SchoolMessenger Named Finalist for Five Stevie Awards in Customer Service & Support

LOS GATOS, Calif., May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SchoolMessenger, the leading provider of communication solutions for education, today announced that is has been selected as a finalist in five categories of the Stevie® Awards for Customer Service and Support. On June 17, each finalist will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award in a specific category. The company earned its five honors in the following categories: Support Department of the Year, Customer Service Department of the Year, Support Team of the Year, Customer Service Team of the Year and Customer Service Executive of the Year.

"Outstanding customer service has always been a hallmark of SchoolMessenger's business, and we are very proud to have our organization and staff members acknowledged with multiple Stevie Award finalist placements," said Sanford Kenyon, president and chief executive officer of SchoolMessenger. "Our track record is solid, with consistent customer satisfaction ratings of 98% over the years. Whether responding to a widespread catastrophe, or looking for help with routine questions, when emergency strikes our customers know they can rely on us."

Dustin Franks, SchoolMessenger's Director of Support Services since 2007, was named a finalist for Customer Service Executive of the Year. In October, when more than 25 million messages were sent during a 3-day period of Hurricane Sandy, his staff was on-hand to provide uninterrupted, personalized support throughout the weather emergency.

"SchoolMessenger's support team was extremely helpful during Hurricane Sandy," said James Doherty, Director of Instructional & Technology Services at Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, Long Island, New York. "As a district on the south shore of Long Island, greatly affected by the storms, we relied heavily on their team throughout."

"The morning after our tragedy, we had no Internet, no computers, no telephones and limited cell phone reception. We were virtually isolated," said Dr. Jan Hungate, Assistant Superintendent at West ISD, home of a fertilizer plant explosion that destroyed the intermediate school and left the high school and middle schools in an unsafe state. "Somehow I got a call through to SchoolMessenger's customer service team, and to my relief was able to dictate and send a message to our staff and parents almost instantaneously. The customer support team has always been helpful, but their 'no-questions-asked' responsiveness that day was exceptional."

"SchoolMessenger has great support," said Amy Bonjour, Software Specialist at North Kansas City Schools, which serves more than 18,000 K-12 students in Central Missouri. "The responsiveness is unmatched. I get a support tech immediately. Lots of times the SchoolMessenger team is aware there is an issue with our data before we are."

"SchoolMessenger's support team is truly an asset to the company and differentiates them from the competition," said Jim Rieflin, Technology Manager at Salem City Schools, Salem, Virginia.

The American Business Awards, now in its eleventh year, are the nation's premier business awards program. The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. This year, more than 3,200 nominations were received from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.   

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  A fifth program, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, will debut this year. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

About SchoolMessenger
SchoolMessenger is the leading provider of communication solutions for education. Thousands of school districts, public schools, colleges, universities, private schools and other educational facilities in all 50 states depend on the company's innovative solutions, including the SchoolMessenger notification service and Talk About It anonymous communication service. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Los Gatos, California. For information, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

Media Contact:
Carleen LeVasseur
SchoolMessenger Public Relations
408-264-6767
[email protected]

SOURCE SchoolMessenger