Putting my phone on speaker, listening to the songs playing from it, and sitting in front of my laptop, I waited for “the next avaiable customer service representative” from Air Canada for almost two hours.

Frustration? I feel ya.

If I hadn’t been occupied with work on my laptop, I wouldn’t have even stayed on the phone for that long. Nevertheless, I can imagine how upset a customer would be after having to wait for such a period of time.

As Adrian Fung and Rachel Lee mentioned in their blogs, about two thirds of customers have experienced unsatisfactory customer services and hung up after disappointing experiences with call centres.

Though advertisements and goodwill may raise a company’s brand awareness and improve its image, having quality customer service is a critical part of bringing forth customer satisfaction and loyalty. It makes sense to me that, after spending vast amount of money focused to attract customers, a company should work to keep its customers from leaving or going to competitors. It would not only make customers happy, but would also save the company costs of advertising. Afterall, words of complaint from one individual may cause a company to lose many more potential customers.

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Entrepreneurs take on risks to bring forward innovative ideas. In thinking of these new products and services, what came to mind was Corporate Champions Vancouver (CCV), a local company started by a Sauder grad.

There are currently no other companies that offer the same services that CCV does in the metro Vancouver area. CCV coordinates and hosts various sporting events and tournaments for organizations throughout the year and during its Summer Games. Through these events, CCV helps promote team building and employee engagement while providing opportunities to connect and network.

I’ve had the opportunity to work at CCV for a short period of time, and through my stay there, was able to see firsthand some of the different processes and tasks that these entrepreneurs took on. From planning to marketing, no step seemed short of venturing unto new ground and exploring new possibilities. It was an eye opening experience.

Today, CCV has many sponsors, which includes the City of Vancouver, as well as participants from over 35 companies such as Ernst & Young, BC Hydro, and EA Canada. The progresses CCV has made are very impressive and I hope it will continue to grow!

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