The Conference Group Delivers
All of Conference Group’s personnel – from the reservations team to the operators to the management team – take a strong interest in making sure each and every customer receives top notch, personal attention. No project is too great or too small for Conference Group to tackle and successfully handle.
While not the biggest kid on the teleconferencing block, Conference Group has a strong record of customer loyalty and demonstrates the ability to work with their customers to ensure the success of each and every conference call they conduct.
Scheduled Services
The Conference Group operates its call center in Newark twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Reservations can be taken byreservationists around the clock. Because Conference Group handles both U.S. based and international conference calls, operators are available to assist with conferences at any time.
Conference Group offers both the operator dial-out and 800 dial in services that have been the staple of the conference world for over thirty five years. At the time the conference is reserved, the client can determine which style of call will allow for a smooth meeting. A Conference Group reservationist will be happy to go through each of the options with the client, and help them understand how each of the services work.
Conference Group’s operator dial-out service allows for the client to specify the order in which the attendees are connected to the conference, when the host is contacted in the process, and for a roll call at the beginning of the meeting. In addition, the customer may request that the operator use a customized introduction of the host at the beginning of the call.
Dial-In services allow for the use of a toll free number and a passcode. Based on the needs of the customer, the passcode can either be verbal or non-verbal. For a client who wishes to have everyone in the conference quickly, the non-verbal passcode option works great. If for any reason, the client wishes to have a list of attendees or screen attendees for the call, the verbal passcode allows the connection to be intercepted by an operator, who then can verify the person’s identity.
In order to accommodate locations outside the United States, Conference Group has Canadian toll-free and U.S. based toll numbers that can be used to dial into a scheduled conference call.
One of Conference Group’s strongest reserved style of conference calls is their Standard Full-Time Operator Conference. This is an excellent platform to use for such high profile meetings as quarterly investment or earnings calls. Among the features available with this type of conference are such handy features as sub-conferencing for the host and any speakers, music on hold for the attendees prior to the beginning of the meeting, a separate line outside of the call which allows the host’s location and the call center to relay information outside the conference, electronic polling, an operator conducted questions and answer session, and a dedicated full-time operator, who will remain with the conference for it’s duration.
Recurring teleconferences, taking place on some type of a regular schedule, are welcomed by the Conference Group. Recurring conferences can be scheduled for the same day of the week, same date of the month, on a quarterly and even a semi-annual basis.
Unlike some teleconference services, Conference Group does not have a problem with routine conferences being scheduled at the last minute. Their Reservations team will take the reservation and have the call ready for use as quickly as possible.
Reservations can be made online at the Conference Group website, or can be emailed or faxed. Conference Group offers the option of receiving a confirmation for the reserved call by return email or fax. New customers can also sign up for an account at the website, and will be contacted via return email. Of course, with Conference Group, you always have the option of calling them and establishing your account or reserving a conference call over the phone. Any way you go, the process is easy and takes very little time.
Reservationless Services
Conference Groups 800 Reservationless service is quick and easy to use. Fully automated, 800 Reservationless eliminates the need to reserve your conference in advance. This option works great for those day to day conference calls involved less than twenty locations.
Each 800 Reservationless account comes complete with a U.S. based toll free number, a Canadian toll-free number, and a U.S. based toll number for international locations. Each account is also equipped with a participant passcode and a leader passcode. The default settings for each account can vary, and can be established when the account is first set up. Among the options available with 800 Reservationless services are a name record and play feature, which prompts each caller to state their name before entering the conference. Conference Group’s system uses the recorded name to automatically announce the caller in to the conference.
Also of note is the option to have the conference end when the leader hangs up. Some conference companies allow a call to remain intact until the last line has disconnected from the call. While this may be advantageous in many situations, Conference Group recognizes that some organizations require an exacting budget for conference services and do not want the ability for their employees to continue discussions after the meeting is over. Should your company situation dictate that the call ends when the leader disconnects, Conference Group can ensure that happens.
Each 800 Reservationless account can also be set to allow the leader to enter a numeric billing code as part of the login process. The code will be associated with that particular conference on the monthly Conference Group invoice.
The leader also has a number of functions which allow for easy control of the conference. Among the notable features are the ability to dial out to a participant, activate a lecture mode, ensuring that any background noise from the participant’s locations will not interrupt the flow of the conference, securing the conference so no one else can dial in, and a toggle feature that allows the leader to allow the conference to continue after disconnect, or end the conference at disconnect.
Participants can also work with their lines to silence themselves, and to increase or decrease the volume level on their individual line.
Readyshow Express – Conference Group’s Web Conference Solution
Like 800 Reservationless service, ReadyShow Express is also available on an ad hoc basis. No advance reservations are required. ReadyShow can be used as the web component with 800 Reservationless as the audio piece, or ReadyShow can be used with any audio component you wish to use. This makes it ideal for getting on the phone for a point to point meeting with a customer, or someone in your company that you wish to confer with about a project you are both working on.
ReadyShow provides an easy to use way for even the novice to conduct a web conference. A handy user’s guide is at the leader’s fingertips during the meeting. Any Microsoft document that is saved on the leader’s hard drive can be presented in the conference. A pointer, a highlighter, and an electronic pencil are available to use during the meeting. The leader may also choose to use the application sharing feature to take the meeting on tour of the internet, by choose to allow a browser window to be visible to the meeting at large. As with the 800 Reservationless service, a ReadyShow meeting can be locked, so that no one else can connect to the meeting.
A leader initiated polling feature is available as well. The questions can be saved in advance, or a polling session can be created by the leader on the spur of the moment. Currently, the polling feature will allow the leader to add a range of possible responses for each question. Results can be published to the meeting at large, at the leader’s discretion. Multiple questions can be polled during the meeting.
How Conference Group Bills For Services
Conference Group provides a monthly billing summary, with information about usage and charges associated with each conference session conducted. The detail includes the type of conference call used, total conference minutes accumulated for each conference and the appropriate charges. If a billing code has been given previously or entered by the moderator on an 800 Reservationless session, that detail will also appear. A grand total is provided at the end of the document.
Conference Group is able to provide invoicing via email or by standard mail. Payments can be made by credit card or bank draft, as well as being paid by check during your usual payables cycle.
Should there be a question about any of the detail on the invoice, Conference Group can be reached by phone or by email. The billing personnel are quick to acknowledge and respond to any request for assistance.
Conclusion
In an age when customer service seems to be composed of getting through one automated message to the next, the Conference Group, located in Newark, Delaware offers a refreshing difference. Large enough to offer a complete suite of teleconference services, but small enough so their customers are assured of speaking with a real person if needed, the Conference Group exemplifies a strong commitment to keeping customers happy.
