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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Industry Council?

It is a senior network of individuals who share a passion for continually innovating and improving customer service delivery and customer confidence.

Who is involved?

Directors who have ownership of the customer.  For example, those charged with responsibility for the delivery of customer service within their organisation, those who have responsibility in determining how best to deliver service, via which channels and of course where.   

How can I be part of it?

First and foremost, you must be a member of CCA to be part of Industry Council.  CCA invite members who have demonstrated passion and commitment to the relationship they have with their customers, both internally and externally.  This may be through investment in skills development and training, through the adoption of formal accreditation schemes such as CCA Global Standard© or by investing in a specific area of the CCA agenda.

What investment is required?

We need some of your time.  We meet face to face 4 times per year and throughout the year host a series of conference calls, interviews, online discussions, which are you are invited to be part of.  Any financial commitment is taken care of via your membership type.

Is it only for UK based operators?

No.  Our current group includes organisations that operate in Ireland the the UK, some of which have globally based operations.

How can I involve my team?

At the beginning of the year we launch a programme of work.  Our programme includes initiatives which require input from members of your team and they are invited to contribute personally to research, surveys and discussions which are aimed at identifying 'what good looks like' across a wide range of business areas.  We have a number of options to involve as many members of your team as you see fit, whether they are based locally, at different centres across the UK or indeed globally.  A member of the CCA team can help you work out the best package for you and your organisation.

Who contributes to the thought-leadership agenda?

Depending on the topic/agenda we source experts in the field. For example, for the 2012 programme we have secured Melanie Howard as group facilitator. Melanie is Chair of the Future Foundation – a leading independent global consumer research business that specialises in identifying key consumer trends that may shape the business landscape of the future. Having someone who has the knowledge and awareness of where business is going, ensures our agenda not only deals with customer-focused challenges but at the same time reflects what’s happening in the wider business world.

Are there any suppliers involved? Will I be sold to?

We don’t involve any sponsors or suppliers in the Industry Council agenda. We do however, from time to time, invite them to take part in networking evening events where we will propose a topic and ask a sponsor to lead the discussion. These are an excellent way to network with other members of the group and to also understand the views from some of the most prominent suppliers in our industry.

Does the work have an impact industry-wide?

The answer is yes. The research outputs, executive interviews and benchmarking data are ‘owned’ exclusively by the group for a period of 3 months. After that time it is circulated via www.ccalearningzone.com, an online research and information database, which can be accessed by all subscribing members of CCA.

In addition, we will use much of the work of Industry Council to shape the CCA Annual Convention programme and 6 November 2012 in Glasgow has been set aside as a day where we will show-case the work from 2012. Guest speakers, members of Industry Council and other key influencers will be invited to present/discuss these findings at the event.

Who else offers something similar?

There are many other networking forums, benchmarking groups, and consultancies etc that offer individual elements of what we do. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no other offering which is independently run, offers the same networking opportunities and also the same opportunity to shape and drive forward our industry’s research agenda. In our opinion, CCA Industry Council is second to none.

Is there governance or a formal structure in place for the group?

Each year we invite a member of the group to chair the leadership sessions and also ask for another member to act as vice-chair. The Chief Executive of CCA also plays a significant role in terms of driving forward the agenda. When it comes to agreeing future content and direction of the agenda, we put forward a proposal to the group and ask for input in terms of agreement of topics, focus of delivery and objectives around deliverables.