The International Customer Management Institute Opens Nominations for the 2011 Global Call Center of the Year Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 1, 2010 /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, February 18, 2011.

"The Global Call Center of the Year Award identifies the best of the best, recognizing and honoring 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 contact center profession's image," said Layne Holley, ICMI's Director of Community Services. "Because the application process challenges organizations to take a deep look into their operations and performance on so many fundamental levels, the award truly creates an industry benchmark. The process is a great opportunity for the participating centers, as well. Year after year, we hear from contact center managers and executives how useful this close examination of their operations proved to be, uncovering strengths and weaknesses they were unaware of."

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. It takes into account growing trends, such as social media and home agents, as well. 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 worldwide Annual Call Center Conference and Expo, taking place June 13–16, 2011, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, LA.

New for 2011, ICMI will add two new award categories: Employee Satisfaction and Strategic Value. "We want to call attention to the importance of employee satisfaction and to the contact center's strategic value to the brand," said Holley.

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, will judge the nominations.

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" 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.

2010 Global Call Center of the Year Winners

Large Call Center: Capital One Financial Corporation, a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A. The Richmond, Va., call center for this Fortune 200 financial services company (serving approximately 45 million customer accounts worldwide), is strong in virtually every area, but what stood out most about the center was its very strong agent retention practices and exemplary workforce management tactics, as well as how the contact center has embraced social media to enhance customer advocacy. Truly telling of this center's strength is its relationship with and support from executive management in the organization—and that's a testament to the organization, as well.

Small-Medium Call Center: TransCore's Commercial Technology Group, a leading transportation solutions provider serving brokers, carriers, owner-operators and shippers in the U.S. and Canada.

Among the many strengths of TransCore's call center, based in Portland, Ore., are its excellent quality monitoring practices and results as well as its comprehensive and effective customer satisfaction measurement and management tactics. TransCore is a two-time winner, awarded the ICMI Global Call Center of the Year Award in 2007.

For more information on the Global Call Center of the Year Award, visit the awards page or call the Customer Care Center 800.672.6177 (International: 001.719.268.0328) or email [email protected].

About ICMI

The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010, is the leading global provider of comprehensive resources for customer management professionals – from frontline agents to executives – who wish to improve contact center operations, empower contact center employees, and enhance customer loyalty. 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. ICMI is a part of UBM Live, which provides leading integrated media solutions and professional services across 20 different markets. Operating across the globe, its events, training, publications, award programs, and websites offer professionals in Interiors, Security, Venues, Customer Management, Safety & Health and Facilities the ultimate experience in learning, networking, and business development. For more information, visit www.icmi.com.

SOURCE International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)/UBM Live