The International Customer Management Institute Opens Nominations for the 2010 Global Call Center of the Year Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), celebrating its 25th anniversary, is now accepting nominations for its annual Global Call Center of the Year Award. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 12, 2010.

"The Global Call Center of the Year Award recognizes and honors the contact center teams who, through their commitment to superior service, have done the most to deliver a quality customer experience and enhance both the center's strategic value to the organization and the image of the profession," said Layne Holley, ICMI's Director of Community Services. "In reality, this award is an industry benchmark because the application challenges organizations to drill more deeply into their operations and performance on multiple levels."

The award application requires candidates to provide detailed information in a wide range of categories, including company structure, strategy and policy; people management (hiring, training, and employee satisfaction/retention); process and procedures (performance metrics, workforce management, quality monitoring, and customer satisfaction measurement/management); as well as technology. Each applicant must also submit a three- to five-minute "virtual visit" of the operation, displaying such images as office ergonomics and teamwork in action.

The award, which recognizes excellence in contact center operations, is presented to one small–medium contact center (75 agent seats or less) and one large contact center at ICMI's global event, the ACCE Conference and Expo, taking place June 14–17, 2010, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, LA.  

"This year, we added the collection of information on how call centers are embracing and employing such key tools and trends as social media and home agents," noted Greg Levin, ICMI's Community Services Manager. "We're also enabling the entire process — the rigorous questionnaire and digital 'virtual visit' videos — to be completed and delivered electronically for the first time."

Nominations will be judged by a selection committee comprising experts from all facets of contact center operations, including specialists in technology, training and people management, workforce and resource management, and quality.

Nominations will be scored on how candidate call centers embrace and embody ICMI's principles of effective call center management, create a positive work culture and a climate that fosters personal growth, and develop a track record for establishing and attaining demanding goals within the organization.

Judges will select two finalists from each of the two call center size categories who will then be interviewed by a final panel of judges at the June Conference and Expo.

Each finalist will receive two all-access event passes to the ACCE show (nearly a $4,000 value) where the award ceremony will take place. The winner from each category will take home a trophy, and later be interviewed on an event webcast, promoted in an ICMI press release, profiled in the industry-leading "Call Center Insider" e-newsletter and on icmi.com, as well as receive permission to use the Global Call Center of the Year Award logo in print and online to further promote their honor to corporate executives and customers.

Last year's winners were NCS Pte. Ltd, a Singapore-based call center outsourcer, in the small–medium category, and American Express UK Customer Service Centre, a financial services operation located in Brighton, England, in the large category.

For more information on the Global Call Center of the Year Award, visit the website at http://www.icmi.com/ccoy or call the Customer Care Center 800.672.6177 (International: 001.719.268 0305) or email [email protected].

About ICMI

The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is the leading global provider of comprehensive resources for customer management professionals – from frontline agents to executives – who wish to improve customer experiences and increase efficiencies at every level of the contact center. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, analysts, and consultants are committed to providing uncompromised objectivity and results-oriented vision through the organization's respected lineup of professional services including: Training and Certification, Consulting, Events, and Informational Resources. Founded in 1985, ICMI continues to serve as one of the most established and respected organizations in the call center industry.

About Think Services

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI.  Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

SOURCE Think Services/International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)