2019 Contact Center Industry Award Winners

SQM benchmarks over 500 leading North American contact centers on an annual basis and has been conducting customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) studies since 1996. SQM annually conducts 1.5 million surveys with customers who have used a contact center, email, website, IVR, chat, 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. Based on our CX and EX studies, SQM awards excellence in FCR, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction for the contact center industry. We have been recognizing top performing contact centers for CX and EX since 1998. SQM awards are based on customers who have used a contact channel and employees who work in a contact center. For the 2019 Contact Center Industry Awards, SQM conducted CX and EX studies for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2019.

For each contact center that participated in the customer experience study, SQM completed a minimum of 400 post-contact surveys. 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. CX Best Practice Awards acknowledge organizations that have demonstrated a best practice which has improved or provided a positive CX.

SQM has more than 50 different award categories that recognize the top performing organizations in CX, EX, and CX Best Practice performance. Based on the organizations benchmarked, SQM is honored to recognize the following Service Quality Award of Excellence Winners for 2019. These prestigious customer experience industry awards will be presented at our 21st annual conference held at The Coeur d'Alene Resort in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, April 28-30, 2019.

Virtual Awards Ceremony

Contact Center of the Year Award

Organization
  • Contact Center of the Year Winner:
  • Jackson
  • Contact Center of the Year Finalists:
  • Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)
  • VSP Vision Care

Criteria

Criteria used for Contact Center of the Year is based on having the highest combined customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) ratings. CX measurement is based on the FCR metric and EX measurement is based on employee satisfaction (top box) rating.

Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center Award

Organization
  • Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center Winner:
  • Marchon/Altair
  • Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center Finalists:
  • Highmark Health (Federal Employee Program)
  • World Vision Canada

Criteria

Criteria used for Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center (between 25 to 99 CSRs) is based on having the highest combined customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) ratings. CX measurement is based on the FCR metric and EX measurement is based on employee satisfaction (top box) rating.

Contact Center World Class CX Certification

Organization
407 ETR (Contact Centre/Commercial)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Retail Sales and Retention)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)
Express Scripts, Inc. in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
FortisBC
Genworth Life Insurance
HealthNow New York Inc.
Highmark Health (Federal Employee Program)
Independence partner FutureScripts
Jackson
Marchon/Altair
Marchon Canada
Mr. Cooper (Customer Service)
Mr. Cooper (Private Label)
Regence BlueCross BlueShield (BlueShield of Washington)
Security Health Plan
VSP Vision Care
World Vision Canada

Criteria

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

Web Self-Service World Class CX Certification

Organization
  • FortisBC

Criteria

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

IVR Self-Service World Class CX Certification

Organization
  • FortisBC

Criteria

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

Customer Experience Best Practice Award Winners

Category Organization
Omni-Channel
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Web Self-Service
Security Health Plan
Emerging Channels
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Quality Assurance Program
World Vision Canada
Desktop Application(s)
Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
CSR Recognition Program
Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
Career Development Program
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Call Handling Practice
Consumers Energy
Escalation CSR Support
Mr. Cooper
Performance Management System
Consumers Energy
CSR Coaching Program
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Tie)
Mr. Cooper (Tie)
CSR Training Program
Security Health Plan (Tie)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Tie)
CSR Selection Process
Florida Blue
Standard Operating Procedures
VSP Vision Care (Tie)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Tie)
Continuous Improvement Process
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Tie)
FortisBC (Tie)

Criteria

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


CSR Finalists for CSR of the Year

CSR Name Organization
Winsome Gray
 407 ETR
Morgan Milbradt
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Renee Rinehart
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Kasia Starzec
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Nefedaya Smith
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
* Terry Lyn Bicknell
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Eric Phouthavong
 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Jill Adams
 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Karla St. Marie
 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Candace McMurran
 BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Carmen Storey
 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Starlight Ervin
 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Paul Adamo
 Cogeco Connexion
Bridgette Yoder
 Consumers Energy
Toni Fox
 Consumers Energy
Brenda Olympia
 Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Steven Clancy
 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Christina Wallace
 Independence Blue Cross
Matthew Sandman
 Marchon/Altair
Aleida Wallace
 PerformRx
Albert Brosas
 Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
Alison VanSmith
 Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
Amber Raines
 Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
Denzel Ryan-Stephens
 Scotia iTRADE
Anthony Haessly
 Security Health Plan

Criteria

To be eligible the customer service representative (CSR) must be World Class CX Certified. The criteria for a World Class CX Certified CSR 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 CSR who handled their call. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the CSR delivered.
* Winner of the CSR of the Year Award

CSR Top World Class CX Improvement Winners

CSR Name Organization
Eileen Bellows
 BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Heather Neal
 Premera Blue Cross
Donna Torres
 Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
Honesty Teasley
 VSP Vision Care
Shalandra Holland
 VSP Vision Care

Criteria

To be eligible the customer service representative (CSR) 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 CSR who handled their call. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the CSR delivered.

Supervisor Finalists for Supervisor of the Year

Supervisor Name Organization
Jody Broughton
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
* Michael Roberson
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Patricia Mahurin
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Shonda Roberson
 Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
Pa'Quail Walker
 Independence Blue Cross
Jolie Rhodes
 Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans

Criteria

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 CSRs must also send an example of a great Call Resolution or Csat coaching story.

* Winner of the Supervisor of the Year award

Customer Experience & First Call Resolution Awards

Highest Customer Experience for the Contact Center Industry Awards

Organization Category Criteria
FortisBC
 1. Highest Enterprise-Wide One Contact Resolution 1. This award recognizes the organization with the highest enterprise-wide one contact resolution over two or more contact channels, with one being the call center and one being the website.
Marchon/Altair
 2. Highest Omni-Channel Customer Service 2. 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
 3. Highest Web Self-Service Customer Service 3. This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for the web self-service channel.
FortisBC
 4. Highest IVR Self-Service Customer Service 4. This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for the IVR self-service channel.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
 5. Highest Email Customer Service 5. This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for the email channel.
Name Withheld
 6. Highest Chat Customer Service 6. This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for the chat channel.

Highest Customer Service by Industry Awards

Organization Category
Vancity
 Banking
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)
 Credit Card
Jackson
 Financial
VSP Vision Care
 Insurance
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Tie)
 Health Care
Security Health Plan (Tie)
 Health Care
Highmark (Tie)
 Health Care Federal Employee Program
Independence Blue Cross (Tie)
 Health Care Federal Employee Program
Express Scripts, Inc. in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Pharmacy
Petro-Canada (Concentrix)
 Retail/Service
FortisBC
 Energy
TELUS Québec
 Telco/TV
Scotiabank Global Business Payments - Client Services & Solutions Helpdesk
 Helpdesk
Halton Region
 Government
Marchon/Altair
 Business to Business
Plan Canada International
 Charity
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Tie)
 Non-Profit
Security Health Plan (Tie)
 Non-Profit

Criteria

CX is based on the organization having the highest FCR rating in each specific industry/sector


First Call Resolution Improvement Awards

Organization
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Federal Employee Program)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (Federal Employee Program)
Canadian Red Cross First Aid Swimming & Water Safety
Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Relations
Elizabeth River Crossings OpCo, LLC
Federal Employee Program - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Florida Blue
Halton Region
Independence Blue Cross (Federal Employee Program)

Criteria

Based on a 5% or greater annual FCR improvement from the previous year.


Employee Experience Awards

Highest Employee Experience for the Contact Center Industry Award

Organization
Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans

Criteria

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

Most Improved Employee Experience Award

Organization
PerformRx

Criteria

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

Highest Employee Experience by Industry Awards

Organization Category
Canadian Tire Financial Services
 Financial
VSP Vision Care
 Insurance
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
 Health Care

Criteria

Based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their contact center for each specific industry/sector

Highest Work From Home Employee Experience

Organization
VSP Vision Care

Criteria

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

World Class Employee Experience Awards

Organization
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Canadian Tire Corporate Customer Support
Canadian Tire Financial Services
Highmark Health (Federal Employee Program)
Jackson
PerformRX
Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans
VSP Vision Care
World Vision Canada

Criteria

Based on 50% or higher of employees rate their overall experience of working in the contact center as very satisfied (top box rating)


CX Leadership Awards

CX Leader Organization
Jay Hollister
 Canadian Red Cross
Tracy Dietel
 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Criteria

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