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2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Stevie Awards movement, and to help celebrate our anniversary we'll be conducting a series of polls throughout the year about the events, people, organizations, and products that shaped our lives over the past decade.

Our first poll asks, What's the top business story of the past 10 years? After careful consideration, we've narrowed the choices to the following five. Vote now for your choice, on our poll on our Facebook page:

a) Apple’s introduction of the iPhone sparks a revolution in mobile computing

b) Wall Street’s troubles trigger the “Great Recession”

c) Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter stoke the growth of social media and social networking

d) Europe’s sovereign debt crisis heralds an era of austerity across the continent

e) The rise of the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) changes the balance of power in international trade

Results of our poll will be announced at the end of January.

		Which Story Do You Think Is the Most Important? Vote Now ...

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Carita Vallinkoski, Senior Executive-Expansion Management at Competence Call Center AG in Vienna, Austria is Chair of the final judging committee of the Customer Service & Contact Center Team categories in the 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. (The final entry deadline for the awards is January 18 - get your entry kit here. The awards are open to all organizations and individuals worldwide.)

We asked Carita what it takes to create a successful customer service or call center team.

What are your top tips on how to create a successful customer service or call center team?
My years of experience as a Contact Center leader, building up Call Centers, and leading large teams of people, have taught me that the employees are the main asset in a company, so my top tips are:

1. Treat every human being with respect and empathy
   Be it employees or customers.
   
   
2. Always give your team a vision.
   Your people need to know whom to follow, what direction to take, and for what purpose. Make sure this information is clear and easy to understand.
   
   
3. Support and motivate your team 
   Investing your time, energy, and love will help your people in providing excellent customer service because they will feel that you care about them and that you take them seriously.

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Accenture Utilities BPO Services’ Revenue Cycle Operations Team for BC Hydro in Vancouver, Canada, won the Stevie® Award for Back-office Customer Service Team of the Year in the customer service awards categories of the 2011 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service. (Entries for the 2012 awards are open through January 18 - submit your entries now.)

As the pressure on businesses to lower risks and control costs while still achieving high customer satisfaction performance grows, so has the importance of business process outsourcing. Here we look at how Accenture Utilities BPO Services’ Stevie Award-winning team has helped find this crucial balance.

What is Business Process Outsourcing?
Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a valuable strategy for companies seeking new ways to achieve high performance by controlling costs, reducing risk, fostering collaboration, and increasing transparency. In its Office Support surveys of its clients, Accenture is achieving a stunning satisfaction rating of 98% overall. 

Three Ways Accenture Utilities BPO Services’ Revenue Cycle Operations (RCO) Team Succeeds at BPO and Customer Satisfaction:

1. Fosters Employee Appreciation
   Accenture Utilities BPO Services' Revenue Cycle Operations (RCO) team is made up of groups of dedicated employees from the Billing, Credit & Collections, Payments, Security, and Support Services departments. RCO team leader Maureen Lachnit is a firm believer in staff appreciation. Her motto is: “Always do the right thing. If you take care of your people, the business will succeed.” 

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The Stevie Awards' prospectus of 2012 sponsorship opportunities is now available - get it here. The prospectus outlines the sponsorship opportunities that are available for all four Stevie Awards programs this year, plus our new June 13-15 event about entrepreneurship in New York, America Means Business.

The final entry deadline for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service is January 18, and we're pleased to name another final judging committee chair. Jason Copeland, Sales Manager at SurePayroll in Chicago, Illinois USA, will chair the final judging committee for the sales achievement categories. The final few committee chairs will be named shortly...

Volunteer to be a preliminary-round judge in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service . Online judging has begun. You'll learn about how customer service, call center, and sales professionals worldwide are achieving success, and you'll receive a certificate of appreciation suitable for framing.

January 18: Last day for late entries to the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

January 25: Finalists announced in 6th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Late January: Entries open for 2012 International Business Awards

February 27: Awards banquet for 6th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, USA

March 28: Entry deadline for 2012 American Business Awards.

June 13-15: America Means Business. Celebration of entrepreneurship, featuring educational, networking, and social events throughout New York City, presented by the Stevie® Awards.