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Contact Center Customer Service Industry Award Winners for 2011

2011 Contact Center Industry Award Winners

SQM benchmarks over 450 leading North American contact centers on an annual basis and has been conducting first call resolution (FCR), employee satisfaction (Esat), and customer satisfaction (Csat) benchmarking studies since 1996. SQM annually conducts 1 million surveys with customers who have used a contact center, email, website, IVR, or site contact channel service. SQM also conducts over 25,000 surveys annually with employees who work in contact centers. Our customer and employee survey benchmarking database is one of the largest in North America. SQM conducts business in 11 countries around the globe: Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, Puerto Rico, India, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Based on our contact center benchmarking studies, SQM awards excellence in FCR, and customer and employee satisfaction for the contact center industry. We have recognized top-performing contact centers for customer and employee satisfaction since 1998. SQM awards are based on customers who have used a contact center and employees who work in a contact center. SQM conducted the benchmarking studies for the period of October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2011.

For each contact center that participated in our customer benchmarking study, SQM completed 400 post-call phone surveys, conducted by SQM’s telephone survey representatives. A sample size of 400 surveys provides a margin of error of +/- 5% with a confidence level of 95%. All customer post-call phone surveys have 12 or more questions and take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The surveys were conducted within 2 business days of the customer’s call to the contact center in order to understand their satisfaction with their contact center experience. SQM uses an in-depth post-call customer survey approach that consists of both rating questions and follow-up customer feedback questions that can be used to help the contact center improve its FCR and Csat performance.

In addition, for each contact center that participated in the employee benchmarking study, SQM completed a minimum of 100 customer service representative (CSR) surveys, or if the contact center had less than 100 CSRs, 90% of the CSR workforce completed surveys. All employee surveys had 50 or more questions and were conducted online at the CSR and supervisor levels. This confidential employee online survey took approximately 30 minutes to complete. SQM uses an in-depth online employee survey approach that consists of both rating questions and follow-up employee feedback questions. The employee survey focuses on the contact center’s FCR, Esat, and Csat performance from a CSR and supervisor perspective and provides opportunities to improve the contact center’s FCR performance in terms of people, process, and technology practices.

SQM has 55 different awards that recognize the top-performing contact centers. Based on the contact centers we benchmarked, SQM is honored to recognize the following Service Quality Award of Excellence Winners for 2011. These prestigious contact center industry awards were presented at our 13th annual conference, held in Toronto, on November 17th, 2011.

Customer Experience Awards

Call Center of the Year

Criteria used for Call Center of the Year are based on having the highest combined customer and employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating.

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)

Finalists

  • Scotiabank (Halifax)
  • VSP Vision Care (California)
SQM Customer Experience Award

Call Center World Class Certifications

Criteria used for Call Center World Class Call Certification are 75% or higher of the calls are at the world class level for 6 months or more in 2011. SQM’s world class call criteria are based on the customer’s call being resolved, the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with their call center experience and the customer service representative.

SQM Customer Experience Award

CSR of the Year

To be eligible the customer representative must be a World Class Certified customer representative. The criteria for a Certified World Class Customer Representative is 75% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the world class call level. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that a CSR delivered.

Winner

Danny Sipchand, Rogers Enterprise Service Delivery

Finalists

Name Organization
Robert Salisbury Blue Cross of Idaho
Barnney Sandoval Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont
Sam Wong Brother Canada
Blaise D’Mello LoyaltyOne
Samina Rifat
Gordon Ryan Scotiabank
Mally Metlege
Tricia Hann
Valerie Dibowski Sun Life Financial
Kim Ostry VSP Vision Care

CSR Top 10 World Class Csat Improvement

To be eligible, a customer representative must have improved their WCC performance by 10% from the previous year. SQM’s world class call (WCC) criteria are based on the customer’s call being resolved, the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) with their call center experience and the CSR. Call center management must also send an example of a great CSR Csat improvement story.

Winners

Name Organization
Daniel McMillan 407 ETR
Anita Kaay Insurance Corporation of BC
Nataly Batlle Scotiabank
Blaine Young Sun Life Financial
Larry Manecas
Linda Marschall
Nathan Delaquis
Sandra Garrett
Jennifer Seeley VSP Vision Care
Kim Ostry

Supervisor of the Year

To be eligible the supervisor must be a World Class Certified supervisor. The criteria for a Certified World Class Supervisor is 75% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the world class call level. Call center management must also send an example of a great CSR Csat coaching story.

Winner

Lisa Jones, Sun Life Financial

Finalists

Name Organization
Donald Wynant Blue Shield of California
Sandra Wilson Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Nancy Chia Insurance Corporation of BC
Deborah Aiple
Albany Gamero LoyaltyOne

Highest Customer Satisfaction for the Call Center Industry

Winners Category Criteria
The Schwan Food Company Best Selling Customer Satisfaction This award recognizes the call center with the highest customer satisfaction (top box response) rating for selling approach.
TD Canada Trust Highest IVR Customer Satisfaction for Self Serve This award recognizes the call center with the highest overall customer satisfaction (top box response) rating for a self serve IVR.
Arizona Public Service Highest IVR Customer Satisfaction Self Serve This award recognizes the call center with the highest IVR navigation to the right CSR the first time.

Highest Customer Service by Industry

Criteria used for highest customer satisfaction for each specific industry/sector are based on having the highest world class call rating for an organization.

Employee Experience Awards

Highest Employee Satisfaction for the Call Center Industry

Criteria used for highest employee satisfaction for the call center industry are based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with working in their call center.

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)

SQM Customer Experience Award

Highest Employee Satisfaction by Industry

Criteria used for highest employee satisfaction for each specific industry are based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with working in their call center.

Winners Category
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC) Banking
Insurance Corporation of BC (Claims Division) Insurance
Arizona Public Service Energy
Telus Sourcing Solutions Outsourcer
SQM Customer Experience Award

Most Improved Employee Satisfaction

Criteria are based on highest Esat improvement from previous year.

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)

SQM Customer Experience Award

World Class Employee Satisfaction

Criteria are based on 45% or higher of employees rate their overall experience of working in the call center as very satisfied (top box response) rating.

Winners

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!