The International Customer Management Institute Opens Nominations for the 2009 Spirit of Service Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is now accepting nominations for its annual Spirit of Service Award, which recognizes the best contact center agents all over the world. ICMI will name the winners and present these awards during a live webcast on October 1, 2009, just in time for Customer Service Week.
 

ICMI presents the Spirit of Service Award to the top call center agents nominated by their peers and selected by an ICMI expert panel. Winners receive a package that includes free training and additional career resources.
 

The award is a badge of good service that can have far-reaching impact on the agent and the entire call center.
 

For outsourcer call center InspiriTec Inc., home to 2008 Spirit of Service winner Irma Mitchell, that means increased agent morale and a boost in business development for the center. Mitchell and InspiriTec's story is an inspiration to call centers from around the world to put their best agents in the running for this prestigious award.
 

At InspiriTec's contact center in Philadelphia, Pa., Mitchell is synonymous with quality and customer satisfaction. In her seven years handling calls for InspiriTec., which specializes in helping people with disabilities and other disadvantages gain skills and a job in IT professions, Mitchell--who is legally blind--has set the standard in her center with regard to achieving performance goals, acquiring advanced skills and offering compassion to customers.
 

The 2008 Spirit of Service Award has had a positive effect on business development for InspiriTec, too. While this award is all about recognizing the hard work of frontline agents like Mitchell and boosting the morale and pride in the call center, it's also a powerful tool as InspiriTec seeks new business. "As we grow and seek additional clients, this Spirit of Service Award is a valuable tool in selling our services. It says we've been recognized as being able to do the work and do it well," says Dean Marino, director of marketing at InspiriTec.
 

"Irma is an inspiration to anybody in the call center industry--and her win speaks volumes for her ability, professionalism and compassion, as well as for InspiriTec's outstanding call center," says Ruthann Fisher, executive vice president and global brand manager for ICMI, who visited InspiriTec to present Mitchell with the award.
 

InspiriTec played a big role in Mitchell's success. The company adapted its contact center environment with assistive technologies back in 2001, thus enabling Mitchell to complete her agent training and start down the path of customer service excellence. "This technology allows Irma to navigate computer screens to retrieve and input customer information into a client's database," explains Marino. "Irma listens through headphones that carry the caller's voice in one side and a computer voice that reads computer screen fields in the other side."
 

"We are looking forward to learning about all of the dedicated agents that are working diligently in call centers throughout the world," adds Fisher. "This is a wonderful award that showcases the hard work and dedication that the customer service industry is known for. I'm proud that ICMI plays a significant part in elevating frontline representatives in the eyes of their peers and their entire organization."
 

The ICMI 2009 Spirit of Service Award nomination form can be found at: http://www.icmi.com/spiritofservice
 

  The criteria for the 2009 Spirit of Service Award include:
  1. Is committed to Quality Service
  2. Product-Knowledgeable
  3. Knows his or her customers
  4. Treats all customers (internal/external) with courtesy and respect.
  5. Never argues with a customer.
  6. Never leaves customers in limbo. Handles all callbacks, emails with a
     sense of urgency.
  7. Provides what he/she promises.
  8. Assumes the customer is telling the truth.
  9. Focuses on making customers and not sales.
 10. Makes it easy to do business with the company.

The winners receive a certificate and a trophy recognizing them as an ICMI Spirit of Service Agent of the Year Award winner, a complimentary copy of the book A Career for the 21st Century: A Handbook for Call Center Agents, an ICMI online course of their choice (a $299 value), and will be spotlighted during the ICMI "Celebrate the Spirit of Service" webcast.
 

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, 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.
 

Source: The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)

CONTACT: Tara Gibb of Think Services, +1-415-845-1019,
tgibb@think-services.com
 

Web Site: http://www.icmi.com/