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Call Center Customer Service Industry Award Winners for 2023

Updated March 8, 2024

2023 Call Center Industry Award Winners

SQM benchmarks over 500 leading North American call centers on an annual basis and has been conducting customer and employee experience studies since 1996. SQM annually conducts over 1.5 million surveys with customers who have used a call center, email, website, IVR, chat, or site contact channel service. SQM also conducts over 25,000 surveys annually with employees who work in call centers. Our customer and employee survey benchmarking database is one of the largest in North America. Based on our customer and employee studies, SQM awards excellence in FCR, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction for the call center industry. We have been recognizing top-performing call centers for customer and employee experience since 1998. SQM awards are based on customers who have used a contact channel and employees who work in a call center. For the 2023 Call Center Industry Awards, SQM conducted customer and employee experience studies for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2023.

For each call center that participated in the customer experience study, SQM completed a minimum of 400 post-contact surveys. For each call center that participated in the employee benchmarking study, SQM completed a minimum of 100 agent surveys, or, if the call center had less than 100 agents, 90% of the agent workforce completed surveys. CX Best Practice Awards acknowledge organizations that have demonstrated a best practice that has improved first call resolution (FCR) or provided a positive customer experience.

SQM has more than 50 different award categories that recognize the top-performing organizations in FCR, employee experience, and FCR Best Practice performance. Based on the organizations benchmarked, SQM is honored to recognize the following Service Quality Award of Excellence Winners for 2023. These prestigious customer experience industry awards were presented at our 25th annual awards ceremony, held at The Coeur d'Alene Resort in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on May 22 & 23, 2024.

Customer Experience Awards

Call Center of the Year

Criteria used for Call Center of the Year are primarily based on having the highest combined customer FCR and employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating. Other operational, customer and employee data may be factored in.

Winner

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

Finalists

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
  • HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
SQM Customer Experience Award

Best Performing Small-to-Mid-Sized Call Center

Criteria used for Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Call Center (between 25 to 99 agents) are primarily based on having the highest combined customer FCR and employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating. Other operational, customer, and employee data may be factored in.

Winner

Highmark (Federal Employee Program)

Finalists

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
  • Marchon/Altair
SQM Customer Experience Award

Call Center World Class FCR Certification

Criteria used for Call Center World Class FCR Certification is 80% or higher of customers getting their contact resolved on the first call to the call center (FCR) for 3 consecutive months or more.

  • 407 ETR Customer Service
  • 407 ETR Commercial
  • ATCOenergy
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Federal Employee Program)
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska (Federal Employee Program)
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Government/Medicare Sales)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (Federal Employee Program)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico (Federal Employee Program)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma (Federal Employee Program)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (Federal Employee Program)
  • Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Support (Loyalty)
  • Federal Employee Program — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
  • Florida Blue, Federal Employee Program
  • Highmark (Federal Employee Program)
  • Independence partner FutureScripts
  • JACKSON
  • Marchon Canada
  • Marchon/Altair
  • Mr. Cooper (Private Label)
  • Security Health Plan
  • Vancity Savings Credit Union (Member Care)
  • VSP Vision Care
SQM Customer Experience Award

IVR Self-Service World Class FCR Certification

Criteria used for IVR Self-Service World Class FCR Certification is based on 80% or higher of customers getting their contact resolved on the first call with the IVR (FCR) for 3 consecutive months or more.

Winner

FortisBC

SQM Customer Experience Award

Agent of the Year

To be eligible the agent must be World Class CX Certified. The criteria for a World Class CX Certified Agent is 85% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the World Class Call (WCC) level. SQM's WCC criteria is based on the customer's call being resolved and the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) with the agent who handled their call. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the agent delivered.

Finalists

Name Organization
Katheryne Beninato 407 ETR
Linda Amer 407 ETR
Moveena Sharma Alberta Blue Cross
Ruby Albrecht Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Dana Plowman Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Laura Kudrin Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Shelley Dotson Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Crystal Stevens Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Deb Kasper Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Terry Bicknell Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Raziya Martin Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Stephanie Sibert Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Tammie Tolotta Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Tania Warfield-Graham Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Tierra King BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (BlueChoice Health Plan)
Brooks Walton BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (Group & Individual)
Erin Jarrell BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (Major Group)
Deadres Woodruff BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (National Alliance)
Earlene Walker BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (National Alliance)
Cindy Sovde BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (State Health Plan)
Mykia Perry BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (State Health Plan)
Candice Smolick Capital BlueCross (FEP)
Monica Vanhoorelbeke Consumers Energy
Amanda Vasconzuelo Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Ashlea Dollgener Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Lisa Guelde Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Marnee Heppner HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
Ron Brooks HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
Ursula Rorie HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
Miguel Negron Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Aileen Corless Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Federal Employee Program)
Almitra McKenzie Marchon/Altair
Philip Bailey Marchon/Altair
Samantha Barron Marchon/Altair
Chandra Hawley Mr. Cooper
Gregory Stenberg Mr. Cooper
Helen Carrington Mr. Cooper
Audrey Colella Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Medicare)
Kandis Workman Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Commercial ASO)
Leslie Haecker Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Commercial ASO)
Megan Evans Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Medicare)
Sara Mccollum Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Commercial ASO)
Suzanne Happs Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Medicare)
Mariah Clark Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Federal Employee Program)
Shelby Stangl Security Health Plan
Todd Leonhardt Security Health Plan
Deja West VSP Vision Care
LaTonia Harper VSP Vision Care
Richard Salgado VSP Vision Care
Sharon Sealy VSP Vision Care

Agent Top CX Improvement

To be eligible the agent must have a 10% or greater annual World Class CX metric improvement from the previous year. SQM's WCC criteria is based on the customer's call being resolved and the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with the agent who handled their call. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the agent delivered.

Winners

Name Organization
Valencia Tribitt Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Brittany Alston Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina
Dakotah Sherrod Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Whitney Brodhagen Security Health Plan
Lashon Cage VSP Vision Care

Supervisor of the Year

To be eligible the supervisor must be World Class CX Certified. The criteria for a World Class CX Certified Supervisor is 85% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the World Class Call (WCC) level. Call center management or agents must also send an example of a great Call Resolution or Csat coaching story.

Finalists

Name Organization
Charleen Berryman 407 ETR
Kalila Williams Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Stephanie Letendre Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Steve Toth Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Billy Barnes HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
Tanalee Luedtke Security Health Plan

Highest Customer Experience in the Contact Center Industry

Winners Category Criteria
Marchon/Altair Highest Omni-Channel Customer Service This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) where the experience was seamless for the entire multi-channel experience.
FortisBC Highest Web Self-Service Customer Service This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for their respective contact channel.
FortisBC Highest IVR Self-Service Customer Service
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Highest Email Customer Service
FortisBC Highest Chat Customer Service

Highest Customer Service by Industry

Criteria used for Highest Customer Service By Industry are based on the organization having the highest FCR rating in each specific industry/sector.

Winners Category
Vancity Savings Credit Union Banking
JACKSON Financial
Canadian Tire Bank Credit Card
VSP Vision Care Insurance
Security Health Plan Health Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska Health Care Federal Employee Program
Independence partner FutureScripts Pharmacy
ATCO Gas & Pipelines Energy
TELUS Quebec Telco/TV
Name Withheld Helpdesk
BC Hydro Government
Marchon/Altair Business to Business
Canadian Red Cross (Donor Relations) Charity
Security Health Plan Non-Profit

First Call Resolution Improvement

Criteria used for First Call Resolution Improvement is based on a 5% or greater annual FCR improvement from the previous year.

  • ATCO Gas & Pipelines
  • BC Hydro
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Experience Health)
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Medicare)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (National Alliance)
  • BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (State Health Plan)
  • Canadian Red Cross (Customer Relations)
  • Capital Blue Cross (Federal Employee Program)
  • Premera
SQM Customer Experience Award

Employee Experience Awards

Highest Employee Experience for the Call Center Industry

Criteria used for Highest Employee Experience for the Call Center Industry is based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) rating with working in their call center.

Winner

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

SQM Customer Experience Award

Most Improved Employee Experience

Criteria used for Most Improved Employee Experience is based on having the most improved employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their call center.

Winner

Alberta Blue Cross

SQM Customer Experience Award

Highest Employee Experience by Industry

Criteria used for Highest Employee Experience by Industry is based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their call center for each specific industry/sector.

Winners Category
Canadian Tire Bank Financial
Name Withheld Insurance
Highmark (Federal Employee Program) Health Care
SQM Customer Experience Award

World Class Employee Experience

Criteria used for World Class Employee Experience is based on 50% or higher of employees rate their overall experience of working in the call center as very satisfied (top box rating).

Winners

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
  • Canadian Tire Bank
  • Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Support
  • HCSC (Federal Employee Program)
  • Highmark (Federal Employee Program)
  • Marchon/Altair
SQM Customer Experience Award

Previous Award Winners

Explore our awards archive to discover all the past winners of SQM's Call Center Customer Service Industry Awards, spanning from 2006 onwards!