Call Center CX Conference Agenda
This year, the 2023 conference will focus on the aftereffects of COVID-19 to help call centers improve FCR, Csat, and reduce high agent turnover.
2022 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 2022 Call Center Industry Awards, SQM conducted customer and employee experience studies for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2022.
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 2022. These prestigious customer experience industry awards will be presented at our 24th annual awards ceremony held at The Coeur d'Alene Resort in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, May 17 - 18, 2023.
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
- Jackson
Best Performing Small-to-Mid-Sized Call Center
Criteria used for Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact 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
Security Health Plan
Finalists
- Highmark (Federal Employee Program)
- Marchon/Altair
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/Commercial
- 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 (Retail Sales and Retention)
- 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)
- Florida Blue, Federal Employee Program
- Highmark (Federal Employee Program
- Independence partner FutureScripts
- Jackson
- Marchon Canada
- Marchon/Altair
- Mr. Cooper (Private Label)
- ATCOenergy
- Security Health Plan
- VSP Vision Care
- World Vision Canada
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
Customer Experience Best Practices
These awards recognize the organization that has demonstrated improving or maintaining high FCR and customer satisfaction performance. Organizations submit specific practices used to improve or maintain high FCR and Csat performance.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1. CX Improvement Turnaround | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
| 2. CX Journey Mapping | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| 3. Customer Quality Assurance | 407 ETR |
| 4. Agent Coaching & Training Program | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
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.
Winner
To be announced live at the Call Center CX Industry Awards ceremony on May 18, 2023.
Finalists
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Carla Polvere | Alberta Blue Cross |
| Christine Odynski | Alberta Blue Cross |
| Moveena Sharma | Alberta Blue Cross |
| Carol Lewis | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
| Dana Plowman | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
| Julie Morris | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
| Ryan Hardin | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
| Emma West | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas |
| Kesha Jenkins | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina |
| Sandra Wilson | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina |
| Stephanie Purdy | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina |
| Theresa Rainer | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina |
| Cindy Sovde | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
| John "Fraser" Clifton | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
| Kimberly Carree | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (BlueChoice) |
| Stacy Small | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (BlueChoice) |
| Anna Gabriel | BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (Federal Employee Program) |
| Chris Petty | BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (Federal Employee Program) |
| Ben Resnick | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont |
| Heather O'Dell Shipe | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont |
| Melissa Pelchat | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont |
| Diane Lupinacci | Capital BlueCross (Federal Employee Program) |
| Christine White | Consumers Energy |
| Kristine Darby | Consumers Energy |
| Lisa Quist | Consumers Energy |
| Karen White | First West Credit Union |
| Nicole Popiolek | First West Credit Union |
| Shanon Dycke | First West Credit Union |
| Rae Belmore | Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program) |
| Stacy Haga | Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program) |
| Jill Yursha | Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey |
| Lisa Romano | Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey |
| Tanya Woods | Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey |
| Almitra McMillan | Marchon/Altair |
| Samantha Christian | Marchon/Altair |
| Anna Williams-Heedley | Mr. Cooper |
| Dione Cole | Mr. Cooper |
| Maria Suarez Veliz | Mr. Cooper |
| Raci Smith | Mr. Cooper |
| Josie Hill | Premera Blue Cross |
| Buffy Anderson | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| Charlene Paddock | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| Deejay Whitehead | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| Elizabeth Cline | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| Harsh Chadha | Scotia iTrade |
| Vivian Hsiao | Scotia iTrade |
| Dawn Cook | Security Health Plan |
| Sarah Tackes | Security Health Plan |
| Jessica Geglbach | VSP Vision Care |
| Kristen Stone | 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 |
|---|---|
| Mary Terry | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina |
| Clifton Hardy | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
| Kiran Klar | First West Credit Union |
| Troy Ray | Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program) |
| Vanessa Harper-Bryan | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans (Federal Employee Program) |
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.
Winner
To be announced live at the Call Center CX Industry Awards ceremony on May 18, 2023.
Finalists
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Renee Atherton Bacchus | Alberta Blue Cross |
| Gina Beaver | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City |
| Paris Brown | BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (Federal Employee Program) |
| Jennifer Ritchie | First West Credit Union |
| Jason Chapman | Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans |
| Trevor Raymond | VSP Vision Care |
Highest Customer Experience in the Call Center Industry
| Winners | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| FortisBC | Highest Enterprise-Wide One Contact Resolution | This award recognizes the organization with the highest enterprise-wide one contact resolution over two or more contact channels, with at least one channel being the call center and one being the website. |
| 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 category. |
| FortisBC | Highest IVR Self-Service Customer Service | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas | Highest Email Customer Service | |
| Security Health Plan | Highest Chat Customer Service |
Highest Customer Service by Industry
Criteria used for Highest Customer Service By Industry is 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 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico | Health Care Federal Employee Program |
| Independence partner FutureScripts | Pharmacy |
| Name Withheld | Retail/Service |
| FortisBC | Energy |
| Name Withheld | Telco/TV |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Web Support Help Desk) | Helpdesk |
| Halton Region | Government |
| Marchon/Altair | Business to Business |
| World Vision Canada | 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.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska (Federal Employee Program)
- BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (Medicare Advantage)
- Geisinger Health Plan
- PetroCanada (Concentrix)
- Scotia iTrade
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 City
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
VSP Vision Care
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 |
| VSP Vision Care | Insurance |
| Highmark (Federal Employee Program) | Health Care |
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 Blue Shield Nebraska
- Canadian Tire Bank
- Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Support
- Highmark (Federal Employee Program)
- Jackson
- Marchon/Altair
- Regence BlueCross BlueShield Plans
- Security Health Plan
- VSP Vision Care
FCR Leadership
These awards are judged by a panel of SQM Client Account Managers who work closely with our tracking clients on an ongoing basis. Final award determination made by Mike Desmarais, CEO and Founder of SQM Group.
Winners
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Holly Abbott | Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Support |
| Jesse Epting | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
Previous Award Winners
Look at past winners of these prestigious awards in our archives.
Interested In Awards?
Find out how you can qualify for these awards and be recognized for your contact center CX success and improvement. Connect with SQM today.