2016 Contact Center Industry Award Winners
SQM benchmarks over 500 leading North American contact centers on an annual basis and has been conducting first call resolution (FCR), employee satisfaction (Esat), and customer satisfaction (Csat) benchmarking studies since 1996. SQM annually conducts 1.5 million surveys with customers who have used a contact center, email, website, IVR, 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. SQM does business in 15 countries around the globe including the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Philippines, Chile, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Peru, and the United Kingdom. Based on our contact center benchmarking studies, SQM awards excellence in FCR, and customer and employee satisfaction for the contact center industry. We have recognized top-performing contact centers for customer and employee satisfaction since 1998. SQM awards are based on customers who have used a contact center and employees who work in a contact center. SQM conducted the benchmarking studies for the period of January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016.
For each contact center that participated in our customer benchmarking study, SQM completed 400 post-call phone surveys, conducted by SQM’s telephone survey representatives. A sample size of 400 surveys provides a margin of error of +/- 5% with a confidence level of 95%. All customer post-call phone surveys have 12 or more questions and take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The surveys were conducted within 2 business days of the customer’s call to the contact center in order to understand their satisfaction with their contact center experience. SQM uses an in-depth post-call customer survey approach that consists of both rating questions and follow-up customer feedback questions that can be used to help the contact center improve its FCR and Csat performance.
In addition, 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. All employee surveys had 50 or more questions and were conducted online at the CSR and supervisor levels. This confidential employee online survey took approximately 30 minutes to complete. SQM uses an in-depth online employee survey approach that consists of both rating questions and follow-up employee feedback questions. The employee survey focuses on the contact center’s FCR, Esat, and Csat performance from a CSR and supervisor perspective and provides opportunities to improve the contact center’s FCR performance in terms of people, process, and technology practices.
SQM has more than 60 different awards that recognize the top-performing contact centers. Based on the contact centers we benchmarked, SQM is honored to recognize the following Service Quality Award of Excellence Winners for 2016. These prestigious contact center industry awards were presented at our annual conference, held in the prestigious Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon, British Columbia, May 2nd – 4th, 2017.
Customer Experience Awards
Contact Center of the Year
Criteria used for Contact Center of the Year are based on having the highest combined customer FCR and employee overall very satisfied (top box rating).
Winner
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)
Finalists
- Jackson
- VSP Vision Care
Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center
Criteria used for Best Performing Small- to Mid-Sized Contact Center (under 100 CSRs) are based on having the highest combined customer FCR and employee overall very satisfied (top box rating).
Winner
BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Finalists
- Canadian Tire Roadside Assistance
- TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc.
Contact Center World Class FCR Certifications
Criteria used for Contact Center World Class FCR Certification are 80% or higher of the calls are FCR for 3 months or more. SQM’s FCR call criteria are based on the customer’s call being resolved on the first call.
- 407 ETR
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (Federal Employee Program)
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Retail Sales and Retention)
- BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
- Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC)
- Enbridge Large Business Accounts
- Florida Blue (Federal Employee Program)
- FortisBC
- Genworth Long Term Care Customer Service
- Jackson
- Marchon Eyewear Inc.
- Millennium1 Solutions (Credit Card Sales Segment)
- Prime Therapeutics (Nebraska & New Mexico)
- Rogers Enterprise Service Delivery
- Scotiabank (Nova Scotia)
- Scotiabank International (Dominican Republic)
- Security Health Plan
- Sun Life Financial Group Retirement Services (Waterloo)
- VSP Vision Care (California & Ohio)
Web Self-Service World Class FCR Certification
Criteria used for Website Self-Service World Class FCR Certification are 80% or higher of the contacts are FCR for 3 months or more. SQM’s FCR contact criteria are based on the customer’s contact being resolved on the first contact with the website.
Winner
Customer Experience Best Practices
These awards recognize the organization that has demonstrated they have improved or helped maintain high FCR and Csat performance. Organizations submit specific practices they have used to improve or maintain high FCR and Csat performance.
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Omni-Channel | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
Web Self-Service Channel | FedEx Express Canada |
Quality Assurance Program | Prime Therapeutics |
Desktop Application(s) | Comcast Cable |
CSR Recognition Program | Canadian Tire Financial Services |
Career Development | UPMC Health Plan |
Call Handling | VSP Vision Care |
Escalation CSR Support | Capital One |
Performance Management System | Scotia iTRADE |
CSR Coaching Program | Nationstar Mortgage |
CSR Training Program | BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont |
CSR Selection | Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc. |
Standard Operating Procedures | Genworth and PerformRx (tie) |
Continuous Improvement Process | Millennium1 Solutions |
CSR of the Year
To be eligible the customer service representative (CSR) must be a World Class Certified Customer Representative. The criteria for a World Class Certified Customer Representative is 85% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the world class call level. SQM’s world class call criteria are based on the customer’s call being resolved and the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with the CSR. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the CSR delivered.
Winner
Madison Blow, BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Finalists
Name | Organization |
---|---|
Alex Beeks | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina |
Ceomara Timmons | |
Michelle Dobson | |
Alyssa Pratt | BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont |
Amy Duhamel | |
Bridgette Draper | |
Rebecca Lee | |
Chastity Driscoll | Millennium1 Solutions |
Peter Stewart | |
Derek Therrell | Prime Therapeutics |
Sebastian D'Agosta | |
Stacey Boone | |
Bernice Gutierrez | Regence BlueCross BlueShield |
Jason Chapman (Runner-Up) | |
Mark Gobardhan (Runner-Up) | Scotia iTRADE |
Roy Wefuan | |
Janet Cramm | Security Health Plan |
Amber Moore | Sun Life Financial |
Daniel Arnold | |
Isaac Gillan | |
Julie Dion | |
Katrine Gagnon | |
Melanie Luckhurst | |
Melissa McGahey |
CSR Top 5 World Class Csat Improvement
To be eligible the customer service representative (CSR) must have improved their World Class Call (WCC) performance by 10% from the previous year. SQM’s WCC criteria are based on the customer’s call being resolved and the customer is overall very satisfied (top box response) rating with the CSR. Call center management must also send an example of a great customer service story that the CSR delivered.
Winners
Name | Organization |
---|---|
Shaquana McEachin | BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina |
Steve Couper | Cogeco Connexion |
Brenton Dunkley | Rogers |
Amanda Watson | Sun Life Financial |
Jeanne Dea | VSP Vision Care |
Supervisor of the Year
To be eligible the supervisor must be a World Class Certified supervisor. The criteria for a Certified World Class Supervisor is 85% or higher of the calls surveyed are at the world class call level. Call center management or CSRs must also send an example of a great Call Resolution or Csat coaching story.
Winner
Janalee Willett, BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
Finalists
Name | Organization |
---|---|
Antonietta Perez | 407 ETR |
Christopher Longshaw | Sun Life Financial |
Muriel Rafuse | Millennium1 Solutions |
Dede Tobin | Regence BlueCross BlueShield |
Prabhjot Bedi | Rogers |
Highest Customer Experience for the Contact Center Industry
Winners | Category | Criteria |
---|---|---|
Scotiabank | Best Selling Customer Satisfaction | This award recognizes the contact center with the highest Csat (top box rating) for selling approach. |
FortisBC | Highest Enterprise-Wide One Contact Resolution | 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. |
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC) | Highest Omni-Channel Customer Service | 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 | Highest Web Self-Service Customer Service | This award recognizes the contact center with the highest overall Csat (top box rating) for their respective category. |
FortisBC | Highest IVR Self-Service Customer Service | |
Cogeco Connexion | Highest Field Services Customer Service |
Highest Customer Service by Industry
Criteria for Highest Customer Service by Industry Awards is based on having the highest FCR for an organization in each specific industry/sector.
Winners | Category |
---|---|
Vancity | Banking |
Jackson | Financial |
Canadian Tire Financial Services (CRCC) | Credit Card |
VSP Vision Care | Insurance |
BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont | Health Care |
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield | Health Care Federal Employee Program |
Prime Therapeutics | Pharmacy |
Cogeco Connexion (Storefront) | Retail/Service |
FortisBC | Energy |
Cogeco Connexion and Rogers Business Service (tie) | Telco/TV |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Web Support Help Desk) | Helpdesk |
Halton Region | Government |
Jackson | Business to Business |
First Call Resolution Improvement
Criteria used for First Call Resolution Improvement is based on a 5% or greater annual FCR improvement from the most recent study within the last two years.
- Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield - FEP Operations
- BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (Federal Employee Program)
- BlueCross BlueShield of Texas
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming
- Blue Cross of Idaho
- Blue Shield of California
- Cogeco Connexion (Technical Support)
- Genworth Long Term Care Customer Service
- HCL
- Nationstar Mortgage
- Petro-Canada, a Suncor Energy Business
- Rogers Business Service Delivery
- Rogers Business Service Delivery (Stream)
- Scotiabank International Chile
- Triple S Salud
- UPMC Health Plan
Employee Experience Awards
Highest Employee Experience for the Contact Center Industry
Criteria used for Highest Employee Experience for the Contact Center Industry is based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their contact center.
Winner
Most Improved Employee Experience
Criteria used for Most Improved Employee Experience is based on having the most improved employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their contact center.
Winner
Quantum Management Services Ltd.
Highest Employee Experience by Industry
Criteria used for Highest Employee Experience by Industry is based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) with working in their contact center for each specific industry or sector.
Winners | Category |
---|---|
Canadian Tire Financial Services | Financial |
VSP Vision Care | Insurance |
BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont | Health Care |
TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc. | Outsourcer |
Highest Work From Home Employee Experience
Criteria used for Highest Work From Home Employee Experience is based on having the highest employee overall very satisfied (top box rating) for work from home CSRs.
Winner
World Class Employee Experience
Criteria used for World Class Employee Experience is based on 50% or higher of employees rate their overall experience of working in the contact center as very satisfied (top box rating).
Winners
CX Leadership
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.
Winners
Name | Organization |
---|---|
Anne Palmerine | UPMC Health Plan |
Emily Fair | BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont |
Diahn McHenry | Jackson |
Melissa Beilstein | Blue Cross Blue Shield Association |
Previous Award Winners
Explore our awards archive to discover all the past winners of SQM's Call Center Customer Service Industry Awards, spanning from 2006 onwards!