Categories and Criteria
- Best Small Call Centre
- Best Medium-Sized Call Centre
- Best Large Call Centre
- Best Virtual Call Centre
- Best Improvement Strategy
- Best Use of Technology
- Best Campaign
- Best Multi-Channel Contact Centre
- Best Centre for Customer Service
- Best People Practice
- Best Outsourcing Partner
- Best Centre to Work For
- Corporate Responsibility Award
- Best Product at Call Centre Expo
- Contact Centre Manager of the Year
- Advisor of the Year
- Small Team of the Year
- Large Team of the Year
- Non-European Call Centre of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- European Call Centre of the Year
Best Small Call Centre
This category is open only to call centres with 50 seats
or fewer.
Judges will be looking for:
- Robust people processes that make the centre a pleasure to work for, including a well-thought-out recruitment strategy, effective training and coaching methods, 360degree feedback for staff, and a focus on appropriate incentive programmes.
- A people-centric environment with effective communication vehicles, appropriate furniture (including sufficient break-out and meeting spaces), practical lighting design, and positive and cost-effective use of design and branding to create a fantastic general ambience.
- A clear understanding of the call centre’s role within the business at all levels, with appropriate investment, resources and systems in place to ensure ongoing success.
- Evidence of the positive impact of the centre on the company as a whole.
Imagery of the call centre must be submitted for this category.
Best Medium-Sized Call Centre
This category is open to call centres with between 50 and 500 seats
The judges will be looking for:
- Robust people processes that make the centre a pleasure to work for, including a well-thought-out recruitment strategy, effective training and coaching methods, 360degree feedback for staff, and a focus on appropriate incentive programmes.
- A people-centric environment with effective communication vehicles, appropriate furniture (including sufficient break-out and meeting spaces), practical lighting design, and positive and cost-effective use of design and branding to create a fantastic general ambience.
- A clear understanding of the call centre’s role within the business at all levels, with appropriate investment, resources and systems in place to ensure ongoing success.
- Evidence of the positive impact of the centre on the company as a whole.
Best Large Call Centre
This category is open only to call centres of more than
500 seats.
Judges will be looking for:
- Robust people processes that make the centre a pleasure to work for, including a well-thought-out recruitment strategy, effective training and coaching methods, 360degree feedback for staff, and a focus on appropriate incentive programmes.
- A people-centric environment with effective communication vehicles, appropriate furniture (including sufficient break-out and meeting spaces), practical lighting design, and positive and cost-effective use of design and branding to create a fantastic general ambience.
- A clear understanding of the call centre’s role within the business at all levels, with appropriate investment, resources and systems in place to ensure ongoing success.
- Evidence of the positive
impact of the centre on the company as a whole.
Imagery of the call centre must be submitted for this category.
Best Virtual Call Centre
Judges will be looking for:
- A multi-site centre or one that employs home workers and is a shining example of how to integrate disparate sites and resources.
- Evidence of crystal clear communication and transparency of process across all sites/satellites.
- Consistency of the company’s brand and messaging across all sites/satellites.
- Evidence of co-operation across locations to the extent that they behave as one single site, as well as innovations that have been used to help facilitate this.
- Effective implementation of appropriate technology, with clear evidence of a thorough and well-thought-out deployment strategy.
Best Improvement Strategy
Judges will be looking for:
- A clear understanding of the objectives behind the change programme.
- Evidence of how the programme was planned, executed and monitored.
- Effective use of internal communication channels to inform staff across the business about the programme and its aims.
- Clear evidence of the impact of improvements on customers, staff and the performance of the centre within the business as a whole (including a demonstrable return on investment).
- What the team has learnt from the process and any future plans for the centre.
Best Use of Technology
Judges will be looking for:
- The successful deployment of a single piece of kit, or the deployment/integration of a number of technology systems to improve efficiency.
- A clear understanding of the key objectives behind the introduction of the technology.
- A unique implementation — there should be key points of distinction from other deployments of the same/similar technology and a focus on continual enhancements.
- A positive impact on the agent experience.
- Evidence of how the implementation has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and how it has had a positive impact on the business as a whole (e.g. financial/ROI data, senior management testimonials etc.)
Best Campaign
Judges will be looking for:
- An innovative initial idea and clear objective for the campaign.
Brilliant execution. - Use of the company brand values to give the campaign a distinct identity and how that has helped employees/customers identify with the campaign.
- Strong leadership from management, full team involvement and commitment, and liaison with other functions within the business.
- Evidence of how it has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and how it has had a positive impact on the business as a whole (e.g. financial/ROI data, staff surveys, testimonials from senior management etc.
Best Multi-Channel Contact Centre
Judges will be looking for:
- Evidence of innovative thinking that puts the customer at the heart of additional channels.
- Clear and consistent messaging across the channels used, both in terms of brand and of information.
- Effective use of systems to ensure one view of the customer, irrespective of which channel they have used to contact the company.
- Additional services which are now available to customers thanks to the effective use of additional channels, as well as evidence of clear communication of the new channel options to customers.
- Evidence of how the use of multi-media has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and how it has had a positive impact on the business as a whole (e.g. financial/ROI data, staff surveys, testimonials from senior management etc.)
Best Centre for Customer Service
Judges will be looking for:
- An obsession with ‘wowing’ the customer and an unrivalled, consistent, customer experience.
- Clear statistical evidence customer retention and loyalty.
- Evidence of how the organisation has made the call centre an integral part of the organisation that is recognised as an important customer channel, including examples of processes that have been put in place as a direct result of data/information gathered from the contact centre.
- Robust measurement practices that are auditable, independent, representative and of sufficient depth to demonstrate to the rest of the business the benefits of giving great customer service.
- Evidence of a positive impact of the centre on the business as a whole (e.g. financial/ROI data, staff surveys, testimonials from senior management etc.)
Best People Practice
Judges will be looking for:
- A well-thought-out and holistic people strategy. This should include robust
and slick processes for recruitment and training that have been developed in
line with the overall business strategy.
Innovative strategies for coping with/decreasing attrition and absence levels. - Evidence of a consistent and sustained focus on personal development and job enrichment, in addition to career development strategies and formal recognition for employees at all levels.
- Effective use of coaching to boost agent performance.
- Clear statistical evidence of how great people processes have improved the agent experience, using data from staff surveys, attrition figures, absence rates etc. and how this has impacted on the bottom line. Show us the numbers!
Best Outsourcing Partner
This is to be entered by
the outsourcer, but must relate to a specific relationship with one particular
client.
Judges will be looking for:
- A clear understanding of the client’s aims and challenges and how the contact centre can help achieve them.
- Immersion in the client’s brand and consistency
of message across the business and outsourcer.
Open, two-way communication channels between the outsourcing frontline and the client decision makers — in addition to evidence of effective integration, investment in the relationship, and transparency. - Demonstrable progression or achievement of the original business objectives.
- Evidence of the outsourcer’s impact on the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and of a positive impact on the business as a whole (e.g. financial/ROI data, testimonials from senior management etc.)
Best Centre to Work For
Judges will be looking for:
- A full understanding of the importance of frontline workers and how they are at the heart of the customer service strategy.
- Robust people processes that make the centre a pleasure to work for, including a well-thought-out recruitment strategy, effective training and coaching methods, 360degree feedback for staff, and a focus on appropriate incentive programmes.
- A people-centric environment with effective communication vehicles, appropriate furniture (including sufficient break-out and meeting spaces), practical lighting design, and positive and cost-effective use of design and branding to create a fantastic general ambience.
- Comprehensive
feedback mechanisms to ensure continued success.
How the above has impacted on staff morale and attrition (e.g. staff surveys, statistical data, testimonials etc.), and how this in turn has had a positive impact on the business as a whole (e.g. financial data, senior management testimonials etc.)
Imagery of the call centre must be submitted for this category.
Corporate Responsibility Award
Judges will be looking for:
- A clear reasoning for taking steps towards corporate responsibility.
- The decision process for how the centre is giving back to the local community, charity, or the environment.
- Full involvement at all levels in the organisation and a robust feedback processes.
- How the strategy has impacted on team building and morale.
- Evidence of the centre having had a positive impact on their chosen community, charity or the environment.
Best Product at Call Centre Expo
This category is open only to products that will be exhibited at the 2009 Call Centre Expo at Birmingham’s NEC and have been launched in the preceding 12 months.
Shortlisted products must be available for demonstration at a time and place arranged between the entrant and the judging panel.
The judges will be looking for:
- An innovative solution to a problem faced by call centre operations.
- A clear explanation of the features and benefits (in plain English please!)
- Evidence of research into client needs and how the product has been developed to meet those needs.
- If the product is a new version of existing software, entries must include a clear explanation as to what improvements have been made compared to the last version.
- Ease of implementation, maintenance and scalability.
- Evidence of how the product impacts the customer experience.
Contact Centre Manager of the Year
Judges will be looking for:
- Demonstrable ability to deliver a good customer experience as an individual.
- The ability to offer tangible results through their focus on and investment in people.
- Clear evidence of how the individual has moved strategy into practical reality.
- Evidence of how this person has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) through effective implementation of processes.
- Evidence of how they have held up the call centre as an important part of the business as a whole.
Advisor of the Year
Judges will be looking for:
- Special qualities that make the individual especially suited to a customer service role.
- Glowing testimonials from colleagues, customers and managers.
- A demonstrable impact on the centre and colleagues and how this has increased sales and improved customer service and efficiency.
- Instigation of special projects/new ideas — and evidence of how these have benefited the contact centre.
- A motivated individual who has ambitions to progress within the industry and who relates well to colleagues and peers.
Small Team of the Year
This category is open to teams of up to ten employees
The judges will be looking for:
- Examples of how the team has turned its small size into an advantage in getting improvements made.
- Strong leadership from an individual who can motivate his/her team to achieve exceptional performance.
- An understanding of the team’s place in the organisation as a whole and how their performance impacts on business objectives.
- Clear communication between team members and a willingness to help each other.
- Evidence of the team going the extra mile to help customers.
- Evidence of how the team has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and of the team’s impact on the performance of the centre as a whole (e.g. sales performance).
Large Team of the Year
This category is open to teams of more than ten employees
The judges will be looking for:
- Strong leadership from an individual who can motivate his/her team to achieve exceptional performance.
- An understanding of the team’s place in the organisation as a whole and how their performance impacts on business objectives.
- Clear communication between team members and a willingness to help each other.
- Examples of how the team has overcome the challenges of managing the opinions and suggestions of a large group of people to ensure full engagement.
- Evidence of the team going the extra mile to help customers.
- Evidence of how the team has improved the customer experience (e.g. feedback surveys, statistical data etc.) and of the team’s impact on the performance of the centre as a whole (e.g. sales performance).
Non-European Call Centre of the Year
This category invites entry from any call centre outside the EU. Call
centres entering will have to demonstrate excellence in all of the relevant preceding
categories.
Imagery of the call centre must be submitted for this category.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominations for this category should be forwarded to CCF, with the eventual winner to be decided by CCF editor Claudia Hathway in conjunction with other members of the judging panel. Please note, no judging visit will be made for this category.
The judges will be looking for:
· An individual who stands out in their company, community and peer group as a leader within, and an ambassador of, the contact centre industry as a whole.
· Evidence of this person’s active role in helping call centres strive for better standards of customer management/service.
· Someone who is an inspiration to the sector.
· Remember: this award is open to anyone within the call centre community, not necessarily someone who is actively running a call centre.
European Call Centre of the Year
- The ‘X’ factor that sets the centre apart from the competition, that extra something special that ‘wow’s the judges and leaves a lasting impression.
Plus:
- Robust people processes that make the centre a pleasure to work for, including a well-thought-out recruitment strategy, effective training and coaching methods, 360degree feedback for staff, and a focus on appropriate incentive programmes.
- A people-centric environment with effective communication vehicles, appropriate furniture (including sufficient break-out and meeting spaces), practical lighting design, and positive and cost-effective use of design and branding to create a fantastic general ambience.
- A clear understanding of the call centre’s role within the business at all levels, with appropriate investment, resources and systems in place to ensure ongoing success.
- Evidence of the positive impact of the centre on the company as a whole.