#contactcenterworld, @zurich

Team Manager Cynthia Jackson from Zurich North America recently participated and won in the Americas Region for the Top Ranking Performers Awards for Best Contact Center (Medium In-house Contact Center) put on by ContactCenterWorld.com. Cynthia took the time to reflect with us on her award win and what it means.

ContactCenterWorld: What was your reaction to being named Best Contact Center (Medium In-house) in the Americas Region?
Cynthia Jackson: I was thrilled! Zurich has competed in the past, having won a Bronze in 2010 for Best Contact Center and Best in Service and we were finalists in 2009 for the same categories. So I was thrilled to be able to share with our team that I'd be bringing home Gold for Best Contact Center!


ContactCenterWorld: What was the reaction from your Zurich colleagues upon returning to your Contact Center?
Cynthia Jackson: They were equally excited. We discussed competing in 2015 but didn't have the opportunity to due to a modernization project we were rolling out. The wait paid off, as we were able to share with you some of the changes that came about because of the project. It solidifies for us that we are on the right track.


ContactCenterWorld: What was the reaction from your boss and can you share with us what they said to you?
Cynthia Jackson: "Congratulations!!!" They (Jack Dawson and LaRonda Taylor) have participated in Contact Center Awards in the past and had nothing but great things to say about it. They knew the importance of being named the best amongst like-businesses.


ContactCenterWorld: Has winning this award changed your approach to your job in any way?
Cynthia Jackson: Honestly, not so much mine as it has for our employees. They have expressed how proud they are of winning this award and to be a part of our Care Center team. It’s really driven home the importance of what they do every day.


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ContactCenterWorld: How did you celebrate your success upon winning the Best Contact Center (Medium In-house)?
Cynthia Jackson: We shared the news amongst our teams and throughout the company. We were highlighted by our senior leadership and on our company intranet site. This win is a true value-add for our company as a whole, not just our site.


ContactCenterWorld: Are you or your company telling others of your achievement and what are they doing to help promote your win in Americas?
Cynthia Jackson: Absolutely! By sharing the news of our accomplishment and what it means to win at the ContactCenterWorld Awards, our market facing teams are able to communicate it to our customers. Our customers then begin to understand the value in our products and services. They know that when the rubber meets the road in insurance, which is claims, that we are ready and more than capable of meeting their challenges.


ContactCenterWorld: You also competed in the Best Customer Service (Medium In-house) category and finished second, how competitive was this category in your estimation?
Cynthia Jackson: Very competitive, especially in our category (medium in-house). It’s an honor to even be selected as a finalist in the category, let alone earn a Silver. In the Olympics, a Silver or a Bronze is a coveted spot and this is no different. I do believe the changes we made in 2015 helped us secure a Silver, but of course it was not easy and it was a lot of work leading up to the ContactCenterWorld Regional Awards for 2016.


ContactCenterWorld: How do you think being named a winner in the Best Contact Center (Medium In-house) category and finishing runner-up in Best Customer Service will impact your company?
Cynthia Jackson: I can’t say enough how huge of a value-add this win really is. Our business is very competitive. There are only a handful of insurers as large as we are with similar capabilities. What sets us apart is our agility and service. It’s tough to be this large of a company and have the individualized service to match. These awards make the statement for us that WE CAN DELIVER on our promises, and hopefully that helps us attract and retain customers.


ContactCenterWorld: Plenty of ideas were shared during the conference, how have you been able to take some of these Best Practices and introduce them into your Contact Center?
Cynthia Jackson: There certainly was no lack of ideas shared or generated. One of the first steps the company is moving towards is more flexible working options and a holistic approach to quality. Since my return, we have implemented new Best Practices focusing on the customer experience and are beginning to review more comfortable working options for some employees by issuing laptops instead of desktops.


ContactCenterWorld: Outside of your own category of Best Contact Center (Medium In-house) & Best Customer Service (Medium In-house), what was another category that captured your interest and why?
Cynthia Jackson: Community Spirit. We do everything from food drives to blood drives to book drives. Habitat for Humanity builds and the list goes on. For a contact center of our size, we place a lot of importance on community investment. So much so, that we build it into our employees goals for the year! We want them to feel they make contributions to the greater good of our communities because these are the principles we stand for.


ContactCenterWorld: How would you describe your journey to this point to someone who is considering entering the Top Ranking Performers Awards for next year?
Cynthia Jackson: Nerve-racking and exciting! You do not grow if you do not challenge yourself and you’ll never know how good (or bad) you are until you have stood next to the best in the industry. It is a worthwhile opportunity and I am so glad I/we have been a part of it!


ContactCenterWorld: Besides the awards, what has been the best part of your experience with ContactCenterWorld.com so far?
Cynthia Jackson: Making connections and challenging myself and challenging our abilities within our site. It has been a test of will and ability and we did it.


ContactCenterWorld: Outside of presenting, what are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Conference in Las Vegas?
Cynthia Jackson: I’m looking forward to learning about who wins and what sets them apart. There is still a lot that can be learned about the competitors who will be participating.

#contactcenterworld, @zurich