The Global Association for Contact Center Best Practices & Networking

You won GOLD in one of our regional contests in recent years, what made you enter the competition in the first place?
We knew we had achieved great results in our centre - a culmination of several years of hard work - and believed that we could now stand up and be measured against the best of the best.

How did you and your colleagues celebrate your win and what recognition did you receive internally and externally for this fantastic achievement?
Everyone received a copy of our certificate and a bottle of bubbly! The recognition we received internally was fabulous - and to be honest, unexpected. It really made everyone aware of the call centre and the fantastic results we had acheived. It also raised our profile within the wider Carnival group.

Externally, the results were acknowledged by other call centres in the UK and indeed Europe - we had many requests for our industy colleagues to come and visit which was great because they got to see everthing and everyone first hand, not just through a presentation or award ceremony.

How did the win change things for you personally?
I got offered a transfer to our office in Sydney! I wouldn't be writing this now from sunny Australia if we hadn't been ContactCenterWorld.com World Award winners.

What impact did the win have on the morale of the center overall?
Everyone felt extremely proud of what they had achieved. It gave them a real sense of purpose and made them realise how important their contribution is to the success of our company.

Looking back at your win at the regional awards, can you share some insights into how you felt when we announced you had won GOLD and what this amazing award meant to you personally?
Thrilled and relieved! My team deserved to win and I was anxious that my peformance on the day would do them justice - thank goodness it did. Then it dawned on me that I was off to Vegas and so my lasting feeling was one of excitement at the prospect of representing not just our centre, but also our region at the world finals.

What would you say to others who have thought about entering these awards but are hesitant because they don't know how they will do?
Take the risk of winning! You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Being judged against a jury of your peers is a unique and humbling experience and something I woldn't have missed for the world.

In summary, how has winning the GOLD affected you and those around you?
It has opened doors that I never imagined for me personally and it brought everyone involved much closer together with a bond of professionalism and fun.

About Alice-Louise Hutcheson:
Not Available

About Carnival UK:
Carnival Corporation and plc is a global cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world. With a portfolio of leading brands including the most recognised cruiselines in North America, Europe and Australia, we operate 93 ships, 13 new ships scheduled between now and 2012 and have 65,000 employees worldwide helping to serve more than 7 million guests each year.