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Contact Center Customer Service Industry Award Winners for 2013

2013 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 January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013.

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 2013. These prestigious contact center industry awards were presented at our 15th annual conference, held in Washington, D.C., on April 15th & 16th, 2014.

Customer Experience Awards

Call Center of the Year

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

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)

Award Winner Interview Video

Finalists

  • ENMAX, Inc.
  • VSP Vision Care
SQM Customer Experience Award

Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Call Center

Criteria used for Best Performing Small/Mid Sized Call Center (under 100 CSRs) are based on having the highest combined customer FCR and employee overall very satisfied (top box response) rating.

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (PDG)

Award Winner Interview Video

Finalists

  • BC Automobile Association (BCAA)
  • TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc.
SQM Customer Experience Award

Call Center World Class Certifications

Criteria used for Call Center World Class Certification are 80% or higher of the calls are at the world class level for 3 months or more. 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

Best Practices

These awards recognize the organization that has demonstrated they have improved or helped maintain high first call resolution and customer satisfaction performance. Organizations submit specific practices they have used to improve or maintain high first call resolution (FCR) and customer satisfaction (Csat) performance.

Category Winners

Recognition Program

Group Photo
Knowledge Management Tool
  • Winner: Comcast Cable
  • Runner-Up: TELUS Sourcing Solutions, Inc.
  • Runner-Up: University of California Davis Health System
Group Photo
Career Advancement Group Photo
Quality Assurance
  • Winner: Scotiabank Mexico
  • Runner-Up: Scotiabank Jamaica
  • Runner-Up: UPMC Health Plan
Group Photo
Call Handling Real-Time CSR Support Queue
  • Winner: C Spire Wireless
  • Runner-Up: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
  • Runner-Up: VSP Vision Care
Group Photo

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 80% 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 the CSR delivered.

Winner

Tara Gray, Sun Life Financial

Award Winner Interview Video

Finalists

Name Organization
Aidan Lyall Canadian Tire Financial Services
Jo-Ann Topolinsky
Joslyn Knight Cherr CareFirst
Lynn Desouza Sun Life Financial
Max Tardie BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Pamela Cragin BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Rachael Clarke TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc.
Sarah Pollard BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Susan Elkins VSP Vision Care
Wendy Cleversey Millennium1 Solutions (PC Bank)

CSR Top 10 World Class Csat Improvement

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

Winners

Name Organization
Bikki Wong Rogers Business Care
Sonia Macri
Bilal Coleman VSP Vision Care
Kimberly Bloomfield
Lucie Novotny Sun Life Financial
Manuel Liriano Scotiabank International (Dominican Republic)
Maya Mironova Rogers Business Care
Mitchell Dronfield Sun Life Financial
Travis Kritsch
Varleen Glennycia Rymer CareFirst

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 80% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the world class call level, in which customers are overall very satisfied (top box rating) with their contact center experience, very satisfied with the person who handled their call and that the call was resolved. Contact center management or CSRs must also send an example of a great Call Resolution or Csat coaching story.

Winner

Karen Lyons, Highmark

Award Winner Interview Video

Finalists

Name Organization
Amyn Sumar ENMAX
Marc Albert Sun Life Financial
Patricia Nieusma BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Shelly Limpach VSP Vision Care
Wendy Chevrette Canadian Tire Financial Services

Highest Customer Satisfaction for the Contact Center Industry

Winners Category Criteria
U.S. Bank – 24 Hour Banking Best Selling Customer Satisfaction his award recognizes the contact center with the highest customer satisfaction (top box rating) for selling approach.
TD Canada Trust Highest IVR Customer Satisfaction for Self Serve This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall customer satisfaction (top box rating) for a self serve IVR.
Cogeco Cable (Quebec) Highest IVR Navigation to the Right CSR his award recognizes the contact center with the highest IVR navigation to the right CSR the first time.

Highest Customer Service by Industry

Based on having the highest FCR for an organization in each specific industry/sector.

Winners Category
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank Banking
Jackson Financial
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC) Credit Card
VSP Vision Care Insurance
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Regence Blue Shield of Washington (tie) Health Care
OfficeMax (Grand&Toy) Canada Retail/Service
ENMAX, Inc. Energy
Cogeco Cable Telco/TV (Consumer)
Rogers Enterprise Service Delivery Telco/TV (B2B)
Insurance Corporation of BC Union
Case New Holland Helpdesk
Region of Halton Government
VSP Vision Care Business to Business

Highest Claims Experience Satisfaction

This award recognizes the call center with the highest customer satisfaction (top box rating) for claims experience.

Winner

Florida Blue

SQM Customer Experience Award

First Call Resolution Improvement

Based on a 5% or greater annual FCR improvement from the most recent study within the last two years.

SQM Customer Experience Award

Employee Experience Awards

Highest Employee Satisfaction for the Call Center Industry

Based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their call center.

Winner

Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)

SQM Customer Experience Award

Most Improved Employee Satisfaction

Based on having the most improved employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their call center.

Winner

ENMAX, Inc.

SQM Customer Experience Award

Highest Employee Satisfaction by Industry

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

Winners Category
Arizona Public Service Energy
Canadian Tire Financial Services Financial
BC Automobile Association (BCAA) Insurance
Blue Shield of California Health Care
TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc. Outsourcer
SQM Customer Experience Award

Highest Work From Home Employee Satisfaction

Based on the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box response) for work from home CSRs.

Winner

Scotiabank

SQM Customer Experience Award

World Class Employee Satisfaction

Based on 50% 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

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, President and Founder of SQM Group.

Winners

Name Organization
Vicki Whichard BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina
Mike Miller 407 ETR

FCR Champion

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, President and Founder of SQM Group.

Winners

Name Organization
Bernie Victorelli Highmark PA
Cheryl Case Florida Blue
Austin Cobb Nationstar Mortgage

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!