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The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) has started to accept nominations for its annual Global Call Center of the Year Award.

The nomination deadline is Friday, February 18, 2011.

"The Global Call Center of the Year Award identifies the best of the best, recognizing and honoring the contact center teams who, through their commitment to superior service, have done the most to deliver a quality customer experience and enhance both the center's strategic value to the organization and the contact center profession's image," said Layne Holley, director of community services of ICMI, in a statement.

Holley said that because the application process challenges organizations to take a deep look into their operations and performance on so many fundamental levels, the award truly creates an industry benchmark. The process is a great opportunity for the participating centers, as well.

“Year after year, we hear from contact center managers and executives how useful this close examination of their operations proved to be, uncovering strengths and weaknesses they were unaware of," said Holley.

Officials with ICMI said that the award application requires candidates to provide detailed information in a wide range of categories, including company structure, strategy and policy; people management (hiring, training, and employee satisfaction/retention); process and procedures (performance metrics, workforce management, quality monitoring, and customer satisfaction measurement/ management); as well as technology.

It takes into account growing trends, such as social media and home agents, as well. Each applicant must also submit a three- to five-minute "virtual visit" of the operation, displaying such images as office ergonomics and teamwork in action.

Institute officials said that the award, which recognizes excellence in contact center operations, is presented to one small–medium contact center (75 agent seats or less) and one large contact center at ICMI's worldwide Annual Call Center Conference and Expo, taking place June 13–16, 2011, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, LA.

New for 2011, ICMI will add two new award categories: Employee Satisfaction and Strategic Value.

"We want to call attention to the importance of employee satisfaction and to the contact center's strategic value to the brand," said Holley.

A selection committee comprising experts from all facets of contact center operations, including specialists in technology, training and people management, workforce and resource management, and quality, will judge the nominations.