Making student finances more affordable and easier to manage in a sea of “loan sharks” is no easy task, but Stevie Award-winner CommonBond does it sucessfully. CommonBond is a reimagined student loan experience offering low interest rates with great customer service. Their customer satisfaction rates have been overtly positive, which is one of the many reasons why they received $1 billion in funding this year. Learn more about CommonBond to see how they won customer service awards in the 2017 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Crunching Numbers That Don’t Crunch Students

Over 40 million Americans are affected by student loan debt. On average, CommonBond members save $24,046 by refinancing their student loans. They also cover MBA student loans, and recently launched student loan benefits for today’s workforce – giving their partners the resources to stand apart from the competition, and giving their employees the tools to achieve financial wellness.

Senior Communications Manager Bethany Hill gave us the CommonBond perspective, “We’re creators, movers, shakers, numbers geeks, and finance freaks. We’re people just like you, who were frustrated by the high rates and poor service that came with our student loans. We knew there had to be a better way. So we created one.”

More Than Just Student Loans

CommonBond helps their community gain access to complimentary tickets to CommonBond-sponsored events, dinners, panel discussions with entrepreneurs and other companies. This is most apparent in their industry-first program called “CommonBridge.” It’s a service that matches members in between jobs with a consulting opportunity at CommonBond, making it easier to earn money, gain experience and spend a little more time on the job hunt.

A Social Promise

CommonBond has been committed to giving since they funded their very first loan – and it's still a driving force behind everything they do. Here's how their “Social Promise” program works:

• 1-for-1: For every loan funded, they also fund the education of a child in need.
• Education for all: Loans give kids unprecedented access to schools, teachers, and technology
• Pencils of Promise: Ensures that funds go to those who need them most

CommonBond is constantly finding ways to fill a void in the student lending space. David Klein, Co-Founder and CEO believes their success is best explained by what they’re always taking aim at.

“We strongly believe that business can - and should - be a positive force for change”

How does a company cultivate future success when many of its sales leaders are nearing retirement age?

That’s a question The Horton Group, like a lot of insurance firms, has wrestled with lately. Their solution: make sure that new, young hires have the skills they need to develop a productive, lasting career.

According to one report, half of the industry’s current workforce will retire within 15 years. “The No. 1 challenge facing insurance agents and brokers is attracting and developing talent for the future,” says Beth Ottolini, a member of Horton University, the company’s educational arm.

The Horton Group created a customized, diverse learning program to help ramp up the skills of new employees. Over a six-month period, its instructional team developed a sales training program called “Journey to Validation” that’s already made a difference.

The Journey to Validation, received a Gold Stevie Award in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service for the Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year. The Journey to Validation consists of four stages of learning that provide rookie sales executives with the knowledge base and skills necessary to successfully progress from their first day in the program to ultimate validation with the company.

A New Learning Paradigm

Founded in 1971 as a small, family-owned insurance agency, The Horton Group now provides insurance, employee benefits and risk advisory services to a wide range of business clients. Based in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, Ill., the organization employs more than 350 employees working out of 10 locations, most of them in the Midwest.

Prior to the development of Journey to Validation, most of the company’s training was done through apprenticeships and job shadowing. Whatever formal training the new hires needed was provided by external vendors.

But company leaders realized that in order to overcome the unmistakable demographic changes within the industry, they needed a more robust approach. Journey to Validation was the company’s first internally-developed tool for making sure that every new hire had the knowledge and foundational skills he or she would need to launch a successful career.

In 2016, the company hired a four-member team to help build the program from the ground up. That was a definite departure from the way holistic learning programs ‒ often the byproduct of large development teams and consultants ‒ are typically designed.

And in this case, the development team, led by Director of Training and Development Jay Fortuna, wasn’t much older than the rookie salespeople who would eventually use their modules. The average age of the members was just 30.

But what the group brought to the table was a fresh perspective and forward-thinking approach to the way younger associates digest information. Developed in just six months, the Journey to Validation program would ultimately incorporate newer ideas like gamification and micro-learning ‒ a system in which learners concentrate on small, focused lessons ‒ along with proven techniques like shadowing.

The program consists of four steps, which combine online learning as well as in-person training. One of its strengths is the ability to track the progress of brokers to make sure they’ve developed the basic industry knowledge and sales skills they’ll need in their new role.

Along with the Gold Stevie for “Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year”at the Las Vegas awards ceremony, The Horton Group also walked away with two Bronze Stevies, including one for “Sales Training or Education Leader of the Year” for Fortuna.

Continuous Improvement

Ottolini says the program was the result of a highly collaborative atmosphere that puts a premium on continuous improvement. “The pride that the team takes in its work and the extreme ownership of training strengths and shortcomings has led to a recognition that is both humbling and motivating,” Ottolini says.

One of the ways the team helps establish a sense of trust is by sitting down for lunch together every day and bouncing ideas off one another, explains Ottolini.

The group also makes it a point to put themselves in the shoes of new hires. Towards that end, all Horton University team members participate in monthly team-building events with rookie sales executives as part of the training program.

So far, the team, which initially had some trouble achieving buy-in for its novel approach, has won plaudits throughout the organization.

“The infectious enthusiasm and passion emanating from the Horton University team has set a new standard within the company and continues to positively influence the culture of the corporation as a whole,” she says.

Now, the organization is building on its success by developing other learning initiatives, like a service training module and a continuing education program that enables employees to hone their leadership skills.

The internal expertise they’ve demonstrated could also provide a benefit to other members of Assurex Global, the network of commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits agencies to which Horton belongs. “In the coming months, the team is expected to provide consulting services to other Assurex-affiliated organizations,” Ottolini adds.

These latest Stevie accolades will only help give the program further credibility, she notes. Fortuna originally learned about the Stevie Awards while working at a previous employer. When he joined The Horton Group, one of his goals was to help create a sales training program that merited recognition from Stevie panelists.

In a matter of months, their goal has already come to fruition. “Horton University’s recognition at the 2017 Stevie Awards has done wonders to bolster The Horton Group’s culture of learning,” says Ottolini.

Interested in submitted nominations for the top sales awards and customer service awards in 2018? Request the entry kit for the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and it will be emailed to you in July 2017.

Drug and alcohol testing mitigates the risk of injury and property damage to help companies establish a strong safety culture. Stevie Award winner Drug Tests In Bulk (DTIB) provides instant drug testing kits for businesses ranging from correctional facilities, corporate accounts, government offices and anyone who wants to detect the use of abused substances.

The company recently won the Silver Stevie for the e-Commerce Customer Service Award - All Other Industries in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, in addition to gaining media attention for filling an invaluable need for organizations.

Sumant Vasan, Director of Digital Marketing at Drug Tests in Bulk told us, “We have been mentioned in many notable publications, such as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Chicago Tribune and Buzzfeed for our product selection, customer service, and marketing prowess. We are also recognized by DATIA, SAPAA, and SHRM and BBB with an A+ as an exemplary provider.”

The Best and Affordable

DTIB finds the change from lab testing to instant tests to be the most profound as of late. While most lab tests can cost up to $120, instant tests can go for as little as $2-$10 per test. This opportunity helps DTIB help businesses keep a safe workplace, without causing them the difficulty of choosing a sizable investment to do so.

Knowing Your Customer

Regular "Power Hour" meetings to review customer inquiries help address any concerns in a uniform and a thoughtful manner. They also look at customizing the best products for certain industry types, to reduce customer confusion and increase trust in their customer service team.

“We also have a catered lunch every Friday, where we all get a chance to eat, laugh and get to know our fellow team members better.” Said Sumant.

Growing Up With The Company

DTIB believes they’re much more than a drug testing company.  Implementing drug testing policy, protocol, and regulations is a serious responsibility. They also design exercises that include friendly competitions, collaborative projects and focus group sessions to maintain their family oriented environment that sets them apart.

“Our team members have ‘grown up’ with the company. Many of us have gotten married, had children, and bought homes while working here.” Recalled Sumant, “The company definitely has a family feel to it, and we often do things in the community together. For example, we support local food banks, girl scouts, boy scouts, drug rehab centers, and animal shelters.”

Passing With Flying Colours

DTIB customers constantly save on service that matches expensive lab based tests, with an instant solution that delivers the results in less than 5 minutes without sacrificing the quality of the test itself. With more than 15,000 businesses and clients in the U.S., DTIB has definitely tested positive for stellar customer service.

Learn more about Drug Tests in Bulk and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. 

Providing the best customer service for homes and businesses is what Stevie Award-winner Signs.com is all about.

Signs.com is the industry leader in a variety of indoor and outdoor custom signage options for businesses and homes. They also offer one day turnaround time on most of their products. If clients need assistance, they proclaim, “no problem!” by providing free design services and “world-class customer service.”

This is how they garnered such high customer satisfaction rates all the way to win the Gold Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year.

Interested in entering the 2018 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service? These are the top customer service awards, sales awards, business development awards, and new product and service awards around the world.

Request the entry kit here and it will be emailed to you in June.

No Small Parts

Signs.com believes each of their team members bring unique qualities to the table. Whitney Pikula (nee Matagi) is their “bubbliest” customer experience agent on the Signs.com chat service. Whitney was hired as a temp while she finished school and immediately charmed everyone, leading her to land the Customer Experience position.

“She's helpful, sweet, and endearing...Her vivacious spirit is infectious. She's such an asset to our customer service team!”

Whitney has also been a professional dancer for most of her life. She danced for the University of Utah (her alma mater), the Utah Jazz basketball team and the Arizona Cardinals football team. She also traveled through China cheering on the United States Basketball team. Whitney has made it her mission to always keep clients happy and her co-workers laughing.

Smooth Strides to The Stevie Awards

Signs.com made the UVEF (Utah Venture Entrepreneur Forum) top 25 companies under five years old for the second year in a row, before placing sixth in the top ten.

In 2015, they were awarded "Utah's Emerging Elite," an award that honors Utah's fastest growing companies.

In 2017, they plan on applying to be on the INC 500 list.

“We pride ourselves on being on the forefront of these innovations. Who knows where the future of printing will take us.”

Signs.com considers the Stevie Awards a great place to share their company success.

“What a great place to showcase our amazing company. Upon learning of the Stevie Awards' tremendous reputation, we couldn't think of a better match! We became obsessed with creating the best submission out there!”

All Work and No Play...

Working hard but also playing hard is very important to Signs.com. Team building activities include escape rooms, games of darts, nerf gun wars and frequent pranks keep a sense of play for a company in the business of creative council for signage.

“To shake things up, we always play a game after each meeting! We've done some crazy things we aren't really proud of, including putting nylons on our head, eating donuts from a string and playing aggressive games of Spoons. We even have gold and silver medals to hand out to the weekly winners. Yeah, not competitive at all. And TOTALLY normal.”

Samantha, their resident baker, always makes snacks for meetings and birthday celebrations. Because of this, they have sage advice:

“Invest in treadmill desks.”

A common thread among successful, enduring brands is always putting the customer first. Selling to existing customers is much more inexpensive than attracting new ones. Research shows that companies spend five times more to attract a new buyer than to retain a previous one.

Yet a primary mechanism for delivering customer service – a large call center operation – can be limiting. Often, these facilities are trying to lure local job seekers who have little attachment to the brand. And that becomes evident in their interactions with the customer.

Arise Virtual Solutions is trying to fundamentally change that paradigm. The Miramar, Florida-based company provides a cloud-based platform that allows businesses to utilize a network of “micro” call centers around the country. Often, these are semi-retired adults, stay-at-home parents, or even people with disabilities who work out of their homes.

Because the talent pool isn’t confined to a small geographic area, companies can look for individuals who have a higher level of work experience or who possess specific skills, such as the ability to speak a foreign language.

It also enables organizations – whether they’re manufacturers, retailers or service providers – to recruit representatives who share their values and interests. That aspect resolves some of the high turnover issues that plague a lot of traditional call centers. It also turns those individuals into advocates for the brand.

A cycling equipment maker, for instance, is able to staff people who are avid fans of the sport. As a result, they have a clearer understanding of the questions that customers have and are able to suggest products that will fit their needs.

In the 2017 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, Arise was recognized for its innovative solution. The company was awarded the Gold Stevie® in the Best Use of Technology in Customer Service - Business Services category.

Want to submit entries in the 2018 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service? Request your entry kit here and it will be emailed to you when it's available. 

A more flexible workforce

For firms that use the Arise platform, the advantages go beyond the talent level of the customer service workers. The technology also provides a flexibility that traditional call centers don’t offer.

Based on call volume, for example, companies can increase or decrease the number of on-duty reps in under an hour. As a result, users can turn a fixed cost into a variable cost – and save money in the process. The company calls it being “right-staffed.”

Consequently, an industry that was once dominated by large brick-and-mortar operations is undergoing a seismic transformation.  A trade group survey found that as many as 70 percent of call center managers intend to move to a cloud-based infrastructure in the near future.

As one Stevie® Award judge put it, technologies like those offered by Arise offer a “desperately needed” tool that can “accommodate a flexible workforce.”

The array of benefits has led to impressive growth for the company, which was founded in the mid-90s. Today, the Arise network includes thousands of micro call centers throughout the United States as well as in Canada and several European countries. Those individuals provide support for companies in a wide range of industries, from healthcare to retail and banking.

Arise has garnered a number of recognitions over the past few years, including accolades from the Outsourcing Institute and the International Customer Management Institute, or ICMI. Arise CEO John A. Meyer indicated the Stevie Award represents a major achievement for the organization.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Stevie Awards and our peers,” Meyer said in a statement following the ceremony in Las Vegas.

Learn more about Arise Virtual Solutions.

Winners in the eleventh annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, were unveiled on Friday night at a gala ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada attended by more than 650 executives from around the world.

The complete list of Stevie Winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

DP DHL, with Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award wins for activities worldwide, in Argentina, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, and the U.S.A., among other nations, was the most honored organization this year, earning the top Grand Stevie Award trophy for the fourth consecutive year. Other Grand Stevie Award winners, in descending order, include Visualize, HomeServe USA, Delta Air Lines, GuideWell Connect, IBM, VIZIO Inc., Carbonite, Inc., WePay Inc, and Concentrix.

Among other Stevie winners, Carbonite Inc., HomeServe USA, IBM, and iHeartMedia won four Gold Stevie Awards, the most from all organizations. Cisco Systems, ClearVision Optical Company, Optum Consumer Sales and Services, UNOX, Vivint Smart Home, and WePay Inc took home three Gold Stevies. Winners of two Gold Stevie Awards include Ally Bank, CAC 2000 Ltd, Delta Air Lines, Inc., Dow Jones & Co., GuideWell Connect, Imparta Inc., Inci Akü GS Yuasa, Infinity, John Hancock Financial Services, ListenTrust, Network Alliance, Odeabank, VIZIO Inc, and Wilson Learning.

Winners in the People’s Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service, as determined by more than 149,000 public votes, were also awarded at the event to organizations including Bombardier Aerospace, Chewy, CommonBond, CubeSmart, Distinguished Programs, FieldEdge, GPS Insight, j2 Global, Inc., Marriott Vacation Club Owner Services, Ultimate Software, Unitrends, and Zelis Payments.

The presentations were broadcast live via Livestream, and are still available to watch online..

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading business award shows including the prestigious International Business Awards and The American Business Awards.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition, an increase of 10% over 2016. Finalists were determined by the average scores of 77 professionals worldwide, acting as preliminary judges. Entries were considered in 61 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 53 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers.

More than 75 members of several specialized judging committees determined the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, that took place January 23 - February 1.

Sponsors of the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc. and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

The 11th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service - the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals - will be staged this Friday, February 24 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  More than 650 professionals from around the world will attend, making it one of the largest Stevie Awards events ever staged.  

The awards presentations will be broadcast live - look here for the details.  

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards in the business development, new product and service and solution provider categories will be presented at 5:15 pm Pacific Time.  After a reception and dinner, awards in the sales and customer service categories will be presented beginning at 7:40 pm PT.

Here's the list of organizations that have already confirmed their attendance this Friday.

Access One Inc Chicago IL
Achievers Toronto ON Canada
Acquia Inc. Boston MA
Adestra New York NY
Adobe Systems San Jose CA
Aflac Columbus GA
Albridge Lawrenceville NJ
Allianz Global Assistance Richmond VA
Ally Bank Detroit MI
Arcelik Istanbul-Turkey
ArmadaGlobal Hunt Valley MD
Auspac Business Advantage Maroochydore QLD Australia
AWeber - Email Marketing Chalfont PA
BCM One New York NY
BiggerPockets Denver CO
Billhighway Troy MI
Black Knight Financial Services Jacksonville FL
Blue Ocean Contact Centers Halifax NS Canada
Board of Certification/Accreditation Owings Mill MD
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft Customer Services Toronto ON & Montreal and Mirabel PQ
Borusan Otomotiv Istanbul Turkey
Box Inc. Redwood City CA
Brainier Solutions Inc. Minneapolis MN
CAC 2000 Kingston Jamaica
Camp Bow Wow Broomfield CO
Carbonite Inc. Lewiston ME
CareerArc Burbank CA
CareerBuilder Chicago IL
Casper New York NY
Chewy Dania Beach FL
Choozle Denver CO
Cisco Systems Diegem Belgium
Cisco Systems Inc. San Jose CA
CLEAResult Tempe AZ
ClearSlide San Francisco CA
ClearVision Optical Company Hauppauge NY
Clio - Practice Management Software Vancouver BC Canada
Comcast Philadelphia PA
Concentrix Fremont CA
Conectys Bucharest Romania
Convergys Corporation Cincinnati OH
Cricket Wireless Atlanta GA
CrunchTime! Information Systems Boston MA
CubeSmart Malvern PA
DataCore Software Fort Lauderdale FL
Daxko Birmingham AL
Dell Technologies Bangalore Karnataka India
Delmarva Trailer Sales and Rentals Inc. Elkridge MD
Delta Air Lines Atlanta GA
Delta Defense West Bend WI
Delta Vacations Minot ND
DHL Express Plantation FL & Tempe AZ
DHL Global Forwarding U.S.
Dicom Transportation Group Dorval QC Canada
Digital Native Agency Prague Czech Republic
Donan Louisville KY
Dow Jones & Co. Princeton NJ
Druva Inc. Sunnyvale CA
Dun & Bradstreet Malibu CA
EFG Companies Irving TX
Elite Wealth Group San Jose CA
EMKAY Inc Itasca IL
eMoney Advisor LLC Radnor PA
EventMobi Toronto ON Canada
EXTRA Loyalty Solutions Istanbul Turkey
ezCater Boston MA
Festival Walk Hong Kong
First American Database Solutions Santa Ana CA
FirstEnergy Akron OH
FIS Global New York NY
FIS Jacksonville FL USA
Forrest Performance Group and The Pacific Institute Fort Worth TX USA:
FreshBooks Toronto ON Canada
Garanti Emeklilik ve Hayat A.S. Istanbul Turkey
Globoforce Southborough MA and Dublin Ireland
GMC Software Boston MA
GoDaddy Scottsdale AZ
Google Fiber Mountain View CA
GPS Insight Scottsdale AZ
Grovo New York NY
GuideWell Connect Jacksonville FL
HomeAway Inc. Austin TX
HomeServe USA Norwalk CT
Humana Inc. Louisville KY
IBM Armonk NY
ICICI Lombard GIC Ltd Mumbai India
IHG Salt Lake City UT
Imparta Inc. Austin TX
Inci Akü GS Yuasa Manisa Turkey
Infinity Cedar Rapids IA
Invenio Solutions Austin TX
ISN Dallas TX
j2 Global Inc. Ottawa ON Canada
Janek Performance Group Las Vegas NV
John Hancock Financial Services Boston MA
Kohl's Credit and Customer Service Menomonee Falls WI
KT Seoul South Korea
L A Mortgage Team, Mortgage Intelligence Burlington ON Canada
Lennox Industries Richardson TX
Lhasa OMS Weymouth MA
ListenTrust Portland ME
LiveOps Inc. Scottsdale AZ
Lucernex Plano TX
MarkitTrack Chicago IL
Marriott Intermediary Partner Care Omaha NE
Marriott Vacation Club International Orlando FL
MediaRadar New York NY
Mercer Consumer Des Moines IA
MetTel New York NY
Migros Istanbul Turkey
Mixpanel San Francisco CA
ModusLink Waltham MA
Moody's Analytics New York NY
Mozy by DELL Draper UT
MTM Lake St. Louis MO
NCR Atlanta GA
Netchex Covington LA
Network Alliance Reston VA
Nuance Communications Burlington MA
Oi Rio de Janeiro Brazil
OmniUpdate Camarillo CA
OpenLink Financial Uniondale NY
Optum Eden Prairie MN
Optum Consumer Sales and Services Horsham PA
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Raritan NJ
PGi Atlanta GA
PlanGrid San Francisco CA
Prov International Inc Tampa FL
Pushpay Holdings Limited Redmond WA
QNB Finansbank Istanbul Turkey
Qstream Burlington MA
Qualtrics Salt Lake City UT
Response Lindon UT
Revana a TeleTech Company Tempe AZ
Richardson Philadelphia PA
Rimini Street Las Vegas NV
Riva International Inc. Edmonton AB Canada
RizePoint Salt Lake City UT
Runzheimer Waterford WI
Salary.com Waltham MA
Sales Partnerships Broomfield CO
Sandler Sales Institute Overland Park KS
SAP Newtown Square PA
SAVO Group Chicago IL
Scribendi Inc Chatham ON Canada
Securus Technologies Dallas TX
Selling Energy Burlingame CA
SGEi Las Vegas NV
Sharegate Montreal QC Canada
ShopKeep New York NY
Signs.com Salt Lake City UT
SMTP2GO Christchurch New Zealand
SoftPro Raleigh NC
Sonnet Toronto ON Canada
Standard For Success Indianpolis IN
Statewide Intake Austin TX
Sun Basket San Jose CA
Symantec Ltd Dublin Ireland
Tarion Warranty Corporation Toronto ON Canada
TCL Corona CA
Telogis Inc. Aliso Viejo CA
The Horton Group Chicago IL
Transitions in Progress LLC Winchester VA
Travelzoo New York NY
Ultimate Software Weston FL
United States Equestrian Federation Lexington KY
University of Oregon Eugene OR
Unox, Inc. Belmont NC
UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh PA
UserTesting Mountain View CA
USHEALTH Advisors LLC Forth Worth TX
ValueSelling Associates Rancho Santa Fe CA
Velocity Advisory Group Philadelphia PA
VENZA Roswell GA
VIPRE (ThreatTrack Security) Clearwater FL
Visualize, Inc. Birmingham MI
Vivint Smart Home Provo UT
VIZIO Inc. Irvine CA
VMWare Palo Alto CA
Warshaw Group Inc. New York NY
Wayfair Boston MA
Webhelp Istanbul Turkey
Webroot Broomfield CO
Wells Fargo Treasury Management Client Delivery San Francisco CA
WePay Inc Redwood City CA
WP Engine Austin TX
Wyndham Vacation Ownership Orlando FL
Young Living Lehi UT
Zebra Technologies Lincolnshire IL
Zelis Payments Clearwater FL

Entries for the 2018 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will open in July.  Interested?

Votes Determined Public's Favorites for Customer Service Excellence

Winners of the 2017 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service, a worldwide public vote, were announced today. Voting was conducted from January 20 through February 10, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in 12 industry categories.

All organizations honored in the Customer Service Department of the Year categories of this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were eligible to be included in voting for the people’s choice awards. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, now in their 11th year, are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals.

This year’s people’s choice winners, who will each receive the coveted crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award, are:

        Airlines, Distribution, Transportation: Bombardier Aerospace                            
        Computer Hardware: Unitrends
        Computer Services: Ultimate Software
        Financial, Less Than 100 Employees: CommonBond
        Financial, More Than 100 Employees: Distinguished Programs
        Healthcare/Pharma: Zelis Payments
        Leisure & Tourism: Marriott Vacation Club Owner Services                
        Retail: Chewy
        Software, Less Than 100 Employees: FieldEdge
        Software, More Than 100 Employees: GPS Insight
        Telecommunications: j2 Global, Inc.
        Other Industries: CubeSmart

More than 149,000 votes were cast this year.

Nicknamed the Stevie® for the Greek word “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service awards banquet on Friday, February 24 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are now on sale. More than 600 executives from around the world are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live via Livestream.

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships and ValueSelling Associates.

The 15th annual American Business Awards, the premier business awards competition in the U.S.A. which attracts more than 3,000 nominations from organizations nationwide each year, is accepting nominations for the 2017 program. 

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT

The American Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Full entry details are available at http://www.stevieawards.com/aba. The entry deadline is Thursday, February 16 but late entries will be accepted through Wednesday, March 15.

There are more than 100 categories for New Products & Services.

These include all product management, product development, product engineering and manufacturing functions. New products and services released in the U.S.A. since January 1, 2016 are eligible to be nominated. Both brand-new and new-version products are eligible.

An added bonus in entering the New Product Awards categories is that you are automatically included in the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products. Every new product or service nominated in The American Business Awards will automatically be included in voting. Voting will be conducted by the general public from May 2 through June 2, and the winners will be honored at the ABA awards banquet on June 20. In early May, entrants in the Best New Product or Service categories will receive instructions on how to promote People's Choice voting to their own customers, fans, and followers. 

The New Product Award category groups are:
Product & Service Categories
Software Categories
Content Categories
Education Categories 
Product Management Categories

Note the new categories for 2017 are highlighted in red and the categories with no entry fee are highlighted in blue.

Products & Services
P01. Business-to-Business Products
P02. Business-to-Business Services   
P03. Consumer Electronics
P04. Consumer Products
P05. Consumer Services
P06. Financial Services 
P07. Hardware - Computer
P08. Hardware - Networking
P09. Hardware - Peripheral
P10. Hardware - Semiconductor or Other Electronic Component
P11. Hardware - Storage
P12. Hardware - Other
P13. Health & Pharmaceuticals - Product
P14. Health & Pharmaceutical - Service
P15. Industrial Products & Services 
P16. Media & Entertainment - Product
P17. Media & Entertainment - Service
P18. Telecommunications - Product
P19. Telecommunications - Service
P20. Transportation

Software
P21. Software - Application Programming Interface (API) Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P22. Software - Asset Management Solution
P23. Software - Big Data Solution 
P24. Software - Business or Competitive Intelligence Solution
P25. Software - Cloud Application/Service
P26. Software - Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solution (new category for 2017)
P27. Software - Cloud Infrastructure
P28. Software - Cloud Platform
P29. Software - Cloud Storage & Backup Solution 
P30. Software - Collaboration/Social Networking Solution
P31. Software - Content Management Solution
P32. Software - Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution
P33. Software - Data Visualization Technology (new category for 2017)
P34. Software - Electronic Commerce Solution
P35. Software - Endpoint Security Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P36. Software - Event Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P37. Software - Financial Management Solution
P38. Software - FinTech Solution (new category for 2017)
P39. Software - Governance, Risk & Compliance Solution
P40. Software - Healthcare Technology Solution (new category for 2017)
P41. Software - Human Capital Management Solution
P42. Software - Identity & Access Security Solution (new category for 2017)
P43. Software - Infrastructure as a Service (new category for 2017)
P44. Software - Integration Solution
P45. Software - International Data Protection Solution
P46. Software - IoT Analytics Solution (new category for 2017)
P47. Software - IT Operations Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P48. Software - IT Service Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P49. Software - Lead Generation Solution 
P50. Software - Marketing/Public Relations Solution
P51. Software - Migration as a Service (new category for 2017)
P52. Software - Mobile Development Solution 
P53. Software - Mobile On-Demand Application
P54. Software - Mobile Operations Management Solution
P55. Software - Network Security Solution (new category for 2017)
P56. Software - News Monitoring Solution (new category for 2017)
P57. Software - Payments Solution (new category for 2017)
P58. Software - Platform as a Service (new category for 2017)
P59. Software - Project Management Solution
P60. Software - Real Estate or Construction Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P61. Software - Relationship Management Solution
P62. Software - SaaS Enablement as a Service (new category for 2017)
P63. Software - Social Business Solution
P64. Software - Software Development Solution
P65. Software - Supply Chain Management Solution
P66. Software - Systems Management Solution
P67. Software - Web Services Solution
P68. Software - Other

Content
These categories recognize products, technology and services created by, or for, media, publishers and information services providers.

P70. Content - Advertising or Campaign Management Platform
P71. Content - Aggregation Platform
P72. Content - Business Directory
P73. Content - Business Information Solution
P74. Content - Content Analytics Solution
P75. Content - Content Marketing Solution
P76. Content - Content Rights and Delivery Solution
P77. Content - Crowd Sourced Information Solution
P78. Content - eCommerce & Billing Platform
P79. Content - Financial & Market Data Information Solution
P80. Content - General Reference Service
P81. Content - Health & Medical Information Solution
P82. Content - Information Service Delivered as Mobile App or Platform
P83. Content - Legal Information Solution
P84. Content - Media & Information Monitoring Solution
P85. Content - Multichannel Publishing Technology (new category for 2017)
P86. Content - Sales & Marketing Intelligence Solution
P87. Content - Scholarly Publishing Information Solution
P88. Content - Science and Technology Information Solution
P89. Content - Search Technology Solution
P90. Content - Semantic Technology Platform, Tools and Applications
P91. Content - Service Using Aggregated Content
P92. Content - Solution for Integrating Content into the Workflow
P93. Content - Subscription Management Solution (new category for 2017)
P94. Content - Video Platform for Media & Publishers

Education
These categories recognize applications, products and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services and related technologies across the K-20 sector.

S01. Education - Arts & Creativity Solution
S02. Education - Career and Workforce Readiness Solution
S03. Education - Classroom Management Solution
S04. Education - Collaborative Social Media Solution for Educators
S05. Education - Cross-Curricular Solution
S06. Education - Education Cloud-Based Solution
S07. Education - ELL/World Language Acquisition Instructional Solution
S08. Education - Game-Based Curriculum Solution
S09. Education - Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas
S10. Education - K-12 Course or Learning Management Solution
S11. Education - K-12 Enterprise Solution
S12. Education - Learning Capacity-Building Solution
S13. Education - Learning Relationship Management Solution (new category for 2017)
S14. Education - Mathematics Instructional Solution
S15. Education - PK-12 Personalized Learning Solution
S16. Education - Pre-K / Early Childhood Learning Solution (new category for 2017)
S17. Education - Postsecondary Enterprise Solution
S18. Education - Postsecondary Learning Management Solution
S19. Education - Postsecondary Learning Solution
S20. Education - Postsecondary Personalized Learning Solution
S21. Education - Professional Learning Solution for Education
S22. Education - Reading/English/Language Arts Instructional Solution
S23. Education - Science Instructional Solution
S24. Education - Social Sciences or Social Studies Instructional Solution
S25. Education - Solution for Special Needs Students
S26. Education - Source for Reference or Education Resources
S27. Education - Student Assessment Solution
S28. Education - Virtual Learning Solution

Product Management
P96. Product Development/Management Department or Team of the Year 
P97. Product Development/Management Executive of the Year
P98. Product Developer of the Year: recognizing all non-executive product development or management professionals. There is no entry fee for this category.

The following professionals participated in preliminary judging of the 2017 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service from November 2016 through January.  Their average scores determined the 2017 Finalists.  We thank them for their time, insights and support.

The 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service gala is on Friday, February 24 where winners will be announced. Tickets for the Las Vegas ceremony are on sale now.

Asburche Adalan, Business and Sales Development Mgr., DHL Express US, Miami, FL USA
Amit Kumar Agarwal, Sr Manager, FarePortal India Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana India
Shelly Alder, Manager, Domestic Customer Service, J.R. Simplot Company, Boise, ID USA
Scott Anschuetz, CEO, Visualize-Inc, Birmingham, MI USA
David Araujo, Direct Sales Supervisor, DHL Express São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Benj Arriola, SEO Director, Myers Media Group, San Diego, NC USA
Bilal Asci, Customer Value Group Manager, n11.com, Istanbul, Turkey
Ronald Joseph, Avecilla Process Auditor, Globe Telecom, Manila, Philippines
Stuart Bankey Manager, Community Management Rackspace,San Antonio, TX USA
Mike Bare, CEO, BARE International, Washington DC USA
Nick Broadbent, VP Global Support, DataCore Software, Reading, United Kingdom
Randi Busse, President Workforce Development Group, Inc., Massapequa Park, NY USA
Pembe Candaner, Founder, President, JobzMall, Tustin, CA USA
Lucia Caron, Manager, Customer Support, Verint Systems Inc., Herndon,VA USA
Beth Castro, AVP - Commercial Enablement, AT&T, Houston, TX USA
Joe Cherian, Regional Vendor Manager, Vonage, Chennai, Tamilnadu,India
Brian Correia, Director, Sales & Client Services, Solstice Dental & Vision, Plantation, FL USA
Marc Cowan, Fellow at the Institute of Supply Chain Management, Dolphin International, United Kingdom
Emilia D'Anzica, VP, Customer Engagement, WalkMe, San Francisco, CA USA
Robyn Davis, Trade Show Strategy Specialist, When I Need Help, Columbia, SC USA
Luis Deza, General Manager, Canto Rodado Consulting, Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Sheryl Dobson, Director of Customer Support, J2 Global Cloud Services, Ottawa, ON Canada
Alan Dowler, Operations Manager, Hamilton Jewelers, Princeton, NJ USA
Eve Dumovich, Publisher, Snowline Publishing, Ashford, WA USA
Caroline Edwards, Consumer Information Centers Product Manager, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN USA
Andrew J. "Flip" Filipowski, Executive Chairman & CEO, SilkRoad Technology, Winston, Salem NC USA
Shannon Gregg, Director, Sales Operations, TeleTracking,Pittsburgh, PA USA
Tara Griffin, Senior Solutions Consultant, Genesys, Flagler Beach, FL USA
Heidi Guzman, MBA, Consorcio Kairos, VILLAHERMOSA, Tabasco, Mexico
Nabyl Hassain, Director of Telesales, DHL, Miami, FL USA
Mary Henson, Membership Care Coordinator, United States Equestrian Federation, Lexington, KY USA
Deepak Kumar, Hotkar Manager, Jasper Industries Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana,India
Lin Hui Kai, Deputy Manager, Cathay Life Insurance Co., Ltd Taipei, Taiwan
Adam Ihrig, Business Analyst, JPMorgan Chase, Heathrow, FL USA
Linden Ingram, EVP Sales, Imparta Inc, Austin, TX USA
Joann Kay, Customer Care Director, GraduationSource, Port Chester, NY USA
UMUT KECECIOGLU, Mobile Services Manager, Yapi Kredi Bankacilik Üssü, Kocaeli, Turkey
Tony Keesee, Director of Customer Care, VPay, Richardson, TX USA
Joshua Kelley, Supervisor, Leadership Operations Training, MTM, Inc., West St Paul, MN USA
Kathy Leckey, Vice President of Marketing, SomethingNew, New York, NY USA
Sandra Lynch, Account Manager, John Hancock, Boston, MA USA
David Madacsi, Senior Technical Customer Support Engineer, GrassValley, Lakewood, CO USA
Wessam Massoud, Programme Delivery Manager, Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Center (ADSIC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Rowena Maxwell, Senior Manager, Accenture, London, United Kingdom
Judy Mod, Founder, CEO, Chief Adoption Officer, RevenueSphere, Atlanta, GA USA
Anni Mollett, SVP, Senior Credit Products Manager, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Dallas,TX USA
Thomas Moor, Global Director, Strategy and Planning, Sartomer (a business unit of Arkema), Exton, PA USA
Ann Moreth, Sr. Customer Service Engagement Manager, UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh, PA USA
Jason Morris, Director of Operations, SRS|Acquiom LLC, Denver, CO USA
Rajendran Nair, VP, Marketing, Rootstock Software, Fremont,CA USA
Tracy Neiser, Customer Service Manager, Active Exhaust Corp., Toronto, ON Canada
Ken Overly, Vice President, Operations, EFG Companies, Dallas, TX USA
Kadir Mustafa, OZTURK Executive Vice President / ADC & Digital Banking Solution Projects, Intertech Bilgi Islem ve Pazarlama Ticaret A.S.,Istanbul, Sisli, Turkey
Leticia Padilla, Corporate Recognition and Citizenship, Concentrix, Fremont, CA USA
Lou Reinemann, Director, Customer Care, SmartBear Software, Somerville, MA USA
RJ Riemer, VP Support Operations, VIZIO, Inc., Dakota Dunes, SD USA
Toni Roberts, VP, Customer Service & Operations, Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio & Indiana, Farmington Hills, MI USA
Vicki Rollins, Sales Operations & Marketing Professiona, Glenaden Homes, Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
Sharon Rudd, Organisational Development & Sales Consultant, TNT, Mascot, NSW, Australia
Stu Schlackman, Owner, Competitive Excellence,Richardson, TX USA
Paula Seeger, Library Technician 2, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, OR USA
Randy Selleck, Sr. Director, Call Center Operations, Assurant Solutions, Atlanta, GA USA
Bill Shelton, Senior Vice President, USHEALTH Advisors, Grapevine, TX USA
Melda Sofuoglu, Channel Experience & Operations Development Manager, Call Center Operations & Experience & Development, Istanbul, Turkey
Andrzej Szczepaniak, Deputy Director, Central Settlement Services Bank, Zachodni WBK S.A., Poznan, PA Poland
Will Tarrant, Managing Partner, Service Metrics Group, Plano, TX USA
Asli Tas KAYABAS, Psychologist, Trainer, Founding Partner, Awards Consultant, Kuzey Academy, Istanbul, Turkey
Özge Tekalp, Director, Türk Ekonomi Bankasi A.S, Istanbul, Turkey
Julie Thomas, President & CEO, ValueSelling Associates, Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA
Kelly Thomas, Assistant Vice President, Transfer Agent, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., Centennial, CO USA
Irem Tuzunalper, Founder & CEO, EXTRA Loyalty Solutions Co., Istanbul, Turkey
Lori Van Dyke, Manager, Customer Care, Access One Inc,Chicago, IL USA
Chris Vasan, Communcations Lead, Cisco Systems, Inc., Raleigh Triangle Park, NC USA
Madalina Vilau, Managing Director, Expo Media, Bucharest, Romania
Sunil Wadhwa, VP - Customer Success, Druva, Sunnyvale, CA USA
Charles White, Principal Administrator, International relations officer (retired), European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
Nicolette Wuring, Managing Director, Customer Management Services, Amstelveen, Netherlands