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February Newsletter | SWL, AI and more!

February Newsletter | SWL, AI and more!

 

President's Message...

with Laurie Lukken

The Local Chapter awards season has come to a close and I want to congratulate all of the Best Service and Support Analyst and Best Service and Support Technician nominees and winners across all of our chapters and virtual community.  The season kicked off in August with nominations coming in from companies across the nation that took the time to nominate 80 well deserving individuals for the analyst award and 50 well deserving individuals for the technician award.  Each chapter then celebrated the achievements of these folks with special ceremonies that recognized all the nominees and presented awards to the winners. These local chapter winners moved on to compete at a district level and those winners will be announced soon.  Then these 4 analysts and 4 technicians will compete at the national level with the winners announced at the HDI Support World Live conference in May.   

Awards season is such a special time for the HDI Local Chapter community as recognizing the achievements of highly talented, motivated and dedicated people is an important part of building community.  It demonstrates how their work is valued and how they have an impact on improving the lives of the customer, the team and the company.  It helps them feel more motivated, engaged and connected to their job.  Recognition helps employees feel more confident in their value to the company which in turn builds trust and retains highly skilled employees. You certainly do not have to wait for an awards season to recognize someone’s value,  so take some time today to let someone you work with know how valuable they are to you whether they are a co-worker, an employee or even your boss.  It is amazing how a simple “Thank you for all you do” can brighten someone’s day.


Bytes and Banter - Latest Episodes Released!

In the latest episodes of Bytes and Banter, we explore leadership transformation, experience management, and the evolution of IT Service Management growing impact of XLAs in North America.

In Episode 13, Lisa Duerre, co-founder of RLD Group, shares her journey from a 25-year career in tech to founding a firm dedicated to preventing burnout and fostering high performance. She highlights the importance of psychological safety, leveraging strengths, and maintaining work-life balance while emphasizing the transformative power of gratitude and rest in leadership.

In Episode 14, Doug Rabold, North America XLA Institute Evangelist and long-time Disney enthusiast, discusses his career pivot from Sales to IT and how experience management is reshaping IT Service Management. He shares insights on shifting Service Desks from reactive to proactive support, delivering exceptional experiences, and the growing impact of XLAs in North America. Doug also previews the future of experience management and its role in elevating IT leadership in 2025.

🎧Watch the episodes on YouTube: Bytes and Banter

Look for #BytesAndBanter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.


First Friday Generative AI Meetup

We are thrilled to invite you to the Generative AI Monthly Meetup, to explore the latest trends, share insights, and connect with like-minded peers working with Generative AI tools and process. With so much changing so quickly we wanted to create a space where people could connect and learn from each other as we are all in different phases of exploration, testing and adoption. This is for informal discussion, sharing and learning together. Feel free to drop in and attend when you can!

https://rit.zoom.us/my/qakrsc?omn=93966758886

Date: February 7, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET             

Location: Virtual!  

Cost: Free!

Register Here!

 


Updates from HDI...Check out these great industry happenings!


Join Us This Year in Las Vegas!

May 18-22, 2025, MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV

SupportWorld Live is headed to Las Vegas in 2025! If you want to stay ahead of the curve and learn about the latest trends in support and service management, then this is the conference for you. With inspiring keynotes and more practitioner-led case studies than ever, this conference is sure to educate and inspire you.

Brought to you by HDI—the leading events and services organization empowering the support and service management industry—SupportWorld Live unites attendees for a valuable and unforgettable experience. Covering the entire service and support industry and its people (from frontline analysts to CIOs), SupportWorld Live gives you several days in a welcoming community to solely focus on delivering smarter service and better business outcomes. 

Act now for best pricing! 

Want to save $400?  Become a member of HDI Local Chapters!  Complete the membership application here, then go here to find the promo code you need to get the $400 discount when registering (requires a login, so do this after you join!).  It's that easy!

Register Here!


HDI's Plans for 2025!

 

At HDI, we're embracing the spirit of openness, growth, and community this year, and we have a lot of exciting plans. So, we're thrilled to give you a quick glimpse into what's coming up.

Meet the HDI Featured Contributors

These talented, passionate IT support and service management pros will share their insights all year, offering actionable advice to elevate your teams, drive better business outcomes, and deliver exceptional experiences. We're excited to have such a strong group this year! Stay tuned to learn a bit more about each of these writers. We revealed the full roster last week. 

The Top 25 Thought Leaders List is Back

Our 2025 list has been released!  We look forward to plenty of opportunities for collaboration and learning with some of the best in the business!

Fresh Content, New Themes

Our new editorial calendar is here! Expect valuable articles, resources, and tools tied to monthly themes that matter most to you.

More Data, Better Decisions

We're expanding our original research and insights to equip you with the information you need to make smarter decisions for your team. Look out for monthly polls related to our editorial themes, with the results shared at the end of each month. Expect more articles from HDI's analyst, Daniel Thomas, too. He'll keep you updated on where the industry's headed and help you make sense of the latest trends. 

Mentorship Opportunities Through HDI Local Chapters

Are you an HDI Local Chapters member? If not, there's never been a better time to join! NEW this year: a mentorship program. Find your local chapter here!

Industry Mastermind Meetups & More Coming to HDI Connect

Last year, we spent time gathering feedback to improve our free online community, HDI Connect. Expect to see a revamp this year, including quarterly virtual meetups for some of the top industries in our community. An invite for the February sessions is coming soon! Log your interest here to be one of the first to know.

We'll End the Year Strong in Orlando for Service Management World

Save the dates for Service Management World, November 16-20, 2025, in Orlando, FL. More details are coming soon, including a call for speakers!

Let's make 2025 a year of progress, connection, and success—together.


Be in the Know with the Latest Industry News and Trends!

Get the latest technical support and service management insights online, in-person, and in your inbox.

Leading the technical support field with tips and insights from experts around the globe, exclusive research, and strategies for all segments of the industry, HDI's SupportWorld helps you become the expert in technical support and service management. Here you’ll find information on:

  • Strategy and best practices
  • Processes and procedures
  • Service management
  • Knowledge management
  • Technology
  • Workforce management
  • Customer Experience
  • Technical support
  • Metrics and measurements

Beyond the archives of valuable content, new articles are released every week.

Subscribe Here!


Stand Out with HDI Training and Certifications

HDI's IT support certification training provides our customers with a consultative, application-based, interactive learning experience. Our goal is for our customers to be able to take what they learn and immediately apply it in their work environment. From the boardroom to the classroom, from executives to analysts – our industry-leading instructors and cutting-edge course content will improve your service management and IT support skills.

This month's featured offering, HDI Experience Practicioner, comes in two parts:

 

Training

Experience Practitioner is designed to enable delegates to build and manage Experience Level Agreements (XLAs). This is a hands-on, practical class detailing how to design the right XLAs for your business needs and how they need to be managed through an Experience Management Office (XMO). The class follows Experience Collab's XLA Design Methodology with practical sessions at each stage.

This 2-day course is presented in collaboration with Experience Collab and TSO and delivered by instructors accredited by APMG.

As the final practitioner level, we require attendees to have already completed the Experience Foundation course. Additionally, to be eligible for the Experience Practitioner exam, learners must hold the Experience Foundation certification.

Certification:

The HDI Experience Practitioner certification is designed to validate the skills and knowledge required to deliver exceptional customer experiences in today's fast-evolving service environments. Professionals who earn this certification demonstrate expertise in aligning customer journeys with business goals, fostering customer-centric service strategies, and applying industry best practices to optimize engagement across channels.

 

Click here for more information!


Elevate Your Career With an IT Certification

The job market is heating up for tech and IT professionals with in-demand skills. Many employers are also offering higher starting salaries for those with sought-after certifications. Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance, adding a relevant IT certification can not only increase your chances of landing a new job but also increase your earning potential. Here’s a list of 34 of the best IT certifications for boosting your tech career. With the right mix of credentials, skills and experience, you could be in a great position to secure one of the highest-paying tech jobs this year.


HDI CONNECT...Where Practitioners Go for Advice!

HDI Connect is the place where support and service management professionals come to expand their knowledge, advance their careers, and find a community that acts like a family. Joining the community is complimentary to you, but priceless to your career and organization!  Click here to sign up!  It's free!


WHY WE'RE HERE...WHAT WE DO

HDI Local Chapters primary mission focuses on elevating the service and support industry through our Local Chapter Network. These goals are accomplished by:

❖ Building a community where people are encouraged to form connections that span different career paths and levels of experience in the service and support industry.

❖ Providing quality communications, educational events, and sharing of best practices among members within the service and support community.

❖ Maintaining a relationship and working closely with HDI Corporate as a strategic partner.


JOIN HDI!

Connect - Learn - Succeed for one low annual membership fee $149 per year.  Students can join for the low price of $29 per year.  Click here to join!


GET SOCIAL WITH US!


THANK YOU TO OUR HDI LOCAL CHAPTER SPONSORS

 

 
 


 February 03, 2025