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Best Contact Center Director (NEW!) |
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Best Use of AI (NEW!) |
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Please Note:
In the interest of fair play, we ask that organizations submit for awards in no more than 3 categories, and only put forward two candidates (maximum) per category. Should an organization exceed that amount, submissions will be judged on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Also, please note that the Lifetime Achievement Award will not be judged in the same way as the other categories.
Individual Categories
Best Contact Center Agent
This category is open to customer-facing individuals, who regularly come into contact with the organization’s end customers, are committed to improving the customer experience, and aspire to a career in the industry. Nominations must originate from a colleague within the organization or a business partner. Last year's winner(s) are not eligible for consideration in the current award cycle.
Evaluation criteria:
Customer Impact: Examples of consistently delivering exceptional service.
Performance Metrics: Quantifiable achievements that support the broader organization’s goals.
Team Collaboration: Contributions to team morale and peer development.
Best Contact Center Supervisor
This category is open to those who supervise agents regularly and provide support to customer-facing individuals. Nominations must come from a colleague within the organization or a business partner. Last year's winner(s) are not eligible for consideration in the current award cycle.
Evaluation criteria:
Team Performance: Improvements in team KPIs under their supervision.
Leadership: Initiatives to mentor and support team members.
Problem-Solving: Examples of addressing and overcoming operational challenges.
Best Contact Center Manager
This category is open to professionals responsible for managing one or more contact centers. Nominations must come from a colleague within the organization or a business partner. Last year's winner(s) are not eligible for consideration in the current award cycle.
Evaluation criteria:
Operational Success: Innovations or improvements in team efficiency and customer outcomes.
Leadership Impact: Development of a supportive, high-performing team culture.
Results: Measurable improvements in KPIs such as service levels or customer retention.
Best Contact Center Director
This category is open to senior leaders who oversee contact center strategy, operations, and performance. Directors are responsible for aligning contact center goals with broader organizational objectives, driving innovation, and fostering a culture of excellence. Nominations must come from a colleague within the organization or a business partner.
Evaluation criteria:
Strategic Leadership: Alignment of contact center goals with organizational objectives.
Innovation: Implementation of new processes or technologies that drive results.
Business Impact: Evidence of improving overall contact center ROI and customer loyalty.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Each year ICMI chooses a new recipient for their Lifetime Achievement Award. This person embodies the spirit of customer service and has contributed to all aspects of the contact center industry - the people, the organizations, the technology, and the customers. This individual has aided in the success of ICMI and its mission to provide training, events, and resources in order to elevate the reputation of the industry. Most importantly, the recipient of the ICMI Lifetime Achievement award has dedicated their career to the great people of the contact center industry.
Team Categories
Best Small, Medium, and Large Contact Center
The small (75 agents or less), medium (76-150 agents), and large (greater than 150 agents) contact centers that best exemplify the “gold standard” for the industry will take home these awards. We’ll also name one runner-up in each category. The prior year's winner(s) are ineligible for consideration in the current award cycle; runners-up are eligible for consideration.
Evaluation criteria:
Performance Metrics: Achievements in areas such as service level, customer satisfaction, and quality assurance.
Culture: Evidence of a positive and engaged team environment.
Customer Impact: Stories or metrics that highlight excellent service delivery.
Best Customer Service Innovation
This category is open to organizations that have developed and implemented creative solutions, tools, or processes to elevate the customer experience. Innovations should demonstrate originality, measurable impact, and potential to set new industry benchmarks. Nominations must come from within the organization or a business partner. Solutions must have been implemented within the last 18 months.
Evaluation criteria:
Evidence of Innovation: Clear explanation of the innovation and its purpose.
Impact: Data or anecdotes showing how the innovation improved customer service.
Scalability: Evidence that the innovation can be scaled or adapted.
Best Contact Center Culture
The organization that takes home this trophy will demonstrate a commitment to fostering a creative and collaborative work environment that has positively impacted both the employee and customer experience. Last year's winner(s) are not eligible for consideration in the current award cycle.
Evaluation criteria:
Engagement: Evidence of strong employee engagement and retention.
Inclusivity: Programs or initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Recognition: Demonstrable commitment to celebrating team and individual achievements.
Best Use of Customer Feedback
This category is open to organizations that excel in gathering, analyzing, and acting on customer feedback to improve experiences and outcomes. Entries should demonstrate a commitment to leveraging insights in innovative and impactful ways. Nominations must come from within the organization or a business partner.
Evaluation criteria:
Collection Methods: Clear explanation of how feedback is gathered.
Actionable Insights: Demonstrable use of feedback to improve processes or outcomes.
Customer Outcomes: Measurable improvements linked to feedback usage.
Best Use of AI
This category is open to organizations that have effectively utilized artificial intelligence to transform contact center operations, improve customer experiences, and achieve measurable results. Nominations must come from within the organization or a business partner.
Evaluation criteria:
AI Application: Description of how AI is integrated into operations.
Efficiency Gains: Metrics demonstrating time, cost, or process improvements.
Customer/Employee Impact: Examples of improved experiences for customers or staff.
Best Public Sector Customer Service Team
This award recognizes government contact centers that exemplify excellence despite the unique challenges of operating within a framework of unionized environments, regulatory constraints, budgetary limitations, and evolving public expectations.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Performance Metrics: Achievements in areas such as service level, customer satisfaction, quality assurance, and operational efficiency within the constraints of public sector operations.
- Culture: Evidence of a positive, engaged, and collaborative team environment that promotes employee development and satisfaction.
- Customer Impact: Stories or data that demonstrate exceptional service delivery to the public, innovative problem-solving, and digital transformation efforts to meet evolving citizen expectations.
Best New Technology Solution
This award is intended to recognize a contact center technology provider whose new solution demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the customer experience. To be considered, the new solution must have been released in within the last 18 months and must be a single piece of technology or one suite of services that was deployed as a single project. Last year's winner(s) are not eligible for consideration in the current award cycle.
Evaluation criteria:
Innovation: How the technology is unique or transformative.
Implementation: Evidence of successful deployment.
Results: Quantifiable improvements in customer or agent experiences.
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