Rewarding Excellence, Culture and Team Spirit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why was this program developed?
A: Digital transformation of customer experience is a major strategic initiative for B2C and B2B organizations across industries. The CCs are the “People’s Choice Awards” of the Customer Service industry, rewarding excellence and outstanding achievement among practitioners and service providers* across a broad range of categories. Based on our research at Frost & Sullivan, we have identified five key areas that businesses are looking at to drive differentiated customer experiences in 2019 and beyond. These are:
- The Mary Poppins – Self Serve
- The Selfie – Social Media Customer Engagement
- The Matrix – Customer Analytics
- The Rosie – Artificial Intelligence
- The Henry Ford – Robotic Process Automation
Best-in-class brands continue to raise the bar for highly personalized and effortless customer experiences in these areas. These experiences help cement long-term customer relationships and build greater brand loyalty and advocacy. As a result, these companies are able to attract, retain, and grow more customers than their competitors, while keeping service costs lower.
Frost & Sullivan created the CC Awards for two simple reasons. First, we want to recognize those companies who are setting the bar high and putting industry best-practices in place in a time of collapse, disruption and digital transformation. Second, we want to take time out to leading companies, their employees and most importantly, their customers.
Q: My company is a service provider. Can we submit an application?
A: The five categories are for practitioners only. However, you can nominate your clients for any of the five categories. Plus, service providers can enter the Work Hard Play Hard category, which highlights contact center culture. Take us behind the scenes to show us how you rock your contact center team spirit. What keeps your team jazzed for tackling those hard days? How do you celebrate team wins? How do you create that community-family-brotherly-sisterly-A-team bond? More information can be found here:
https://www.customercontactwest.com/2019/cx-awards/work-hard-play-hard-award/
Q: How are companies scored?
A: Companies are vetted through a rigorous two-stage evaluation process. The first stage involves completing a survey questionnaire. The questions posed cover a range of customer engagement capabilities and business outcomes. Responses are scored and graded against a benchmark score, as determined by Frost & Sullivan. Those companies that scored higher than the benchmark in each category are awarded the status of Kahuna.
Check out the survey here:
https://na2se.voxco.com/SE/?st=BP7v4TGKhzA46Lo%2FO%2F%2B2KcSIk9UfMWmGH5%2FSjqEFazZOM482vqoK9g%3D%3D&tui=auto&nocookie=1
These first stage winners (Kahunas) are invited to advance to the second stage—a qualitative round consisting of essay response to a series of questions for each category. We will ask you to share use cases, metrics, and KPIs to substantiate your learning’s in each category. The qualitative submissions will be evaluated by a judging panel. The panel of judges will include experts from the industry and Frost & Sullivan research analysts. Those companies selected as best-in-class will be honored as Kahunas in the category or categories for which they entered.
Round one Kahunas will be recognized, and Kahunas and the Big Kahuna (the highest scoring submission in each category) will be announced for the first time at the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West Executive MindXchange in October, 2019. You must be present at the event to win the Big Kahuna award.
Q: What is the website for the CC Awards?
Q: Can I see the full list of winning companies?
A: The full list of Kahunas (first round winners) will be released on August 5th, 2019. Kahunas will receive a PDF copy of the press release, as well as the PR Newswire link to share internally with their employees, customers, and shareholders.
Q: How many companies submitted for consideration of this award?
A: The interest and participation in this program in the inaugural year significantly exceeded our expectations. Those companies who achieve the scores necessary to receive recognition are to be commended for their success.
Q: What is the process for to advance to the Big Kahuna qualitative evaluation stage?
A: You will only be invited on June 12th, 2019 to advance in the categories for which you placed as a Kahuna in round one. You will have until July 12th, 2019 to complete and submit your second round, qualitative application(s).
Q: What Deadlines Should I be aware of?
A: First Round – Surveys Must Be Completed by June 7, 2019. To fill out the survey, follow this link: https://na2se.voxco.com/SE/?st=BP7v4TGKhzA46Lo%2FO%2F%2B2KcSIk9UfMWmGH5%2FSjqEFazZOM482vqoK9g%3D%3D&tui=auto&nocookie=1
Second Round – Qualitative Submissions Must Be Completed by July 12th, 2019.
The CC Awards Ceremony & Cocktail Bash – We will be honoring all Kahuna’s and announcing the Big Kahuna for each category on October 28, 2019 at 5:27pm in at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, in conjunction with the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange event. For more information, visit www.customercontactwest.com
Q: What are the benefits of receiving this recognition?
A: The benefits of being distinguished as a CC Award Winner are many!
In terms of market awareness and brand perception, you benefit in these ways:
- Appreciate your team and company for their commitment to customer service excellence.
- Receive global recognition among your peers.
- Increase market awareness of your distinction as a leader in customer service.
- Be seen as an active contributor to the vision of increasing customer service excellence through strategy and implementation.
Personally and professionally, you and your organization benefit in these additional ways:
- You will be recognized for your achievements and are invited to appear in person to receive your honor at the 2019 The CC Awards and Cocktail Bash celebration on October 28th, 2019 at 5:27pm in Huntington Beach, California, in conjunction with the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange in Huntington Beach, California.
- Automatic advancement to the Big Kahuna evaluation stage in the category (or categories) in which you entered. The Big Kahuna recipient in each category will be announced for the first time at the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange.
- A complimentary pass to the CC Awards Cocktail Bash on October 28th, 2019.
- Preferred rate to attend the full 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange event for you and your team.
- This event will include a great line-up of speakers and will afford you an opportunity to network with customer engagement leaders from around the nation.
Q: Is there a fee to enter the Awards?
A: There is a onetime $95 fee for submission.
About The CC Awards
The CC Awards, made possible through the coordination of the Frost & Sullivan Customer Engagement Digital Transformation practice and the Frost & Sullivan Customer Contact Executive MindXchange event series, honors companies and individual leaders that are shaping the future of Customer Service. Honored recipients have demonstrated achievement in one or more of five categories: The Mary Poppins, The Rosie, The Henry Ford, The Selfie and the Matrix. There are several honorees in each category, from which one Big Kahuna in each category is identified.
All honorees will be celebrated and the top-scoring company in each category will be announced at the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange event, taking place October 27-30, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach in Huntington Beach, California.
For more information about the The CC Awards, please go to www.customercontactwest.com/2019/ccawards
What do the The CC Awards evaluate? What are the categories?
A: The CC Awards program identifies best-in-class companies that demonstrate the hallmarks of a progressive, innovative and forward-focused enterprise in customer experience strategy and implementation.
The 2019 Categories include:
The Mary Poppins - Self Serve:
This category recognizes companies for excellence in self-service, including Virtual Assistants, web self-service, interactive voice response, and integrated customer collaboration and support capabilities.
The Selfie - Social Media Customer Engagement
This category recognizes companies for excellence in social media customer service. This includes internal channels such as customer communities and support forums, as well as external channels such as Facebook, WeChat, Twitter and other social networking and messaging sites.
The Matrix - Customer Analytics
This category recognizes companies for excellence in leveraging analytics to deliver differentiated customer experiences, while driving improvements in operational KPIs for the organization.
The Rosie - Artificial Intelligence
This category recognizes companies for excellence in implementing Artificial Intelligence and related technologies, such as machine learning, and natural language processing for enhanced agent and customer interactions business insights.
The Henry Ford - Robotic Process Automation
This category recognizes companies for excellence in using process automation for increased efficiency and cost savings within the contact center, back office and across the organization.
Promotion of your award
Q: Can you clarify permissions around using the Frost & Sullivan logo in our marketing?
A: This is the logo you have permission to use in association with your recognition.
A .png file of this logo can be sent to you by your account rep. If you would like to purchase a custom logo / digital badge to display on your website that includes the year and category of your recognition, please let us know.
Q: Are there any additional ways I can leverage and promote this award?
A: The following opportunities are available for winning companies that would like to expand the visibility of their award throughout the year. Contact brooke.filson@frost.com for more information.
- Video Interview at the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange
- Kahuna and/or Big Kahuna Case Study by Frost & Sullivan
- Customized logo, Analyst quote and more
Q: An award plaque will be issued to winners on-site at the 15th Anniversary Customer Contact West: Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange. What do I receive if I cannot attend in person?
A: We are able to mail you a certificate following the event, but to win the Big Kahuna, you must have a team member present onsite.
Q: What is the approved description of the Program and of Frost & Sullivan that I can include in our press release?
A: This is the approved boilerplate for your press release.
About Frost & Sullivan
For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success.