For Third Year in a Row MassMutual Call Centers and Representatives Capture Awards for Client Service, Best Practices

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) was ranked among the top in seven separate categories in the 2011 Top Performers in the Contact Center Industry Awards (Americas Region) sponsored by ContactCenterWorld, a global association for customer service contact center best practices. The awards were announced on June 14 at the 2011 ContactCenterWorld annual conference in Orlando, Fla.

MassMutual’s retirement plan and domestic insurance business call centers together earned a combined silver award, ranking #2 in the Americas Region. Individually, the following awards were won: the domestic insurance business call centers received a silver medal for Best in Customer Service as well as Best Customer Service agent; MassMutual’s retirement plan service center received a silver medal for its incentive program, Keys to the Business, several service center representatives and supervisors received silver medals, as well, and the retirement plan service center’s Gordon Pullan, assistant vice president of operations, was recognized with a gold medal in the category of best contact center executive in the Americas.

This is the third consecutive year that MassMutual has been recognized by ContactCenterWorld as one of the top performers in delivering outstanding customer service. MassMutual has a history of leadership in delivering superior customer service, earning recognition from MarketTools, as well as multiple Best-in-Class awards from the International Quality and Productivity Center.

"We were very honored this year to be recognized from a couple of different industry-wide organizations," said the gold-medal-winning Pullan, "What it means from the larger Retirement Services perspective is that we are able to say, 'We provide the best call center experience possible.'"

The 2011 Top Ranking Performers Awards recognize the very best in the contact center industry from North and South America. More than 1,000 applicants competed for the 2011 awards, with a short list of the best being invited to present at the annual conference in Orlando.

In addition to the medals presented to MassMutual's call centers and Mr. Pullan, the following representatives were honored:

• Lindsey Croteau from the domestic insurance Call Center was recognized with a silver medal and ranked #2 in the Americas as the Best Customer Service Agent.
• Rainey Drake from the Retirement Services Call Center was awarded a silver medal and ranked #2 in the Americas as the Best Contact Center Team Specialist Supervisor
• Brian Ramoth from Retirement Services Specialists Group was honored with the bronze medal and ranked #3 in the Americas as the Best Contact Center Operations Manager

In addition, the Retirement Services Call Center's "Keys to the Business" program was presented the silver medal, ranking #2 in the Americas for the best incentive program.

"We are very proud of our "Keys to the Business" program, which drives ownership of our business down to the customer service representative level through both peer-to-peer and management-to-associate recognition," explained Pullan.

MassMutual’s combined customer service call centers represent the U.S. Insurance Group (USIG), MML Investors Services, Retirement Services and the Retirement Specialist Group. The USIG and MML Investors Services call centers serve policyholders as well as sales and distribution professionals for MassMutual’s life insurance, disability income insurance and annuity businesses. MassMutual’s Retirement Services call centers serve clients and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans administered by MassMutual.

"Earning a silver award for the Best Contact Center in the Americas is a testament to our commitment to delivering world-class service to our policyholders and the agents and representatives who serve their needs," says Mike Fanning, executive vice president of MassMutual's U.S. Insurance Group. "It serves to reinforce our recent appointment of a chief Customer Experience Officer to take central oversight of the end-to-end experience for MassMutual policyholders to enhance consistent, favorable and efficient interaction across the organization."

"We are so honored to be recognized with seven medals for our overall contact center services, call center representatives and customer service best practices," states Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual's Retirement Services Division and chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC. "I think the passion that our representatives show towards our customers is, without question, the finest in the industry. With the ever-increasing focus on the importance of planning and saving for retirement, our customers value the help they receive from the call center more than ever," adds Sarsynski.

"The winners of this year's awards represent the very best in contact center talent and best practices from around the globe," says Raj Wadhwani, president of ContactCenterWorld. "Every year, ContactCenterWorld searches for and recognizes those who do great things to support and promote the contact center industry. We solicit feedback from the industry and recognize those who rate the best by their peers by country."

For more information about MassMutual products and services, please contact your MassMutual sales representative or contact MassMutual at 800-272-2216, massmutual.com or "like" us at Facebook.com/massmutual and Facebook.com/retiresmart. For more information about MassMutual Retirement Services, please contact your retirement plan advisor or call 866-444-2601.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or 'Like" MassMutual on Facebook.

About ContactCenterWorld

ContactCenterWorld is The Global Association for Contact Center Best Practices & Networking. Today it has 126,519 corporate 'individual' members who have joined the association's website 'ContactCenterWorld.com.'

Its mission is to provide world class research, conferences, awards, networking opportunities and information on best practices in the contact center world.

Copyright © 2011 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001.
All rights reserved.  

Contact:
Lisa Reilly
413-744-0589
[email protected]

Karen Lavariere-Sanchez
413.744.7660
[email protected]

SOURCE MassMutual