Announcing the International Service Excellence Award Winners 2008

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 25, 2008

In recognition of being leading service providers globally, organizations and individuals were awarded at the International Service Excellence Awards held in Anaheim, CA on November 17 and hosted by the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) at the North American Conference on Customer Management.

CSIA is the body delegated by the International Council of Customer Service Organizations (ICCSO) to manage the inaugural 2008 International Service Excellence Awards. These awards are the world's peak customer service awards with leading customer service organizations and individuals around the globe being nominated in a variety in categories to recognize their commitment customer service excellence. These awards are sought after by government, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations of all sizes and across all industries.

Christine Churchill, Executive Director, The Customer Service Institute of America and Brett Whitford, Secretary-General, International Council of Customer Service Organizations were guest speakers at the conference and Brett Whitford said "With customer expectations continually rising, the wider business community is becoming increasingly aware of the value and role that customer service plays in achieving business success. The organizations selected have demonstrated that they are leaders in customer service and are worthy winners of our top awards. All our winners and finalists are working hard towards service excellence and their achievements in customer service have shown a true commitment to putting the customer first in today's competitive business climate."

Judging Criteria
The judging criteria for the International Service Excellence Awards is based on the rigorous International Customer Service Standard (ICSS), which provides a comprehensive and practical framework to assist organizations deliver consistently high levels of service.

Organizations applying in each of the award categories will be asked to demonstrate to the Award judges:
1. Approach to each of the attributes outlined in the International Customer Service Standard
2. The breadth and depth of the deployment of each approach
3. Results flowing from the approach and deployment
4. The level of involvement of customers in the strategic decision making of the organization
5. Evidence of continuous review and improvement against the Standard's criteria

The Judging Committee consists of representative senior business and public sector individuals actively involved in the customer service profession.
2008 International Service Excellence Award Winners:

Company Awards:

Large Business (over 4000 employees)
Bath and Body Works

Division of a Large Business
(Business to Business)                
Nokia Care NA and
Telstra Enterprise and Government Customer Care

Division of a Large Business
(Business to Consumer)    
Baxter HomeCare Services

Contact Center
(Business to Consumer)
Bluefly

Contact Center
(Business to Business)
ADP COS                

Contact Center
(Business to Business/Consumer)
St.George Bank

Medium Business (501-3999 employees)
Freeman

Small Business (less than 500 employees)
Health Systems Group

Individual Awards:
     Customer Service Manager of the Year -
     Jane Judd, Sr. Manager Customer Loyalty
     Zappos.com

     Customer Service Professional of the Year -
     Don Braddock, Customer Service Professional
     Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

     Customer Service CEO of the Year -
     Robert Stephens, Founder and Chief Inspector
     GeekSquad

     Chief Customer Officer of the Year -
     Rob Maruster, Sr. VP of Customer Service
     JetBlue Airways

     Customer Service Contact Center Manager of the Year -
     Antoine Casgrain, General Manager Customer Contact Center
     St.George Bank

     Customer Service Executive of the Year -
     Sheila Harrell, VP Global Customer Services Strategic Planning
     FedEx

If you are a customer service organization and you would like to join the International Council of Customer Service Organizations or if you would like to nominate your organization or a colleague for an International Service Excellence Award please contact us at the number below or the email associated with this media release.

About Customer Service Institute of America:
The Customer Service Institute of America is to be the professional body of choice for customer service leaders across the US. The Institute has the exclusive North American rights to distribute the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS) and certify Organizations against the Standard.

Contact:
Christine Churchill, Executive Director
Customer Service Institute of America
312-268-5855
serviceinstitute.com

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