Most people are taking some time at the end of the year to relax and reminisce about the year that has passed. We here at the Stevie Awards, however, are busy preparing for a busy 2015. Among the things that will keep us busy right after the turn of the year is the January 13 final entry deadline for the 9th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top contact center and customer service awards program. Each year this competition attracts more than 1,500 nominations from top organizations all over the world.
There are many categories to choose from in the competition, and you'll find a complete listing of the customer service and contact center categories and their requirements below.
It's pretty simple to submit entries to this or any other of our awards programs. Before we get to the subject of how to win two Stevies with a single entry, here's a brief description of the entry process.
1. Choose your categories.
The question we get most often from prospective entrants is, How do I choose the categories that are right for me? We answer that question with another question: What do you want to be recognized for? Your answer to that question will steer you to the appropriate categories. We invite you to contact us at help@stevieawards.com for suggestions if following that bit of advice doesn't do the trick, though.
2. Prepare your entries according to the category instructions.
Most categories in the 2015 Sales & Customer Service awards require only the submission of an essay of up to 650 words, describing the nominee's achievements since the beginning of July 2013. (Depending on the category, the nominee can be an entire organization, a department or team, an individual... even a product or service or achievement.) You have the option to upload with your essay any number of supporting documents and files to help make your case to the judges. These can include work samples, videos, images, press clippings... whatever you think will convince and impress.
3. Upload your entries through the website.
The website at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales is open 24 hours a day to accept your entries. You can even pay your entry fees online by credit card (or choose to pay by check or wire transfer). If you've already written your entries and gathered your supporting materials, it won't take you more than a few minutes to start and finish the online entry process.
Now, back to that bit about how to win two Stevies with a single entry. One of the most popular features of the Sales & Customer Service awards is called the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service. This is a worldwide public vote in which the general public gets to cast their ballots for their favorite providers of customer service in a number of industry categories. (See the list of 2014 winners here.) All entries that are chosen as Finalists in any of the Customer Service Department of the Year categories will automatically be included in people's choice voting, which will open to the public on January 22, the day that the Finalists are publicly announced. People's choice nominees will receive from us a set of tools they can use to encourage their customers, employees, shareholders, friends and followers to vote for them. The top vote-getter in each category will receive a beautiful crystal People's Choice trophy.
So that's how you can win two Stevies with a single entry:
1. Submit a great entry to any of the Customer Service Department of the Year categories in the 2015 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. If that entry is chosen as a Finalist, it's assured of ultimately being named a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award winner.
3. Promote the heck out of your automatic People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service nomination to all of your customers, employees, friends and followers, and you might also walk from the awards gala on February 27 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas with a People's Choice Stevie Award as well as a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie.
Categories
Here are all the categories related to customer service and contact centers in the 2015 Sales & Customer Service awards. There are many other categories as well in the competition, for sales, business development, new products and services, and suppliers. (Look here for a complete list of categories.)
CUSTOMER SERVICE & CONTACT CENTER INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
The customer service and contact center individual categories recognize individual contact center and customer service professionals.
Information required for entries in these categories include:
(a) An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominee’s accomplishments since July 1, 2013.
(b) Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. At the very least you should provide a link to the organization's website.
55. Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of customer service professionals who directly engage customers. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Business Services Industries: recognizes achievements of professionals in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes the achievements of professionals in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievements of professionals in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
d. Technology Industries: recognizes achievements of professionals in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievements of professionals in all industries not covered by the other Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year categories.
56. Back-Office Customer Service Professional of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of customer service professionals who work behind the front lines of customer service organizations for their achievements since the beginning of July 2013.
57. Young Customer Service Professional of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of customer service professionals under the age of 30.
58. Customer Service Manager of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of customer service managers and service professionals with a managerial role at organizations of any size, of any type.
59. Customer Service Leader of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of senior customer service and call center executives.
60. Contact Center Professional of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of non-executive professionals who work in a call or contact center.
61. Contact Center Manager of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of contact or call center managers for their achievements since the beginning of July 2013.
62. Contact Center Leader of the Year
Recognizing the achievements of senior contact or call center executives for their achievements since the beginning of July 2013.
CUSTOMER SERVICE & CONTACT CENTER TEAM CATEGORIES
The customer service team and contact center awards categories recognize the members of individual teams within your overall customer service department or contact center organization. For example, the team may service a particular customer segment or a single client, or may work in a particular call center.
Information required for entries in these categories include:
(a) An essay of up to 650 words describing the customer service team’s accomplishments since July 1, 2013.
(b) Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. At the very least you should provide a link to the organization's website.
65. Customer Service Team of the Year – Recovery Situation
Recognizing service teams who have demonstrated exceptional skill in recovering either an individual case or in rebuilding an underperforming service department.
66. Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year
Recognizing service teams whose primary focus is to address and resolve customer complaints.
67. Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year.
Recognizing service teams that directly engage customers. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Business Services Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes the achievements of teams in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
d. Technology Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in all industries not covered by the other Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year categories.
68. Back Office Customer Service Team of the Year
Recognizing teams that provide service functions that do not directly engage customers, such as billing, credit and collections, payments, security and support services. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Business Services Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes the achievements of teams in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
d. Technology Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievements of teams in all industries not covered by the other Back-Office Customer Service Team of the Year categories.
69. Contact Center of the Year (Up to 100 Seats)
Recognizing call and contact centers that have no more than 100 seats. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Business Services Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes the achievements of contact centers in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
d. Technology Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in all industries not covered by the other Contact Center of the Year (Up to 100 Seats) categories.
70. Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats)
Recognizing call and contact centers that have more than 100 seats. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Business Services Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes the achievements of contact centers in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
d. Technology Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievements of contact centers in all industries not covered by the other Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) categories.
71. Customer Service Management Team of the Year
Recognizing the leadership teams of customer service organizations and contact centers for their achievements.
72. Customer Service Training Team of the Year
Recognizing teams that develop and deliver training to customer service organizations and contact center personnel.
CUSTOMER SERVICE & CONTACT CENTER ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES
Information required for entries in these categories include:
(a) An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominee’s accomplishments since July 1, 2013 in the area covered by the category.
(b) Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. At the very least you should provide a link to the organization's website.
75. e-Commerce Customer Service Award
Recognizing customer service and contact center organizations for their innovative use of online technologies and social media to service the needs of customers.
76. Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
Recognizing customer service and contact center organizations for their use of technology that has directly improved customer service delivery, provided real business benefits, and shown system adoption across the entire customer service function.
77. Award for Innovation in Customer Service
Recognizing new ideas and developments within customer service that enabled organizations to meet the needs of their customers more effectively, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. This category is split into five separate categories:
a. Computer Industries: recognizes achievement in the internet/new media, computer hardware, computer software, computer services, etc. industries.
b. Financial Services Industries: recognizes achievement in the accounting, banking, financial services, insurance, etc. industries.
c. Other Service Industries: recognizes achievement in all service industries except for financial services.
d. Telecommunications Industries: recognize achievement in all telecommunications industries.
e. All Other Industries: recognizes achievement in all industries that are not covered by one of the other Award for Innovation in Customer Service categories.
CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT CATEGORIES
In addition to the possibility of receiving a peer-reviewed honor in these categories, all nominated customer service departments that are chosen as Finalists also will be included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service. Online voting will open to the public worldwide in mid-January and will continue through early February. We will provide Finalists in these categories with tools to help you encourage your fans, followers and customers to vote for you. The nominee with the most votes in each category will receive a special crystal People's Choice Stevie Award.
The customer service department categories recognize everyone who works in customer service in your organization, regardless of their role or location.
Information required for entries in these categories include:
(a) An essay of up to 650 words describing your customer service department’s accomplishments since July 1, 2013.
(b) Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. At the very least you should provide a link to the organization's website.
80. Customer Service Department of the Year – Airlines, Distribution & Transportation
81. Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Hardware
82. Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Software. This category is split into two separate categories:
a. At Organizations With Up to 100 Employees
b. At Organizations With 100 or More Employees
83. Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Services
84. Customer Service Department of the Year – Financial Services
85. Customer Service Department of the Year – Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Related Industries
86. Customer Service Department of the Year – Leisure & Tourism
87. Customer Service Department of the Year – Public Services & Education
88. Customer Service Department of the Year – Retail
89. Customer Service Department of the Year – Telecommunications
90. Customer Service Department of the Year – All Other Industries
Need help with any of this? Contact us at help@stevieawards.com or +1 703-547-8389.
Final tip: Check out our free tipsheet on How to Win Customer Service Awards.
