ICMI Announces 2013 Global Call Center Award Winners

SEATTLE, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a highly competitive application process and multiple selection rounds, The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) announced the Global Call Center Award winners last night at the first annual ICMI Global Call Center Awards Dinner. The event was sponsored by call center industry service providers Jabra and iQor, each of whom had a representative on-hand to announce a category winner.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130515/SF15007)

The Global Call Center Award Winners are:

• Best Large Call Center of the Year: Wells Fargo Bank
• Best Small-to-Medium Call Center of the Year: UniSuper
• Best Strategic Value to the Organization: New York Life Insurance
• Best Use of Technology: Hyatt Hotels
• Best Quality Assurance Program: OptumRX
• Best Customer Experience Program: UPMC Health Plan
• Best Customer Service Business Leader: Josh Chapman, Cars.com
• Best Call Center Manager: Deb Brown, Guardian Life Insurance
• Best Call Center Supervisor: Brian M. Fornuto, New York Life Insurance
• Best Call Center Agent: Noe Vasquez, North American Bancard

Additionally, Gerry Barber, Call Center Leader from Deloitte Services, was named as the recipient of the 2^nd Annual ICMI Call Center Lifetime Achievement Award.

"We're thrilled to recognize contact center professionals who are as passionately committed to the art of customer service as we are," said Sarah Stealey Reed, ICMI's Content Director and Head of Judges for the 2013 ICMI Global Call Center Award Selection Committee. "This group of finalists and winners are truly 'the best of the best.'"

The big winners of the night, Wells Fargo Bank for Best Large Call Center of the Year, and UniSuper for Best Small-to-Medium call center, were both excited about their win.

"I've always said that customer service is a journey, not a destination," said George Larribas, EVP, Head of Treasury Management Client Delivery for Wells Fargo. "But this is a great way to stop and smell the roses."

Luke Jamieson, Head of Member Services for UniSuper, had traveled all the way from Australia to attend, and was equally enthusiastic about his organization's win. "Unisuper is really thrilled and honored by this award," he said. "It's great to be recognized for the hard work of our team amongst our global peers. We look forward to continuing to provide quality passionate, genuine customer service."

The winner from each category took home a trophy, will be interviewed on a webinar, profiled in the industry-leading "Call Center Insider" newsletter and on icmi.com, and be permissioned to include the ICMI Global Call Center Award logo in print and online to further promote their honor to corporate executives and customers.

For more information on the ICMI Global Call Center Awards, visit icmi.com/GCCA, call 800.672.6177 (International: 001.719.268.0328) or email icmi@icmi.com.

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. Since 1985, ICMI has helped more than 50,000 organizations in 167 countries through training, events, certification, consulting, and informational resources. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, trainers, and consultants are committed to helping you raise the strategic value of your contact center, optimize your operations and improve your customer service. For more information, visit www.icmi.com.

ICMI is a part of UBM (www.ubm.com), a global live media and B2B communications, marketing service and data provider.

About Jabra

Jabra is one of the world's leading manufacturers of hands-free Unified Communications solutions. Building on its 141 year history of innovation, Jabra creates a broad range of award-winning headsets that increase productivity, reduce costs, and promote collaboration for contact centers, office and mobile users around the world.

About iQor

Headquartered in New York City, iQor provides intelligent customer interactions and outsourcing solutions. iQor's 17,000 employees in 39 Centers of Excellence around the world are dedicated to understanding each customer's DNA. iQor uses data science and real-time analytics intelligence to deliver extraordinary customer experiences that enhance revenue while promoting and protecting clients' brands. iQor's four service solutions specialize in providing data-driven, technology-empowered customer support and processing services in the consumer and commercial markets.

SOURCE International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)/UBM Live