For the past few months, the Medical Group Management Association Southeast Region and the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce have had the same problem. Both wanted to recruit nationally-renowned speaker and educator Nancy Friedman to Cape Girardeau to talk to local medical groups and businesses about customer service, but alone neither seemed to have the pull to reel her in.

As a result, the two groups are banding together to bring Friedman to speak at the MGMA's annual Education Day on Nov. 18, at the Plaza Conference Center. Although this will be the fifth education day for the MGMA, it will be the first done in conjunction with the Cape Girardeau Chamber. But both groups feel the members of their organizations can benefit from the program.

Entitled "Hell Hath No Fury Like a Customer Scorned," the program will deal with communication as the key to building and maintaining a customer and patient base. It's specifically geared toward account representatives, administrative assistants, managers, executives and all customer service representatives. However co-organizer Patty Schaefer said the benefits of the presentation aren't limited to people in those positions.

"It's for anybody if they have to speak to anyone during the course of a work day," she said.

Friedman has authored a number of best-selling books on the topic of customer service. She has also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN and The Today Show. For her visit to Cape Girardeau, she'll be addressing four key objectives: How to increase customer loyalty, telephone skills that contribute to success, skills and techniques to help keep business and gain customers, and six touch points of communication.

To accommodate various work schedules, the event will be spilt into two identical programs.

The morning program will begin at 7 a.m. and run until sometime after noon. The afternoon presentation will follow at 1 p.m. and end around 5 p.m. Friedman is slated to give the same speech at both.

The original deadline for registration was Nov. 8, but that has now been extended until the day of the event. Schaefer said they will take registration on the day of the event as long as seating is available.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137

Want to Go? ~ What: Fifth Annual Education Day, sponsored by the Medical Group Management Association Southeast Region and the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce

When: Thursday, Nov. 18, First session starts at 7 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m.

Where: Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau

Registration and More Info: Call MGMA Education Committee member Patty Schaefer at 339-1101 or the Cape Girardeau Chamber at 335-3312.