VCU news

By Tom Gresham

Mary Ellen Payne, vice president external and eChannels for Verizon Telecom, will speak about increasing marketing success by improving the customer experience on Feb. 15 at Virginia Commonwealth University as part of the ongoing Verizon/VCU Department of Marketing Speaker Series.

Payne’s discussion, “Increase Your Success in Marketing – by Improving the Customer Experience,” will start at 3:30 p.m. in Room B1115 of Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St.

A welcoming reception will precede the event at 3 p.m. in the Snead Hall Atrium. The lecture is the fifth in the Verizon/VCU Department of Marketing Speaker Series and is hosted by Verizon Communications in collaboration with the VCU School of Business. The event and reception are free, but R.S.V.P. is required. R.S.V.P. at 804-828-1618 or at mktgdept@vcu.edu.

Payne will present a firsthand view of how the world of “e” – e-chat, e-mail, e-click-to-call and e-commerce – is transforming the way businesses interact with customers to deliver service and drive sales. Payne also will discuss how these communication tools impact work and personal life. Payne will take questions from the audience following her lecture.

Payne is responsible for the eCenter, external channel sales and service for consumer and mass business. She directs the operational activity of internal eSales and eService centers, 15 outsourced customer care, inbound and outbound telemarketing vendors and 4,500 vendor agents, including operations in the United States, Manila, South America and India. She is accountable for e-chat, sales, efficiency and quality attainment.