Keen Observations by an Experienced Industry Veteran from the 2022 Annual Meeting of the OnviSource Equipment Owners Association in Las Vegas
Maybe it was the long pandemic absence of in-person exchanges. Perhaps it was the meeting’s fact filled content. Or possibly the consistent quality of the presenters. Whatever the reason, the OnviSource Equipment Owners (OEO) annual meeting recently concluded was the most valuable gathering of Telephone Answering Service (TAS) owners I have experienced in my 35 years of these events.
They say that the best part of these get-togethers is what is shared outside the agenda sessions such as discussions had during meals, moments in the hallways, and the camaraderie at day’s end into evening when many attendees head out for some fresh air together - and certainly that was true. I am biased, of course, but I can’t imagine there is a group more willing to share their challenges and discovered solutions than OEO members.
What Looked Routine on Paper, Came Alive in Person
The uniqueness of this meeting, however, was the agenda itself. I have read enough agendas to know that what you see is not always what you get. This time, it was the opposite.
What looked routine on paper, came alive in person. OnviSource CEO, Ray Naeini, was the keynote speaker and he gave a stimulating discussion about how in view of the rapid changes in technology and the challenges the TAS industry faces, it is time to seek common ground across companies that have historically been viewed exclusively as competitors. He called for the replacement of silos solutions through an effort to find opportunities to integrate our systems so that the value of innovative software could be integrated throughout our call center industry, regardless of the initial development source. As one example, OnviSource’s Intellecta TeleServ, software designed to automate analytics and assure operator quality, is now offered, not only to OnviSource customers, but to users of competitive platforms as well.
If TAS owners are not yet operating in the cloud, the meeting was filled with evidence of the positives gained by outsourcing common technical headaches to someone else, freeing up time and budgets to allow owners to focus on the functions they manage best - employee recruitment and training, customer acquisition and retention, and the all-important bottom line.
I could go on endlessly about the discussions we had regarding the value of industry associations (both national and regional), OnviSource product training, analytics for Agent Engagement and Automated Quality Assurance, and a host of other subjects, but I will spare the reader.
Every Few Minutes of this Annual Meeting, There was Another Key Play
Perhaps it is enough to say that the usual hallway exits… often an excuse to call the office but really a relief from boredom… simply did not happen at this gathering. It was engaging throughout, and no one seemed to want to miss any of it. In the same spirit that when you step away from your television during a football game, you inevitably miss a key play. Every few minutes of this meeting was another key play.
Here is my final thought. If you weren’t there, you simply weren’t and that is history. But the reason I entitled this review “What Happened in Vegas, Won’t Stay in Vegas” is because those who were present will be carrying home ideas that spread a world of insight, as well as a reenergized attitude.
Fellow association members and future partners or guest speakers with an interest in expanding your horizons through the teleservice and telephone answering service industry, if you can make the OEO 2023 Annual Meeting, be sure to do so because I am certain you will meet all the owners who participated this year and can’t wait for our next assembly.
Comments