February 2002

Ninth-Annual MVP Quality Award Winners

This is the ninth year Customer Inter@ction Solutions' has brought you thewinners of its MVP (Marketing Via Phone) Quality Awards. In the ensuing years since we introduced the awards in 1993, we have been impressed with the growing sophistication of the quality measures that have been introduced to the call center by the leading-edge companies that apply for our MVP Quality Award. Over the years we have seen new technologies adopted and the standards for a quality interaction refined and improved. Each of the following companies has demonstrated, through its MVP Quality Award application, a true commitment to high ethical standards, stringent policies and challenging goals. Each of the award recipients is involved in a quality process that stretches from its human resource development to its implementation of technology to improve quality to taking a leadership role in promoting a positive public image of teleservices, and more. The following brief extracts from the extensive award-winning applications will give you a glimpse into what the companies provided as their standards for quality.

All 2001 MVP Quality Award applicants were rigorously judged by a 15-point set of criteria and given a score from 0 to 5 for each point. Entrants described a specific teleservices program and its results, and explained its overall policies and procedures, including human resources, technologies, customer services, ergonomics and public image that are used to establish, sustain and measure the program's quality. Applicants were also judged on the critical questions section of their application.

Judging the applicants was an arduous task, and scores were not given lightly. Judges were required to not only assign a numerical value to each evaluation point, but also cite a reason and evidence from the application for the score.

It is also important for you to know that we learned through the winners' essays that there are countless individuals within these organizations whose combined efforts and teamwork have contributed to elevating their companies' marketing via phone practices to the forefront of the industry. To all of you, our congratulations.

Access Direct
'Access Direct opened its doors in 1995 as a 48-seat outbound facility and has grown to a 1,000-seat operation, providing both inbound and outbound services with nearly 1,400 employees. Our corporate mission statement emphasizes quality as well as our company philosophies that stress our commitment to our clients that we will not grow beyond our capabilities to offer consistently high-quality service and our commitment to our employees to invest in all employees equally, thus lowering attrition levels and ensuring a more consistent level of quality performance.' www.accdir.com

ClientLogic
'ClientLogic is an international provider of integrated customer management solutions, including customer care, e-commerce, marketing and fulfillment services. ClientLogic excels at managing the entire customer experience. ClientLogic's differentiator is the complete integration of its core offerings, customer care, fulfillment and marketing services, which empowers ClientLogic to infuse customer intelligence into each and every customer touch point, ensuring high service quality and personalization.' www.clientlogic.com

Colwell & Salmon Communications, Inc.
'Colwell & Salmon is a marketing communications company providing our clients with inbound and outbound teleservices, market research and Web-based communications on a stand-alone or integrated basis. Colwell & Salmon is committed to providing each and every client with the utmost in quality and responsiveness. We have developed a quality assurance process that continually monitors representative output for accuracy, completeness and assurance that all program standards and benchmarks are being realized on a consistent basis.' www.colwell-salmon.com

Computer Associates International, Inc.
'Computer Associates is a leading e-business software company. CA's world-class solutions address all aspects of e-business process management, information management and infrastructure management in six focus areas: enterprise management, security, storage, e-business transformation and integration, portal and knowledge management, and predictive analysis and visualization. Computer Associates' call center mission statement is to provide all CA customers, prospects and partners outstanding service and to generate increased revenue opportunities for our sales force by leveraging advanced technology, innovative programs and a highly skilled staff committed to excellence.' www.ca.com

Convergys Corp.
'Convergys Corporation enables companies to create greater value from their customer relationships through the application of our billing solutions and interactive customer care. Convergys is committed to partnering with our clients to meet their business goals through the effective delivery of high-quality customer contacts. Through monitoring and agent feedback sessions, agents are given the information they need to continuously improve, providing clients' customers with the best interaction possible.' www.convergys.com

eTelecare International
'eTelecare's vision is to become the world's leading provider of high-quality call center services to the North American market. eTelecare will achieve this goal by providing superior value for our customers by offering significantly higher quality than they can obtain anywhere else while at the same time reducing their costs. Our strategy is to integrate the best people, the best practices and the best technology to produce the best value. eTelecare's four-step performance management process creates a culture focused on quality and high performance.' www.etelecare.com

Hancock Information Group
'Hancock Information Group is a business-to-business telemarketing and sales support firm that strives to build win-win client relationships by providing high-quality lead generation, appointment setting and database services. One of our seven core values is quality, however, all of our core values together define quality within our people, our company, our work and our relationship with our clients. These seven core values that drive our actions and decisions are: people, teamwork, spirit, learning, quality, win-win and integrity. We will achieve our goals by adhering to these values and making them a part of our daily life.' www.hancockinfo.com

ICT Group
'ICT Group's mission is to help our clients maximize the profitability of their customer relationships. We do this by offering them fully integrated contact center solutions designed not only to acquire customers, but also to maintain and extend their customer relationships, by telephone, e-mail, white mail, fax or Internet. As an ISO-9002 certified CRM solutions provider, ICT is committed to meeting or exceeding our clients' expectations through the effective management of universally standardized practices and procedures in each of our operating units.' www.ictgroup.com

InfoCision Management Corp.
'InfoCision Management Corporation (IMC) is a leading teleservices company that specializes in nonprofit fundraising, direct-to-consumer sales and business-to-business applications. InfoCision's revolutionary, patented Q3 Quality Assurance System relies on three separate sets of evaluators. First, each call center has its own in-house Quality Skills Analyst team working in close proximity with the communicators. The call center management team provides the second tier, performing the Supervisor Quality Assurance evaluations daily. Finally, our Independent Quality Assurance team remotely monitors calls for all centers from our dedicated Q3 center at our corporate headquarters.' www.infocision.com

Protocall Communications
'Protocall Communications specializes in outbound teleservices exclusively. Quality must always exceed client expectations. And clients must be empowered with technology and processes that keep them vigilant. Every program, regardless of the perceived level of success, is broken apart in a continuous search for enhanced quality. Program enhancements are implemented on the fly or within 24 hours. The most advanced technology and skilled personnel are used to achieve total client satisfaction while fostering long-term growth and development for all employees and business partners.' www.telemarketingpays.com

Saturn Customer Assistance Center ' EDS
'The Saturn/EDS Call Center partnership was formed in 1991. The Saturn Customer Assistance Center (SCAC) is unique in many aspects with the most important one being that it is co-managed by both teams. SCAC's mission statement defines our commitment to serve our customers, stating, 'Inspire passion through exemplary customer service which cultivates our brand and enthuses our customers today and tomorrow.' The Saturn and EDS approach to quality is deeply rooted in our commitments to teamwork, continuous improvement, respect for the individual, excellence, customer enthusiasm and achievement of superior results. Saturn and EDS team members work diligently to ensure consistent and effective customer handling practices are adhered to in all levels of customer interaction.' www.saturn.com and www.eds.com

SR. Teleperformance
'SR. Teleperformance is a worldwide leader in outsourced CRM, telemarketing and teleservices and number-one in marketing services and health care communication in Europe. At Teleperformance, we identify quality service through investigating and understanding the needs of our clients and their customers. By identifying these needs, we are able to adapt the service we offer and to identify what is critical to quality and to use these to identify measures with which to determine the level of quality we offer. This ensures our clients and their customers get the highest level of service at every stage throughout the relationship.' www.teleperformance.com

Telvista
'Telvista is a full-service solutions provider delivering contact center support, technology solutions and customer interaction business consulting. Telvista has implemented a strategy for enhancing customer satisfaction, entitled Greet, Treat & Meet. The program was developed to ensure all team members are consistently striving for positive customer interactions using the following criteria: greet each customer with enthusiasm; treat each customer with respect; and meet each customer's expectations. Telvista is dedicated to providing a positive, goal-oriented work environment.' www.telvista.com

ACCENT Marketing Services, LLC
'ACCENT is a comprehensive customer relationship management company. We design, develop and implement complete database marketing campaigns, customer data intelligence solutions and customer service programs to acquire, retain and develop our clients' customers. ACCENT's quality initiatives are derived from a popular and effective process improvement model called Six Sigma, which involves identifying the factors deemed critical to quality in serving the customer and client, and performing a series of statistical analysis to ensure those processes are performed with minimal defects.' www.accentonline.com

APAC Customer Services, Inc.
'At APAC, we have invested our time and resources into creating a best-of-breed product that handles all facets of CEM. Our policies are developed to recognize that the most important measure of quality is the results achieved for our customers. To achieve that success, we have built our quality philosophy on four pillar policies: ensure that each interaction exceeds the expectations of the person we interact with, as well as exceeding the client's expectation; continuous improvement of processes and systems; continuous improvement in people through learning; and improving customer satisfaction.' www.apaccustomerservices.com

CMC, Inc. (Centralized Marketing Co.)
'CMC is the premier provider of centralized marketing. We partner with companies to provide critical sales and sales support functions with dedicated representatives and management who deliver a consistent and high quality image to your customer. CMC understands that it's not how many calls you handle or e-mails you respond to, but rather how many of those customer interactions result in delighted customers who are willing to buy from our clients both now and in the future.' www.cmcmax.com

Cross CountryAutomotive Services
'Cross Country Automotive Services (CCAS) develops and administers high quality, cost-effective programs that strengthen brand image and cultivate customer loyalty. At CCAS, our offerings include a unique combination of wholesale- and retail-oriented programs that create opportunities for customer acquisition and retention and the development of new profit centers. In order to deliver world-class customer service, CCAS is committed to providing associates with the skills they need in order to succeed.' www.crosscountry-auto.com

CyberRep, Inc.
'CyberRep specializes in providing integrated outsourced customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for a wide range of Fortune 1000 companies. Our innovative and award-winning customer interaction services leverage Internet and telephone technologies in over 10 languages. CyberRep's comprehensive solutions increase lifetime customer value by defining and applying customer databases for targeted, direct marketing initiatives. Our mission is to deliver excellent customer support for your business, both automated and live interaction, while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and accountability.' www.cyberrep.com

Dakotah Direct
'Dakotah Direct is a leading provider of innovative teleservices that works diligently to establish a partner relationship with our clients. When this is accomplished, true gain sharing occurs. Beyond mutually attaining financial goals, Dakotah Direct benefits by challenging itself to continually improve internal processes so that service delivery to our clients and their customers shows a progression of quality and professionalism. Dakotah Direct's mission statement is: 'Leveraging expertise with commitment to exceed the expectations of all of our business partners; our people, our clients, our shareholders and our communities.'' www.dakotahdirect.com

The Faneuil Group
'The Faneuil Group is a comprehensive provider of call center services and integrated direct marketing programs. Our proven solutions include superior customer service, profitable sales and customer acquisition programs, qualified lead generation, results-driven surveys and market intelligence. Faneuil believes: the performance and quality assurance process is vital to achieving program objectives; the process for quality assurance must be clearly defined, understood and agreed upon prior to program implementation; and senior management must actively participate in quality improvement initiatives.' www.faneuil.com

Protocol
'Protocol is one of the fastest growing integrated direct marketing services companies in the country. With 23 locations and more than 5,000 employees throughout the U.S. and Canada, we provide the people, processes and technology to manage marketing, sales and customer challenges. Quality is the foundation of our success. We have successfully instilled a 'client satisfaction: whatever it takes' attitude. Each member of the Protocol team is committed to do 'whatever it takes' to get it right.' www.protocolusa.com

Ron Weber and Associates, Inc.
'Established in 1980, Ron Weber and Associates (RWA) offers business-to-business and business-to-consumer inbound and outbound teleservices. Our clients' success is the key to our success. We ensure success through: market leadership achieved through operational excellence; programs built around professional associates; innovative programs; effective training and technology; and TeleThinking, which builds strategies that combine people and technology to utilize information for the purpose of optimizing results of marketing, sales and service programs. We provide our services with integrity, our most important asset.' www.telethinking.com

Stream International (A Solectron Co.)
'Since 1992, Stream International has been helping some of the world's premier technology organizations meet the challenge of providing quality customer care services, while driving down the cost of providing those services. Through our customer support solutions, we deliver effective and creative CRM solutions for technology companies and e-businesses all over the world. Stream is providing high-quality service, working within its boundary values that are integrity, personal growth, knowledge, excellence and innovation. All quality programs and projects are designed to enhance the support provided by Stream employees and create a proactive, customer-centric environment.' www.stream.com

TeleSpectrum Worldwide, Inc.
'As a leading outsource provider of eCRM technology, people and processes, TeleSpectrum Worldwide helps clients strategically navigate the customer lifecycle to deliver world-class acquisition, growth, retention and multichannel customer care services. Our Quality Policy, simply stated, is, 'We will meet or exceed our clients' expectations by adhering to our Absolutes of Quality and committing to continuous improvements. Our Absolutes of Quality form the basis for its daily business activities. Our Absolutes of Quality are: conformance to requirements; prevention, not appraisal; zero defects; and understanding of the price of non-conformance.' www.telespectrum.com

World Access
'World Access is a global services company providing expert solutions in customer care to organizations in the travel, financial, health care and call center industries. Since the inception of total quality management (TQM) at World Access, our philosophy and culture have been grounded in The Access Service Promises, which are: accessibility, commitment, courtesy, empathy, solutions and service. The Access Service Promises are the framework of our training and rewards programs, and provide the basis of everything we do as an organization.' www.worldaccess.com

Advanced Data-Comm
'Advanced Data-Comm understands that clients need a teleservices bureau that provides superior customer service while building a true business partnership. Advanced Data-Comm's commitment to clients is to maintain a straightforward honest approach that fosters trust and builds success. Advanced Data-Comm is fully committed to client satisfaction and strictly adheres to service levels. Advanced Data-Comm maintains close contact with each client, analyzing daily results and long-term trends with advanced technology. The management team continually enhances services by improving operations, training and quality assurance procedures.' www.advanced-data.com

ChaseCom, LP
'ChaseCom's goal is to provide underserved communities the opportunity to eliminate the 'digital divide,' and to supply quality products and services to help communities, businesses and households get connected and become a vital part of the exciting telecommunications age. ChaseCom was founded with the guiding principle of providing the highest level of quality and service to each client we partner with, and to provide that same high quality service to each of our client's clients. Our philosophy is to always give more than expected, whether the recipient is a client, an employee or the community.' www.chasecom.net

e-TeleQuest, Inc.
'e-TeleQuest is a sales and relationship management organization specializing in customer communication solutions for our industry-leading partners. Our experience and attention to client satisfaction has enabled us to develop a philosophy and business model whereby quality results, not promises, are the foundation of our organization. e-TeleQuest takes a very proactive approach to quality. We require our call center managers and supervisors to monitor calls daily to provide immediate coaching and counseling. e-TeleQuest also has a trained Quality Assurance department that monitors calls remotely for our clients' base-line requirements.' www.etelequest.net

GC Services Limited Partnership
'We're the oldest leading provider of collection and teleservices solutions, with more than 44 years of continuous ownership. The motto for our Quality First program is, 'Quality is always measured by the customer's experience.' We are effective in separating business requirements from customer-relations expectations. While both remain important to overall project success, it is the customer-relations expectations that drive our efforts to meet customer needs. Our Quality First program mandates that operators strive for 100 percent excellence 100 percent of the time.' www.gcserv.com

King TeleServices
'At King, we are quality-focused and sales-driven. Our goal is to make the best use of our extensive resources to provide you with the highest quality of service. The Quality Assurance Department strives to evaluate and improve the information transmitted by the TSR to the authorized contact. The purpose of Quality Assurance is to improve the teleservices skills of the TSR and concurrently to ensure that the standards set forth by the client are met and surpassed. King TeleServices believes that quality is important on each and every call.' www.king-teleservices.com

Millennium Teleservices
'Millennium Teleservices consistently ranks as the leading provider of integrated e-commerce and direct marketing solutions. We have a strategic methodology that enables us to partner with your company to develop a solution geared towards the convergence of Internet, e-mail, phone and fax customer contact channels. Millennium takes a multifaceted approach to ongoing quality assurance throughout its call center operations. Our corporate QA department is responsible for the following areas: development of scripting for new projects; assessment and refinement of scripting for existing projects; compliance; and monitoring and training.' www.mmtel.com

MSA Solutions
'MSA Solutions' mission is simple: to be your partner to provide innovative customer care and processing solutions. To achieve this mission, MSA provides customized customer relationship management and administrative services to the financial services, telecommunications and e-commerce industries. At MSA Solutions, we recognize that the delivery of quality involves all aspects of the business ' our people, our processes and our technological platforms. When it comes to quality and performance, we are 'pleased but never satisfied,' and this attitude is reflected at every level of the organization.' www.msasolutions.com

The Product Line, Inc.
'Founded in 1982, The Product Line (TPL) has a long-standing tradition as one of the premier providers of call center services to national and international corporations. TPL's extensive experience in the areas of customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction has enabled us to build solid business relationships with leading companies in a wide array of industries. Quality is the 'cornerstone' upon which TPL was built. Quality not only is a set of processes and checks but, more important, it's an attitude that molds the thought patterns and resulting actions of every person in the organization.' www.tpli.com

RightNow Technologies
'RightNow Technologies is a leading provider of Web-based customer service solutions for the Internet and Intranet environments. For Web-connected organizations, we offer tools to support Web site operations with fully automated, online customer service, plus tools for online surveys, data analysis and marketing. We are driven by the use of OGSM (objectives, goals, strategies & measures), which are developed cooperatively by executive staff, line management and key employees in the organization. These are reviewed and updated quarterly during a daylong off-site meeting devoted exclusively to the task.' www.rightnow.com

Tele Danmark Call Center Europe
'At TDC Tele Danmark Call Center Europe we have specialized in representing our customers to the outside world ' a demanding task, which we are determined to solve with the highest possible degree of competence, service and efficiency. Our primary strength is to establish and develop a dialogue between you and your customers, so that you are able to release resources and concentrate on your main business areas. Our most important resource is our employees, who are responsible for the quality of their own performed work.' www.callcentereurope.com

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