3 letters - and professional courtesy

It was a warm day in Louisville, Kentucky when it all came together. Along with a dozen other Chamber executives, I was awarded the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) designation in August 2012. The ceremony was held in front of several hundred execs as part of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) annual convention. Like many professional designations, this award is a big deal inside our industry, but perhaps just three letters to everyone else. I tell folks it is the equivalent of the Eagle Scout award for Chamber people, as only about 2 percent of Chamber professionals earn it.

Five years flew by and it was time for my CCE renewal. With relocation and job changes, my information became a bit muddled in the ACCE computers. And my situation was a bit unusual, as I was not working for a Chamber at the time I wanted to renew. After a few short messages, my heroes at ACCE - Susan O'Sullivan McGuire and Lydia Mugga - cut through some red tape and allowed me to re-certify. It would have been easy for them to cite policy and delay my re-certification. But they pulled out the customer service stops and made my week.

Thank you Susan, Lydia and ACCE for the professional courtesy and old-fashioned customer service. It won't be soon forgotten. #ACCE #customerservice #CCE