO | August 2023 | Sydney
Elevating Customer Experience and employee experience: Empathy, Diversity, and Agility.
The Crown Towers, Sydney
Hosted by Factor
- 500 attendees
- 852012 hours
Overview
The September edition of CCO, Contact Centre and CHRO Sit-Down will focus on pillars of customer experience and employee experience and the critical factors that drive success in contact centres. Emphasising the significance of empathy, diversity, and employee wellbeing in delivering exceptional service. The theme also addresses the need for adaptability and resource optimisation to navigate unpredictable challenges. Furthermore, it explores the importance of personalisation and omnichannel experiences to create seamless interactions and foster customer satisfaction. By embracing these principles, organisations can elevate their customer experience strategies, drive customer-centric transformations, and thrive in the ever-evolving retail landscape.
What we will cover
- The Power of EX in Driving CX Unveiling the undeniable link between employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX)
- mbracing Diversity for Inclusive Service Showcasing how diverse teams and inclusive practices create empathetic and personalised customer service experiences.
- ioritising Staff Well-being for Sustainable Service Spotlighting the vital importance of placing employee well-being at the forefront, exploring strategies to fight burnout
- Technology and Adaptability for Seamless Experiences Leveraging technology, including omnichannel approaches, to deliver seamless customer experiences.
Agenda
- Welcome coffee & registration(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Welcome coffee & registration(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Welcome address and introduction by Sit-Down(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Welcome address and introduction by Sit-Down(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- CX and AI—The Future and 10 Practical Use Cases(CHRO Sit-Down) AI plays a significant role in CX, as more businesses adopt various AI-powered tools to interact with customers. Discover insights into how AI will manage practical use cases for contact centres in the future.
- CX and AI—The Future and 10 Practical Use Cases(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) AI plays a significant role in CX, as more businesses adopt various AI-powered tools to interact with customers. Discover insights into how AI will manage practical use cases for contact centres in the future.
- Why the relationship between EX and CX can’t be ignored.(CHRO Sit-Down) Customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) are very closely connected. Any business leader worth their salt will tell you that if you treat your employees right, they will take care of your customers. If your staff feel supported, they are far more likely to create better customer experiences. It’s a simple message that sometimes gets lost as enterprises everywhere work overtime to provide the best service to their customer base while not spending enough time on making sure their staff are engaged. Join Sit-Down’s Director of Research & Production, Byron Connolly; and panellists for a panel discussion on why the relationship between EX and CX can’t be ignored.
- Why the relationship between EX and CX can’t be ignored.(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) Customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) are very closely connected. Any business leader worth their salt will tell you that if you treat your employees right, they will take care of your customers. If your staff feel supported, they are far more likely to create better customer experiences. It’s a simple message that sometimes gets lost as enterprises everywhere work overtime to provide the best service to their customer base while not spending enough time on making sure their staff are engaged. Join Sit-Down’s Director of Research & Production, Shahida Sweeney; and panellists for a panel discussion on why the relationship between EX and CX can’t be ignored.
- Building Leadership Programmes to Deliver Business Outcome(CHRO Sit-Down) Good leadership is critical in achieving business growth, but as employees and organisations alike come to expect more from their leaders, how can we create a strong leadership programme that is linked to the key business drivers and will set the organisation up for success in the years to come? In this fireside chat hosted by Skillsoft and Leisa Moate, Senior Manager, Learning at Super Retail Group (SRG), you will hear about how SRG are working toward a holistic approach to leadership that delivers measurable impact and scale across the business, as well as some of the learnings and challenges they’ve faced along the way. During this session we will explore: · How can you best align leadership programmes to the strategic initiatives of the organisation? · How to demonstrate real impact and ROI. · Practical, real-world examples and learnings from SRG’s own leadership programme.
- Building Leadership Programmes to Deliver Business Outcomes(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) Good leadership is critical in achieving business growth, but as employees and organisations alike come to expect more from their leaders, how can we create a strong leadership programme that is linked to the key business drivers and will set the organisation up for success in the years to come? In this fireside chat hosted by Skillsoft and Leisa Moate, Senior Manager, Learning at Super Retail Group (SRG), you will hear about how SRG are working toward a holistic approach to leadership that delivers measurable impact and scale across the business, as well as some of the learnings and challenges they’ve faced along the way. During this session we will explore: · How can you best align leadership programmes to the strategic initiatives of the organisation? · How to demonstrate real impact and ROI. · Practical, real-world examples and learnings from SRG’s own leadership programme.
- Morning Tea & Networking Break(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Morning Tea & Networking Break(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Leveraging Technology to Build a Future-Ready Learning Environment(CHRO Sit-Down) Addressing the unique landscape of corporate learning and development, "Leveraging Technology to Build a Future-Ready Learning Environment" presents a strategic blueprint for crafting dynamic and agile learning ecosystems. Through the lens of cutting-edge technology, this presentation sheds light on how personalised learning journeys, data-driven insights, and accessible knowledge-sharing can propel workforce effectiveness. By adopting these core concepts, companies can elevate their brand, boost revenue streams, elevate customer service, and realise substantial cost efficiencies. This strategic approach readies them for triumph in an ever-changing business landscape.
- Fireside Chat: Driving Change and ROI in Customer Experience (CX) Roles: Lessons from Challenging Times"(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) Join us as we delve into the dynamics behind what drives change in different organisations, specifically focusing on the role of Customer Experience (CX). With CX being an optional function in many companies, the session will explore the motivations for having a CX role, understanding the ROI it brings, and how CX teams navigate through challenging times. Drawing from real-world examples at companies like VW and McDonald's, the talk will highlight instances where tough situations presented opportunities to enhance the focus on customer experience. Key Takeaways: Diverse Drivers of Change: Gain insights into the various factors that drive change in organisations and how they impact the establishment of Customer Experience roles. ROI in Customer Experience: Understand the metrics and approaches to measure the return on investment in Customer Experience initiatives. Leveraging Challenging Times: Discover how challenging situations can become turning points for customer experience efforts and lead to increased focus on CX strategies. Uncovering Real-world Examples: Explore case studies from companies like VW and McDonald's to learn from their experiences in managing CX during critical events like the VW scandal and COVID-19.
- Enhancing Retention and Engagement: Transforming Onboarding and Remuneration Strategies(CHRO Sit-Down) Join Rebecca Thomson, General Manager HR Operations, Performance & Reward at Allianz Australia, as she shares invaluable insights into tackling high turnover and improving employee engagement within front-line roles. This keynote presentation focuses on the targeted action plan implemented by Allianz Australia to address turnover challenges and drive positive change. Rebecca highlights two key initiatives that have significantly reduced turnover rates: the revitalisation of the induction programme to enhance onboarding support in remote settings and the implementation of an interim remuneration review tailored to critical front-line staff. Key Takeaways: Learn how tailoring the induction programme can enhance onboarding experiences and provide vital support to employees, particularly in remote settings. Understand the significance of addressing remuneration challenges and conducting targeted remuneration reviews to drive retention in critical front-line roles. Discover the positive impact of targeted action plans on turnover reduction and overall employee engagement. Gain insights into the importance of employee feedback and sentiment analysis in shaping effective HR strategies and fostering a positive work environment.
- Fireside Chat: Utilising AI and Conversational AI for Enhanced Customer Experience in Contact Centres(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) This session explores the fusion of artificial intelligence and conversational AI within contact centres, focusing on the potential applications, challenges, and benefits they bring to the customer experience, covering the speaker's expertise in digital customer experience, chatbots, and their passion for implementing AI strategies, offering insights into optimising omni-channel experiences. Key Takeaways: Strategic Integration of AI: Delve into the role of AI, particularly conversational AI, in transforming contact centres, emphasising its potential to streamline processes and enhance customer interactions. Navigating AI Use Cases: Understand the diverse use cases of AI within the contact centre environment, addressing common misconceptions and identifying effective areas of implementation. Real-world Insights: Gain insights from the speaker's experience with large language models and AI strategies, exploring how they contribute to contact centre efficiency and customer satisfaction. Practical Considerations: Explore the challenges, risks, and best practices associated with adopting AI technologies in contact centres, while emphasising a holistic approach to improve customer service.
- AI Within the HR space – Challenges for the Workplace(CHRO Sit-Down) In this session, Patick Bruneai, Head of People and Culture at Diegeo, will delve into the key challenges that the workplace is set to face over the next 12 months, with a particular focus on wellbeing, mental health, and the role of AI. Throughout this journey, we will explore the significant differences between psychological safety and psychosocial safety, emphasising their crucial importance. Moreover, we will deeply consider their impact on workplace culture, employee wellbeing, and overall performance. As always, our goal is to identify best practice and how each of us can contribute, whether as individuals, employees, or leaders. Lastly, we will uncover the potential innovations that AI can bring to enhance wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. This will involve understanding how AI can further our knowledge of these crucial areas and how we can implement AI-driven systems, programs, and strategies to benefit both the workplace and our personal lives. By doing so, we aim to harness technology in a way that positively transforms our collective experience in work and beyond.
- Thought Leadership: Customer Centricity 3.0- Strativity(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) The new paradigm in customer centricity that challenges leaders to take their organisations to the next level in terms of behaviour, insight-driven decisioning, visibility and purpose.
- Creating Ripples of Impact: The Power of People Leaders(CHRO Sit-Down) CSR have established the significant relationship between customer engagement and employee engagement. But one of the most impactful factors that determines employee engagement is the effectiveness of immediate managers. People leaders are catalysts of change, setting in motion a chain reaction that multiplies across people and the overall organisation. In addition to meeting organisational expectations, people leaders are also responsible for nurturing and motivating their teams - all whilst navigating a world of change, economic pressures, and countless demands. Whether you are involved in hiring & onboarding them, strategising development to nurture them, or a people leader yourself, the impact of a people leader resonates across every aspect of your organisation. Join this session to explore the pivotal role of people leaders, the challenges they face, and how we can support and empower them.
- Why the Wellbeing of your Contact Centre Staff Should be your Biggest Priority.(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) Being a contact centre agent can be quite hard. Dealing with irate and seriously stressed customers every day can have a real impact on an agent’s mental health. Join James Green, contact centre manager at Boral, who will discuss his experience keeping staff happy and engaged during a previous role at employee assistance program provider, Benestar. James will detail how looking after your staff means they will look after your clients.
- Peer Connect(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Peer Connect(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Lunch & Networking Break(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Lunch & Networking Break(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Peer Led Roundtable Discussions(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Peer Led Roundtable Discussions(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Fireside Chat: How Transport for NSW is winning with hybrid working.(CHRO Sit-Down) Transport for NSW is one organisation that has got hybrid working right. It’s flexible working model, which was created four years ago and accelerated through COVID, has provided an environment where frontline rail and road workers, professional and corporate services staff have easy access to different ways of working. Join Tracey Taylor, chief people officer, Transport for NSW, as she discusses the strategies and tactics that the organisation has used to create an award-winning flexible working environment for thousands of staff members.
- Harmonising Global Customer Experience in a Fractured Ecosystem(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) With the increasing digitisation of businesses and the many different technologies available, it can be difficult to ensure a consistent and seamless customer experience across your organisation’s many channels, products and digital environments. Joining us in this session, head of global CX at LexisNexis, Cormac Maquire, will explore strategies for harmonising global customer experience, including starting with a solid foundation, leveraging technology, maintaining a consistent customer experience vision, and leveraging the power of persuasion with your internal C-Suite. Join this session to gain insights to: How you can leverage your successes to demonstrate value, not only through reduced operating costs and risk exposure but ultimately, how your CX team can become a potential revenue centre for your organisation.
- Transforming Employee Experience: Building a Culture of Accountability and Flexibility(CHRO Sit-Down) Explore the journey of transforming the employee experience (EX) from a transactional approach to one that is customised, flexible, and focused on individual needs. Learn how to measure and shape organisational culture, empower leaders, and foster a sense of accountability. Discover the impact on employee engagement, retention, and overall business success. Key Takeaways: Personalised EX: Move away from rigid approaches and embrace customisation to meet individual employee needs. Culture measurement: Use culture surveys to identify areas for improvement and create a thriving work environment. Empowering leaders: Foster ownership of decision-making, difficult conversations, and a culture of accountability. Impact on engagement and retention: Understand how transforming EX can enhance employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention for business success.
- Customer-Centric Transformation: Navigating the Shifting Retail Landscape in the Face of Economic Challenges.(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) In the ever-changing retail environment of 2023, marked by economic headwinds and the impact of recession, Rory Scott, Chief Strategy and Customer Officer of Super Retail Group, will guide you through the essential steps of transforming your organisation into a customer-centric powerhouse. Discover how to forge emotional connections, deliver personalised experiences, and remain agile amidst economic uncertainties. Join this session to gain actionable insights and drive growth in a challenging retail landscape. Key Takeaways: Drive customer-centric strategies to thrive during economic challenges. Foster organisational agility to meet evolving customer needs. Utilise data-driven insights to deliver enhanced customer experiences. Build business resilience through customer-centric strategies in a recessionary retail environment.
- Taking Future of Work to the Next Level.(CHRO Sit-Down) During the pandemic, organisations and their staff had to quickly adjust to the new realities of the working environment. COVID-related restrictions are long gone and hybrid work environments are now here to stay. Join Jane Kezerle, head of people at GroupM, as she discusses how the organisation has implemented a hybrid and flexible working environment by letting is employees decide when, where and how they work. Join this session to gain insights to: ⁃ Understanding your employees and creating the best working environment for them. ⁃ Implementing a cultured and flexible workplace.
- Preparing for the Unpredictable: Optimising Resource Flexibility in Contact Centres(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down) Join Matthew Staniforth, Contact Centre Manager of NSW Health, as he shares invaluable insights gleaned from his frontline experience in handling the COVID-19 response. This session delves into the learnings acquired during times of crisis and explores strategies for effectively managing surges and response in contact centres in the future. Matthew examines the need to adapt to rapidly changing landscapes, where policies shift overnight, and call volumes fluctuate drastically. He discusses the challenges faced by contact centres in dealing with sudden peaks and troughs, while emphasising the importance of optimising resource utilisation and minimising standing costs. Key Takeaways: Understand the importance of leveraging learnings from crisis situations to enhance future response capabilities. Explore strategies for managing surges and rapid changes in call volumes in contact centres. Identify ways to maximise resource flexibility and minimise standing costs in contact centre operations. Consider the benefits of a centralised and coordinated infrastructure to improve capacity identification and response readiness.
- Fireside Chat: Going Against the Grain on Hybrid Work(CHRO Sit-Down) Since COVID struck in early 2020, many organisations moved quickly to put remote working arrangements in place. Since then, most companies have adopted hybrid work arrangements that enable staff to alternate between working in the office and at remote locations such as their homes. But Citadel Securities has taken a different approach. Join Marianne Boecher, Director, Australia at Citadel Securities as she discusses why the organisation didn’t buy into hybrid working. Marianne will discuss: What drives success and the organisation’s approach to talent Defining the value proposition and understanding the challenges in the work environment The tools that were used to engage staff and encourage them to come into the office while still providing the right work/life balance.
- End of Day & Closing Remarks by Sit-Down(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- Networking Reception(CCO | Contact Centre Sit-Down)
- End of Day & Closing Remarks by Sit-Down(CHRO Sit-Down)
- Networking Reception(CHRO Sit-Down)
Speakers
Cormac Maguire · Global Head of Customer Experience, LexisNexis
Jane Kezerle · Head of People Experience, GroupM
Patrick Bruneau · Head of People and Culture, Diageo
Tracey Taylor · Chief People Officer and Acting Deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Transport for NSW
Tanya Pratt · A/Director student Administration Services, TAFE NSW
Alokita Shankhar · Head of Organisational Development, CSR
Rebecca Thomson · General Manager, Operations, Performance + Reward, Allianz
Marianne Boecher · Director, People - Australia, Citadel Securities
Nahkeeta Tansell · Learning & Development Manager, CSR
Amanda Bollans · Chief People Officer, Nova Entertainment
Emma Brady · Customer Experience Manager, University of Sydney
James Green · Chief Customer Officer, TrueCover
Nathan Park · VP of Global Sales, Acquire BPO Adept at achieving business outcomes, Nathan has a strong customer focus with a broad business experience gained in the finance, retail, and distribution industries.
Matthew Carracher · Chief Operating Officer, Acquire BPO With more than 20 years' experience transforming and building high-performance businesses, Matt provides strategic direction to achieve operational excellence in key areas of the organisation—from streamlining operations and maximising performance through leveraging technology and process.
Brad Meehan · Managing Director, Strativity Brad is the Managing Director of Strativity Group. He has been at the forefront of helping organisations drive customer centric change for over 15 years. He advises leading brands globally and locally on how they can evolve their strategies and adapt their operations to deliver differentiated value and experiences. Brad brings expertise in strategy development, design thinking, operating model alignment, analytics, the psychology of change and large scale transformation programs. Prior to a move into consulting, he held executive roles in customer strategy and transformation in the financial services sector. He gained his MBA with distinction from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2007 and has completed Harvard Business School Leadership Programs in Customer-Centric Strategy, Competitive Strategy and Change. Brad has also lectured in QUT’s MBA program in the fields of strategy and customer experience management and is a sought after speaker both locally and internationally.
David Lovell · Director, Marketing APAC, Skillsoft David Lovell is a seasoned marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in various leadership roles. He currently serves as the Director, Marketing APAC for Skillsoft. Before his current role, David worked for leading tech companies including NTT and Gartner. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a talent for defining and implementing marketing strategies that have increased market share and grown revenue. Dave is passionate about using technology to solve complex business problems and recognizes that transformative learning and leadership are essential for successfully adopting new technologies in the ever-evolving business landscape. By embracing new ways of thinking and challenging traditional methods, he believes that technology can be harnessed to drive innovation, streamline processes, and ultimately achieve business success. In addition to his professional work, Dave is actively involved in his local community and volunteers his time to support several non-profit organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Organisational Learning from the University of Technology Sydney.
Leisa Moate · Senior Manager Learning & Leadership, Super Retail Group With a background working within iconic Australian organisations including RACQ, Bank Of Queensland, Queensland Health and Super Retail Group, Leisa’s career has always been about learning. Leisa has worked across all facets of learning from facilitation, building capability frameworks and most importantly designing and delivering learning strategies and programs that increase capability, are linked to organisational measures, and provide return on investment. Leveraging the lessons learned along her career journey, Leisa is most passionate about build programs that help people and organisations be better every day
Luka Popovac · Head of CX, GrainCorp
Jennifer O'Brien · Founder of Stories Ink, Stories Ink Well-known business and technology journalist, Jennifer O’Brien, is the founder of Stories Ink, a content creation and event hosting business. O’Brien originally cut her teeth in the world of channel reporting, initially in her hometown of Toronto, before venturing to Australia in 20003 and joining IDG’s ARN magazine as journalist, features editor, events editor and associate editor. For over 25 years, she has covered the business and technology sector as a journalist, editor, content creator and event host and moderator for more titles including CIO Australia, CMO Australia, Computerworld Australia, and for various magazines and newspapers globally in Canada, and in Northern Ireland including The Ulster Star. With her extensive experience in both the channel and enterprise arena, O’Brien is a well-known face on the circuit as a speaker, event host and moderator for hundreds of executive roundtables, breakfast summits, panel discussions, Gala dinners, awards ceremonies, conferences, webinars, networking dinners, and specially themed events during her more than 15 years, working as senior writer, features editor, events editor and associate editor at IDG (now Foundry). As an experienced content creator, writer, communicator and public speaker, O’Brien has found her niche weaving ‘human-led’ storytelling into the realm of business and technology.Haseeb Zulfiqar · Director Of Software Engineering, 1st Group
Partners
- Acquire BPO
- Strativity For over 20 years, Strativity Group has led hundreds of organisations around the world into a new era of strategy, creativity and customer-centricity. We have impacted millions of customers and employees and created over $3B in commercial value. We take a disciplined, holistic approach to both design and activation, fostering profound cultural changes that support both the journey of a customer and the profitability of a business. We are expert analysts, insightful strategists, and action-oriented consultants, all focused on a single objective: building businesses by creating new value for customers, promoting excellence in customer interactions, and fostering a lasting commitment to exceptional customer experiences.
- Skillsoft Skillsoft (NYSE: SKIL) delivers transformative learning experiences that propel organizations and people to grow together. The Company partners with enterprise organizations and serves a global community of learners to prepare today’s employees for tomorrow’s economy. With Skillsoft, customers gain access to blended, multimodal learning experiences that do more than build skills, they grow a more capable, adaptive, and engaged workforce. Through a portfolio of best-in-class content, a platform that is personalized and connected to customer needs, world-class tech and a broad ecosystem of partners, Skillsoft drives continuous growth and performance for employees and their organizations by overcoming critical skill gaps and unlocking human potential. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com
- Docebo
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