Individual StarsGROUP
Sales Star
Description
This award recognises a high-performing frontline Sales Advisor who consistently delivers exceptional sales results whilst creating positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and their organisation.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their sales performance, customer focus and overall contribution to the business.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from others in a similar role and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers outstanding sales performance and achieves or exceeds targets.
• Demonstrates strong commercial awareness and takes ownership of personal performance.
• Identifies opportunities to maximise value for both customers and the organisation.
• Shows determination, resilience and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Impact
• Delivers positive and measurable outcomes for customers through understanding needs and recommending appropriate solutions.
• Consistently achieves high standards of quality, compliance and customer experience.
• Demonstrates measurable impact on sales performance, revenue generation, customer retention or business performance.
• Provides evidence of sustained results over time.
Collaboration & Influence
• Positively contributes to team success and supports the development of colleagues.
• Shares knowledge, best practice and experience with others.
• Demonstrates professionalism, teamwork and a positive attitude.
• Contributes to a high-performing and supportive team culture.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.
• Identifies new ways to improve performance, customer outcomes or ways of working.
• Adopts best practices and actively seeks opportunities to learn and develop.
• Acts as a role model for others through their attitude, behaviours and achievements.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional sales performance, but also measurable impact, a commitment to excellence and a clear contribution to the success of customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Achievement & Contribution | 25.0% |
Service Star
Description
This award recognises a high-performing frontline Service Advisor who consistently delivers exceptional customer service and creates positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and their organisation.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through service excellence, customer focus and overall contribution to the business.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from others in a similar role and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers exceptional performance and achieves or exceeds service objectives.
• Demonstrates accountability and ownership for personal performance.
• Maintains high standards of quality, compliance and professionalism.
• Takes initiative to resolve issues and improve service delivery.
Impact
• Delivers outstanding customer experiences and consistently achieves high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Demonstrates empathy, active listening and a genuine commitment to understanding customer needs.
• Provides measurable evidence of positive customer outcomes and service improvements.
• Contributes to operational performance through quality, efficiency, productivity or other relevant measures.
• Demonstrates sustained impact over time.
Collaboration & Influence
• Positively contributes to team success and supports the development of colleagues.
• Shares knowledge, experience and best practice with others.
• Demonstrates care, respect and support for colleagues.
• Plays an active role in creating a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.
• Identifies opportunities to improve customer experience, service delivery or ways of working.
• Adopts best practices and actively seeks opportunities to learn and develop.
• Acts as a role model for others through their attitude, behaviours and achievements.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only outstanding customer service, but also measurable impact, a commitment to continuous improvement and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| What did they do? | 25.0% |
| How did they do it? | 25.0% |
| Impact and Outcomes (Including commercial impact) | 40.0% |
| Why should they win? (Including Innovation & best practice) | 10.0% |
Support Star
Description
This award recognises a high-performing Support Advisor who consistently delivers exceptional support and service, creating positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and their organisation.
This category is open to individuals working in specialist, technical, operational or support functions who play a vital role in enabling excellent customer and business outcomes.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their expertise, service, support and overall contribution to the business.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from others in a similar role and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers exceptional performance and achieves or exceeds objectives.
• Demonstrates accountability, ownership and commitment in all aspects of their role.
• Maintains high standards of quality, compliance and professionalism.
• Uses their expertise to support operational performance and business success.
Impact
• Delivers positive and measurable outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
• Demonstrates initiative in resolving issues, removing barriers or improving service delivery.
• Provides evidence of improved performance, efficiency, quality or customer experience.
• Demonstrates sustained impact and value through their contribution.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds strong relationships and works effectively with colleagues across teams and functions.
• Shares knowledge, expertise and best practices to support the development of others.
• Demonstrates care, respect and support for colleagues.
• Contributes positively to team culture, engagement and overall performance.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.
• Identifies opportunities to improve processes, performance or ways of working.
• Adopts best practices and actively seeks opportunities to learn and develop.
• Acts as a role model for others through their attitude, behaviours and achievements.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional support and service, but also measurable impact, continuous improvement and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Inspirational Leader
Description
This award recognises an exceptional senior leader who inspires others through vision, leadership and action, creating a lasting impact on customers, colleagues and organisational performance.
The nominee will typically lead a business unit, function or significant area of responsibility and will be recognised for building high-performing teams, driving positive change and delivering sustainable results. This category is open to senior leaders in both operational and support functions.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their leadership, influence and overall contribution to the organisation.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from other leaders and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Provides clear leadership and direction, creating a compelling vision that inspires others to succeed.
• Delivers against strategic objectives whilst maintaining high standards of quality, governance and performance.
• Demonstrates strong leadership through periods of growth, transformation, challenge or change.
• Builds effective relationships with stakeholders to influence outcomes and drive organisational success.
• Challenges existing thinking and ways of working to improve performance and create long-term value.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in organisational, customer and colleague outcomes.
• Creates and drives strategies that improve customer experience, operational performance and business results.
• Demonstrates commercial awareness and delivers sustainable value for the organisation.
• Provides evidence of lasting impact through measurable improvements and positive change.
• Creates an environment where individuals and teams can thrive and perform at their best.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds capability and develops future leaders through coaching, mentoring and support.
• Creates a culture of high engagement, empowerment and accountability.
• Demonstrates genuine care, empathy and commitment to colleague wellbeing.
• Encourages collaboration and shared success across teams, functions and the wider organisation.
• Acts as a trusted and respected leader who positively influences others.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Demonstrates forward-thinking leadership and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or strategies that improve outcomes and performance.
• Adopts best practice and learning from within and beyond the contact centre industry.
• Champions continuous improvement, innovation and organisational learning.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, integrity and leadership excellence.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional leadership, but also measurable impact, a commitment to developing others and a clear contribution to the success of customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
Resource Planning Star
Description
This award recognises an outstanding individual working within a Resource Planning function who has made a significant contribution to organisational performance, operational efficiency and customer outcomes.
The nominee may work across forecasting, scheduling, real-time management, capacity planning, workforce planning or planning support functions, often collaborating closely with Operations, HR, Learning & Development, Recruitment and other business areas to ensure resources are effectively aligned to customer and organisational needs.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their planning expertise, business partnership and overall contribution to organisational success.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from others in a similar role and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers exceptional performance and achieves or exceeds objectives.
• Demonstrates strong ownership, accountability and commitment to delivering business outcomes.
• Uses planning expertise to support operational performance, efficiency and customer experience.
• Identifies opportunities to improve forecasting, scheduling, resource utilisation or planning processes.
• Works collaboratively across the organisation to support short, medium and long-term business goals.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in service levels, operational performance, productivity or customer outcomes.
• Provides valuable insight and recommendations that support informed decision-making.
• Demonstrates effective management of changing business demands and resource requirements.
• Supports the organisation in balancing customer experience, colleague experience and operational efficiency.
• Provides evidence of sustained impact and business value.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds strong relationships and works effectively with operational and support teams across the organisation.
• Demonstrates a partnership approach to solving business challenges and delivering shared goals.
• Shares knowledge, expertise and best practice to support the development of colleagues.
• Positively contributes to team culture and organisational success.
• Demonstrates care, flexibility and understanding when balancing business and colleague needs.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or ways of working that improve planning effectiveness or organisational performance.
• Uses data, insight and technology to identify opportunities and drive improvement.
• Adopts best practices and actively seeks opportunities to learn and develop.
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, collaboration and continuous improvement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only technical planning expertise, but also measurable impact, strong stakeholder relationships and a clear contribution to customer, colleague and organisational success.
Quality manager of the year
Description
This award recognises an exceptional Quality Manager who has made a significant contribution to service excellence, customer outcomes and organisational performance through the leadership and development of a quality function.
The nominee will be responsible for leading quality assurance activities, driving continuous improvement, embedding best practice and ensuring high standards of performance, compliance and customer experience across the organisation.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through quality leadership, operational improvement and overall organisational impact.
The nominee should also explain what makes them stand out from others in a similar role and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Provides effective leadership and direction for the quality function, ensuring clear alignment to organisational objectives.
• Develops and implements quality strategies, frameworks and initiatives that drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates strong governance, compliance and quality management practices.
• Uses insight, data and performance measures to identify opportunities and improve outcomes.
• Challenges existing processes and ways of working to improve performance, consistency and value.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in quality performance, customer experience and operational effectiveness.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on customer satisfaction, quality outcomes, compliance or business performance.
• Uses quality insight and analysis to influence decision-making and drive organisational improvement.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and long-term value.
• Demonstrates commercial awareness through improvements in efficiency, productivity, quality or risk reduction.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds strong relationships with operational, support and leadership teams across the organisation.
• Uses coaching, feedback and development to build capability and improve performance.
• Creates a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and learning.
• Supports colleagues and leaders in understanding quality performance and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to colleague development, engagement and success.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new approaches, tools or methodologies that improve quality,performance and customer outcomes.
• Adopts best practice and learning from within and beyond the contact centre industry.
• Uses innovation, insight and technology to enhance quality assurance and performance management.
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, leadership and continuous improvement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only excellence in quality management, but also measurable impact, strong leadership and a clear contribution to customer, colleague and organisational success.
Contact Centre Industry Newcomer
Description
This award recognises an outstanding individual who has joined the contact centre industry within the previous 12 months and has already made a significant contribution through their attitude, performance and potential.
The category celebrates fresh talent entering the industry, whether through a T Level, apprenticeship, graduate programme, career change or another route into the sector.
Nominees must be new to the contact centre industry and must not include individuals who have moved internally within the role or transferred from another contact centre organisation.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made since joining the industry and demonstrate the difference it has made through their performance, development and overall contribution to their team and organisation.
The nominee should also explain what sets them apart from other newcomers and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Has made a positive impact within a short period of time and demonstrated strong performance in their role.
• Consistently meets or exceeds expectations whilst maintaining high standards of quality, compliance and professionalism.
• Demonstrates commitment to learning, development and personal growth.
• Takes ownership of their performance and actively seeks opportunities to improve.
• Embodies organisational values and contributes positively to the success of the team.
Impact
• Delivers positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and/or organisational performance.
• Demonstrates excellent customer service and a commitment to delivering positive customer experiences.
• Shows initiative in identifying opportunities to improve service, performance or ways of working.
• Provides evidence of measurable impact and contribution within their first year in the industry.
• Demonstrates strong potential for future success within the contact centre sector.
Collaboration & Influence
• Integrates effectively into their team and contributes positively to team culture.
• Builds strong relationships with colleagues and demonstrates a collaborative approach.
• Supports others and contributes to the success of the wider team.
• Demonstrates care, respect and professionalism in their interactions with colleagues.
• Shows enthusiasm for developing a long-term career within the contact centre industry.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Demonstrates initiative and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.
• Brings fresh thinking, new ideas or a different perspective to the role.
• Actively seeks opportunities to learn, develop and improve.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm, energy and professionalism in everything they do.
• Acts as a positive ambassador for the contact centre industry and the opportunities it provides.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only excellent performance in a relatively short period of time, but also measurable impact, a commitment to development and clear potential for future success within the contact centre industry.
Sales & Retention Team Leader
Description
This award recognises an exceptional Sales and/or Retention Team Leader who inspires, develops and leads a high-performing team to deliver outstanding commercial results, customer outcomes and colleague engagement.
The nominee will typically lead a team of up to 12 colleagues and be responsible for creating a culture in which customer-focused sales and/or retention activities drive sustainable business growth, customer loyalty, and long-term value.
This category is open to leaders operating across voice, digital or multi-channel environments and includes leaders responsible for sales teams, retention teams or combined sales and retention functions.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their leadership, commercial performance and overall contribution to organisational success.
The nominee should also explain what sets them apart from other leaders and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently leads a high-performing team that achieves or exceeds sales, retention and performance objectives.
• Demonstrates strong commercial awareness and uses insight, data and performance measures to drive results.
• Creates a clear vision and direction that inspires colleagues to achieve success.
• Successfully balances commercial performance with customer outcomes and service excellence.
• Implements strategies and initiatives that contribute to sustainable business growth, customer loyalty and retention.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in sales performance, customer retention, customer value or business outcomes.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on customer experience through value-led, customer-focused interactions.
• Uses coaching, performance management and development to improve individual and team performance.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and long-term value creation.
• Demonstrates commercial impact through revenue growth, retention improvements, efficiency gains or other measurable outcomes.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
• Develops colleagues through coaching, mentoring and ongoing support.
• Creates an environment where individuals feel empowered, accountable and motivated to succeed.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to colleague wellbeing, inclusion and development.
• Works collaboratively with peers and stakeholders to achieve wider organisational goals.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or initiatives that improve sales performance, retention outcomes or customer experience.
• Adopts best practice and learning from within and beyond the contact centre industry.
• Demonstrates a willingness to challenge traditional approaches and continuously improve.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, leadership and customer-focused commercial excellence.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful and lasting results.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional commercial performance, but also measurable impact, inspirational leadership and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Service & Support Team Leader
Description
This award recognises an exceptional Service and/or Support Team Leader who inspires, develops and leads a high-performing team to deliver outstanding customer experiences, colleague engagement and operational performance.
The nominee will typically lead a team of 12 or more colleagues and be responsible for creating a culture in which customer service, support and continuous improvement drive positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
This category is open to leaders operating across voice, digital or multi-channel environments and includes leaders responsible for service teams, support teams or combined service and support functions.
The nominee should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their leadership, operational performance and overall contribution to organisational success.
The nominee should also explain what sets them apart from other leaders and why they deserve recognition.
The winning individual will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some or all of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently leads a high-performing team that achieves or exceeds service, support and operational objectives.
• Demonstrates strong leadership, accountability and ownership of team performance.
• Creates a clear vision and direction that inspires colleagues to deliver exceptional results.
• Uses customer insight, performance data and feedback to drive improvements in service delivery and team effectiveness.
• Challenges existing processes and ways of working to improve customer outcomes, operational performance and organisational value.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in customer experience, customer satisfaction, quality or operational performance.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on organisational performance through service excellence, efficiency or productivity improvements.
• Implements initiatives that improve customer journeys and remove barriers to delivering great service.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and long-term value.
• Creates positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
Collaboration & Influence
• Builds a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
• Develops colleagues through coaching, mentoring and ongoing support.
• Creates an environment where individuals feel empowered, accountable and motivated to succeed.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to colleague wellbeing, inclusion and development.
• Works collaboratively with peers and stakeholders to achieve wider organisational goals and improve customer outcomes.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or initiatives that improve service delivery, team performance or customer experience.
• Adopts best practice and learning from within and beyond the contact centre industry.
• Demonstrates a willingness to challenge traditional approaches and continuously improve.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, leadership and customer-focused service excellence.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful and lasting results.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional operational performance but also measurable impact, inspirational leadership, and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues, and organisational success.
Awesome TeamsGROUP
Sales Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing sales team that delivers strong commercial results whilst creating positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
This category is open to frontline sales teams and back-office sales functions who can demonstrate collective achievement, effective teamwork and measurable impact.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through sales performance, customer focus, collaboration and business value.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers strong sales performance and achieves or exceeds targets.
• Demonstrates clear commercial focus and collective ownership of results.
• Identifies opportunities to improve customer outcomes, sales effectiveness or operational performance.
• Challenges processes and ways of working to create better results.
Impact
• Delivers measurable commercial impact, such as revenue growth, improved conversion, retention, efficiency or productivity.
• Improves customer experience through appropriate, value-led sales conversations.
• Maintains high standards of quality, compliance and customer care.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and team performance over time.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively as a team to share knowledge, best practice and learning.
• Supports colleagues across frontline and back-office functions.
• Creates a positive, motivated and high-performing team culture.
• Demonstrates care, respect and support for colleagues.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or ways of working that improve performance.
• Adopts best practice or learns from other teams, organisations or sectors.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful results.
• Acts as a role model for others through professionalism, energy and collective achievement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only excellent sales results, but also measurable impact, strong teamwork and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| What did the team deliver? | 25.0% |
| How did the team achieve this? | 25.0% |
| Impact and commercial outcomes | 40.0% |
| Innovation and differentiation | 10.0% |
| What did the team deliver? | 25.0% |
Support Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing support team that enables operational excellence through expertise, collaboration and service. These teams play a critical role in supporting frontline colleagues, improving organisational performance and delivering positive outcomes for customers and the wider business.
This category is open to teams working in support or back-office functions, including administration, resource planning, finance, learning and development, quality, change, audit, compliance, HR, IT, risk and other specialist support areas.
It is also open to leadership teams responsible for delivering performance through others, including groups of team leaders or operational leadership teams.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through their support, expertise and overall contribution to organisational success.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Delivers exceptional performance and consistently achieves or exceeds objectives.
• Demonstrates a clear contribution to operational performance, service delivery or business success.
• Identifies opportunities to improve processes, efficiency or effectiveness.
• Challenges existing ways of working to create greater value for the organisation.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements for customers, colleagues and/or organisational performance.
• Demonstrates positive impact through improved efficiency, productivity, quality, compliance, engagement or service outcomes.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and business value.
• Clearly demonstrates how the team's work has supported organisational objectives.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively with frontline, back-office and specialist teams to achieve shared goals.
• Builds strong relationships and acts as a trusted partner to colleagues across the organisation.
• Shares knowledge, expertise and best practices to support the success of others.
• Creates a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to colleague wellbeing, engagement and development.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or ways of working that improve performance or outcomes.
• Adopts best practice and learns from other teams, organisations or sectors.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful results.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, collaboration and continuous improvement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional support and service, but also measurable impact, strong collaboration and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Complaints Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing Complaints Team that uses customer feedback, insight and expertise to resolve issues, improve customer outcomes and drive positive change across the organisation.
The team should demonstrate a clear strategy for managing complaints effectively whilst working collaboratively with the wider business to reduce complaint volumes, improve resolution times, enhance customer journeys and deliver sustainable service improvements.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through complaint management, customer advocacy and organisational improvement.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Delivers an effective complaints management strategy that supports both customer outcomes and organisational objectives.
• Operates within defined service standards, regulatory requirements and governance frameworks.
• Uses complaint insight to identify root causes and drive improvements across the organisation.
• Challenges processes and ways of working to improve customer experience and operational performance.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in complaint handling, customer satisfaction, resolution times or customer outcomes.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on customer journeys through service improvements and process changes.
• Provides evidence of reduced complaint volumes, reduced redress, improved quality or enhanced operational performance.
• Clearly demonstrates how complaint insight has influenced decision-making and delivered sustainable business improvements.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively with frontline, support and operational teams to identify and address customer issues.
• Builds strong relationships across the organisation to influence change and improve outcomes.
• Shares insight, learning and best practice to support wider business improvement.
• Creates a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to supporting and developing colleagues.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or ways of working that improve complaint management and customer outcomes.
• Uses customer insight creatively to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Adopts best practices and learns from other organisations or sectors.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, customer advocacy and continuous improvement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only excellence in complaint resolution, but also measurable impact, strong collaboration and a clear contribution to improving customer experience and organisational performance.
Customer Service Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing Customer Service Team that consistently delivers exceptional customer experiences whilst creating positive outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider organisation.
The team should demonstrate a customer-first approach, working collaboratively to deliver outstanding service, drive continuous improvement and achieve measurable results through collective effort and teamwork.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through service excellence, customer focus and organisational impact.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Consistently delivers exceptional customer service and achieves or exceeds performance objectives.
• Demonstrates a clear commitment to improving customer outcomes and service delivery.
• Identifies opportunities to enhance processes, performance and customer experience.
• Challenges existing ways of working to create greater value for customers and the organisation.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, customer experience and service performance.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on organisational performance through quality, efficiency, productivity or commercial outcomes.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and continuous improvement.
• Clearly demonstrates how customer-focused initiatives have created value for both customers and the organisation.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively across teams and functions to improve customer outcomes.
• Shares knowledge, best practices, and expertise to support the success of others.
• Creates a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
• Supports the development of colleagues and helps build capability across the organisation.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to colleague wellbeing, engagement and inclusion.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches or initiatives that improve customer experience or operational performance.
• Adopts best practice and learns from other teams, organisations or sectors.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful results.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, customer focus and continuous improvement.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional customer service, but also measurable impact, strong teamwork and a clear contribution to customers, colleagues and organisational success.
Resource Planning Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing Resource Planning Team that plays a critical role in delivering operational excellence, customer outcomes and organisational performance through effective forecasting, planning and resource management.
This category is open to teams responsible for workforce planning, forecasting, scheduling, real-time management and capacity planning across one or more customer channels, including voice, email, digital, social media, correspondence, payments and billing.
The team should demonstrate a clear approach to working with operational and support functions to forecast demand, optimise resources, provide actionable insight and ensure the organisation achieves service levels, customer expectations and business objectives.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through planning excellence, operational support and organisational impact.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Delivers accurate forecasting, effective planning and resource optimisation across the organisation.
• Demonstrates a clear contribution to achieving operational objectives, service levels and business performance.
• Provides valuable insight and recommendations that support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Challenges existing processes and ways of working to improve efficiency, performance and value.
• Successfully supports a multi-channel customer operation through effective planning and resource management.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in service levels, customer experience, operational performance or productivity.
• Demonstrates positive impact through improved forecasting accuracy, resource utilisation, efficiency or business outcomes.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and organisational value.
• Supports the organisation in balancing customer demand, colleague experience and operational performance.
• Clearly demonstrates how planning activities have contributed to achieving key business objectives.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively with operational, support and leadership teams across the organisation.
• Builds strong partnerships to understand business needs and deliver practical solutions.
• Shares knowledge, expertise and best practice to support organisational success.
• Creates a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to supporting colleagues and enabling frontline success.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces new ideas, approaches, technologies or methodologies that improve planning effectiveness.
• Uses data, insight and analytics to identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
• Adopts best practices and learns from other organisations or sectors.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful results.
• Acts as a role model for professionalism, collaboration and operational excellence.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only technical planning expertise, but also measurable impact, strong business partnership and a clear contribution to customer, colleague and organisational success.
Learning & Development Team
Description
This award recognises a high-performing Learning & Development Team that has made a significant contribution to colleague capability, organisational performance and customer outcomes through the design and delivery of effective learning and development programmes.
The team should demonstrate a clear strategy for developing colleagues, building capability and supporting business objectives through innovative and impactful learning solutions. They will be able to demonstrate how their work has contributed to both individual growth and organisational success during the previous 12 months.
This category is open to teams delivering induction, frontline training, ongoing development, mentoring, coaching, academy programmes, leadership development and strategic learning initiatives.
The nominated team should describe the most significant contribution they have made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made through learning, development and organisational impact.
The winning team will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Develops and delivers learning and development strategies that support organisational goals and performance objectives.
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of learning methodologies, development techniques and capability building.
• Creates programmes that support colleague growth, performance improvement and career progression.
• Challenges existing approaches and introduces improvements that enhance learning effectiveness and business value.
• Aligns learning initiatives with organisational priorities and future capability requirements.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in colleague performance, engagement, capability or retention.
• Demonstrates a positive impact on customer experience, operational performance or business outcomes.
• Provides evidence that learning interventions have contributed to organisational success and performance improvement.
• Uses data, insight and feedback to evaluate effectiveness and demonstrate return on investment.
• Delivers sustainable results and long-term organisational value.
Collaboration & Teamwork
• Works effectively with operational, support and leadership teams to identify learning needs and deliver solutions.
• Builds strong partnerships across the organisation to support capability development and performance improvement.
• Shares knowledge, expertise and best practice to support wider organisational success.
• Creates a positive and inclusive learning culture that encourages growth and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to supporting colleagues and helping individuals achieve their potential.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces innovative learning approaches, technologies or methodologies that improve engagement and outcomes.
• Adopts best practices and learns from other organisations or sectors.
• Demonstrates creativity in addressing business challenges and capability gaps.
• Goes beyond expected standards to deliver meaningful results.
• Acts as a role model for learning excellence, continuous improvement and professional development.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only excellence in learning and development but also measurable impact, strong business partnerships, and a clear contribution to colleague, customer, and organisational success.
Outstanding OrganisationsGROUP
People Centric Organisation
Description
This award recognises an organisation that places its people at the heart of its strategy, culture and decision-making. The winning organisation will demonstrate how investing in, supporting and empowering its people has created a positive workplace culture and delivered measurable benefits for colleagues, customers and organisational performance.
Organisations should demonstrate how they have created an environment where people can thrive, develop and perform at their best, whilst fostering a culture of inclusion, wellbeing and engagement.
The nominated organisation should describe the most significant progress or achievements made during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference these initiatives have made to colleagues, customers and the wider organisation.
The strongest entries are likely to demonstrate achievement across several of the following areas:
• Employee Engagement & Development
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
• Health & Wellbeing
• Flexible & Hybrid Working
The winning organisation will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Demonstrates a clear people strategy aligned to organisational objectives and culture.
• Takes a proactive approach to creating a positive employee experience throughout the colleague lifecycle.
• Invests in learning, development and career progression opportunities that support both individual and organisational success.
• Creates opportunities for colleagues to contribute feedback and influence decision-making.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and evolving people practices.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in employee engagement, retention, attendance, performance or colleague experience.
• Demonstrates positive outcomes through learning and development, wellbeing, inclusion or flexible working initiatives.
• Provides evidence that people-focused initiatives have contributed to organisational performance and customer outcomes.
• Creates an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and able to perform at their best.
• Demonstrates sustained impact and meaningful cultural change.
Culture, Inclusion & Wellbeing
• Creates an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, valued and able to thrive.
• Demonstrates a clear commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging through leadership, communication, training and processes.
• Successfully implements wellbeing initiatives that support the physical, mental and emotional well-being of colleagues.
• Creates a culture of trust, engagement and belonging across the organisation.
• Demonstrates how flexible or hybrid working arrangements support both business performance and colleague experience.
Innovation & Differentiation
• Introduces innovative people practices, programmes or initiatives that improve colleague experience and organisational performance.
• Adopts best practices and learns from other organisations or sectors.
• Demonstrates a willingness to challenge traditional approaches and continuously improve.
• Acts as a role model for people-centred leadership and organisational culture.
• Creates a workplace experience that differentiates the organisation from others in the sector.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only a genuine commitment to their people, but also clear evidence that a people-centric culture has delivered measurable benefits for colleagues, customers and organisational performance.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Strategic objectives and priorities | 20.0% |
| Delivery and execution | 20.0% |
| : Impact and commercial performance | 40.0% |
| Innovation and sector influence | 20.0% |
Best Business Change or Transformation
Description
This award recognises an organisation that has successfully delivered a significant business change, transformation programme or strategic initiative that has created measurable benefits for customers, colleagues and organisational performance.
The judges will be looking for organisations that have demonstrated clear vision, effective delivery and sustainable outcomes through transformation. This may include operational, digital, cultural, technological, customer experience or organisational change programmes.
Any contact centre operation based in the North East may enter this award.
The nominated organisation should describe the most significant change or transformation delivered during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference it has made to customers, colleagues, organisational performance and long-term business success.
The winning organisation will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Develops and delivers a clear transformation strategy aligned to organisational goals and priorities.
• Successfully implements significant change programmes that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrates strong leadership, governance and stakeholder engagement throughout the transformation journey.
• Challenges existing ways of working to improve performance, efficiency, effectiveness or customer outcomes.
• Maintains high standards of quality, compliance and operational performance throughout the period of change.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in organisational performance, customer experience and business outcomes.
• Demonstrates positive impact through increased efficiency, productivity, service quality, customer satisfaction or operational effectiveness.
• Provides evidence of sustainable results and long-term value creation.
• Creates meaningful improvements to customer journeys, making them simpler, more effective and easier to navigate.
• Demonstrates how transformation has improved organisational capability and future readiness.
People, Culture & Engagement
• Engages colleagues throughout the transformation journey and creates a culture of involvement and ownership.
• Builds capability and supports colleagues in adapting to change through communication, learning and development.
• Demonstrates positive impact on engagement, retention, wellbeing or organisational culture.
• Creates an inclusive environment where colleagues feel supported throughout periods of change.
• Encourages collaboration and shared accountability across teams and functions.
Commercial Impact & Innovation
• Demonstrates clear commercial value through revenue growth, cost reduction, productivity improvements, customer retention or return on investment.
• Uses data, insight and evidence to inform decision-making and measure success.
• Introduces innovative approaches, technologies or methodologies that improve outcomes.
• Adopts best practices and learns from other organisations or sectors.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement beyond the initial transformation programme.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only successful delivery of change, but also measurable impact, strong colleague engagement, commercial value and a lasting positive contribution to organisational performance.
Contact Centre of the Year (over 250 seats)
Description
This award recognises a large-scale contact centre operation that consistently delivers outstanding outcomes for customers, colleagues, the organisation and the wider community.
The judges will be looking for a contact centre that demonstrates excellence across all aspects of its operation, combining strong leadership, customer focus, colleague engagement, commercial performance and community impact to create a high-performing and sustainable business.
This award may be entered on a site-by-site basis. Any contact centre operation with more than 250 seats at a specific North East location may enter. Multiple entries from the same organisation are permitted where different sites operate independently.
The size criteria relate to the specific contact centre operation rather than the wider organisation.
The nominated organisation should describe the most significant achievements delivered during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference they have made to customers, colleagues, organisational performance and the wider community.
The winning organisation will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Demonstrates a clear strategy and vision that supports both short and long-term organisational success.
• Consistently achieves or exceeds performance objectives across key operational measures.
• Creates a high-performing operation through effective leadership, governance and continuous improvement.
• Challenges existing ways of working to improve performance, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Builds strong relationships with key stakeholders and demonstrates excellence in quality, compliance and operational delivery.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in customer experience, operational performance and organisational outcomes.
• Creates customer journeys that are simple, effective and aligned to customer needs.
• Demonstrates strong commercial performance through growth, productivity, efficiency, customer retention or value creation.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and long-term organisational success.
• Uses insight, data and feedback to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
People, Culture & Community
• Creates a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture where colleagues can thrive.
• Invests in colleague development, capability building and career progression.
• Demonstrates positive outcomes through employee engagement, retention, wellbeing and inclusion initiatives.
• Creates an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.
• Makes a positive contribution to the wider community through social impact, fundraising, sustainability or community engagement initiatives.
• Champions the contact centre industry as a career of choice within the region.
Innovation & Industry Leadership
• Demonstrates innovation in customer experience, operations, technology, people practices or service delivery.
• Adopts and shares best practices both within and beyond the organisation.
• Acts as a role model for excellence within the North East contact centre community.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and organisational learning.
• Positively influences the wider industry through collaboration, knowledge sharing and leadership.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional operational performance, but also measurable impact, a thriving colleague culture, meaningful community contribution and a commitment to raising standards across the contact centre industry.
Best Use of AI for colleagues & customer
Description
This award recognises an organisation that has successfully implemented Artificial Intelligence to deliver measurable improvements in performance, efficiency, customer experience, colleague experience or business outcomes.
The judges will be looking for organisations that have moved beyond experimentation and can demonstrate how AI has created tangible value through innovation, adoption and delivery.
Any contact centre operation based in the North East may enter this award.
The nominated organisation should describe:
The challenge, opportunity or objective that led to the adoption of AI
How AI was implemented and embedded within the organisation
The outcomes achieved and how success has been measured
What makes the approach innovative and worthy of recognition
The winning organisation will demonstrate outstanding achievement against some or all of the following criteria:
Achievement & Delivery
Clearly identified a business challenge, opportunity or objective that AI helped address
Successfully implemented AI within a contact centre, customer experience or operational environment
Demonstrates strong planning, governance and stakeholder engagement throughout implementation
Evidence of effective adoption and integration into existing processes
Impact & Commercial Performance
Delivered measurable improvements in customer experience, operational performance or colleague effectiveness
Demonstrates quantifiable business benefits such as increased productivity, efficiency, quality, revenue growth, cost reduction or risk mitigation
Provides clear evidence of outcomes and sustained results
Shows how success has been measured and monitored
Innovation & Best Practice
Demonstrates innovative thinking in the application of AI
Has adopted or developed best practice approaches that differentiate the organisation from others
Uses AI responsibly and ethically, with appropriate governance and controls
Shares learning, influences best practice or acts as a role model within the industry
Why Should This Win?
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only how AI has been implemented, but how it has delivered meaningful and measurable outcomes for the organisation. Judges will be looking for evidence of innovation, impact and sustainable business value rather than technology for technology's sake.
This aligns much better with the 2026 framework of Achievement, Impact and Innovation, while still giving judges enough flexibility to recognise a wide range of AI use cases.
Contact Centre of the Year (under 250 seats)
Description
This award recognises an outstanding contact centre operation that consistently delivers exceptional outcomes for customers, colleagues, the organisation and the wider community.
The judges will be looking for a contact centre that demonstrates excellence across all aspects of its operation, combining strong leadership, customer focus, colleague engagement, commercial performance and community impact to create a high-performing and sustainable business.
This award may be entered on a site-by-site basis. Any contact centre operation with fewer than 250 seats at a specific North East location may enter. Multiple entries from the same organisation are permitted where different sites operate independently.
The size criteria relate to the specific contact centre operation rather than the wider organisation.
The nominated organisation should describe the most significant achievements delivered during the previous 12 months and demonstrate the difference they have made to customers, colleagues, organisational performance and the wider community.
The winning organisation will have demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of the following criteria:
Achievement & Contribution
• Demonstrates a clear strategy and vision that supports both short and long-term organisational success.
• Consistently achieves or exceeds performance objectives across key operational measures.
• Creates a high-performing operation through effective leadership, governance and continuous improvement.
• Challenges existing ways of working to improve performance, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Builds strong relationships with key stakeholders and demonstrates excellence in quality, compliance and operational delivery.
Impact
• Delivers measurable improvements in customer experience, operational performance and organisational outcomes.
• Creates customer journeys that are simple, effective and aligned to customer needs.
• Demonstrates strong commercial performance through growth, productivity, efficiency, customer retention or value creation.
• Provides evidence of sustained results and long-term organisational success.
• Uses insight, data and feedback to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
People, Culture & Community
• Creates a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture where colleagues can thrive.
• Invests in colleague development, capability building and career progression.
• Demonstrates positive outcomes through employee engagement, retention, wellbeing and inclusion initiatives.
• Creates an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.
• Makes a positive contribution to the wider community through social impact, fundraising, sustainability or community engagement initiatives.
• Champions the contact centre industry as a career of choice within the region.
Innovation & Industry Leadership
• Demonstrates innovation in customer experience, operations, technology, people practices or service delivery.
• Adopts and shares best practices both within and beyond the organisation.
• Acts as a role model for excellence within the North East contact centre community.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and organisational learning.
• Positively influences the wider industry through collaboration, knowledge sharing and leadership.
The strongest entries will demonstrate not only exceptional operational performance, but also measurable impact, a thriving colleague culture, meaningful community contribution and a commitment to raising standards across the contact centre industry.
