FAQ | ECCCSA

Frequently Asked Questions

Key dates

What date do nominations open?

Nominations open 3 May 2019.

What date do nominations close?

Written entries must be submitted and paid for by midnight Friday 12 July.

When is the finalists announced?

The finalists that have made it through to the second round of judging will be announced 9 August 2019. If you are one of these we will be in contact with you to arrange a panel presentation or site visit.

When are the winners announced?

Winners are announced at an Awards Evening on 26 November 2019, at Evolution, London.

When is the awards evening?

The Awards Evening is on 26 November 2019, at Evolution, London.

Awards Evening

Do I need a ticket to attend?

Due to security arrangements, all guests are required to bring their ticket with them to be scanned on entry.

How can I get a ticket or book a table?

Visit this page to book to attend until Friday 15 November 2019.

When will I receive the tickets for the table I booked?

Tickets will be emailed out to the contact that booked the table/s in early November.

When will I receive the tickets for the table I booked?

Tickets will be emailed to the contact that booked the table/s in early November. If you haven’t received your tickets by Friday 22 November, please email info@ecccsa.com.

What time does the awards evening start?

The doors open at 18:30. The awards presentation starts after dinner has been served, which is approximately 21:30.

What is the dress code for the evening?

The dress code is black tie. For ladies, this is glamourous dresses.

Is there somewhere to leave my coat and bag when I arrive?

Yes, there is a cloakroom in the main entrance where you can leave your coat and bag for free. Items are left here at your own risk.

Can I get a taxi from Evolution at the end of the night?

Yes, taxis are waiting outside the venue all evening. Alternatively you may want to use a taxi app, such as Uber or Free Now.

The table package includes unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks. What is not included?

A selected red and white wine are available all evening, together with beers and soft drinks, including water, from the bars and via table waiters during dinner. If you want to upgrade the wine, drink prosecco or champagne or would like to drink spirits during the evening, these are available at an additional cost payable by cash or card.

What is the entertainment during the evening?

There are a number of acts that entertain guests before dinner in the bar area. During dinner there are additional performances with the last performance just before the awards presentation commences. After the awards a disco will start up on the dance floor and the dodgems open to the left side of the stage.

Judging

How are the awards judged?

The ECCCSAs are the most prestigious industry awards in Europe because the judging process used is very rigourous. There are two rounds of judging:

Assessment of each company’s written entry by a panel of over 50 expert judges drawn from leading companies and organisations across Europe.
Panel interviews or site visits with a select panel of judges, at which nominees are expected to demonstrate the best practice and innovation outlined in their written entries.

It’s not for nothing that previous winners have said that receiving an ECCCSA is like getting an Oscar – only more difficult!

What is the judging process?

Round 1 – Entries

The first round of judging is carried out entirely online allowing nominating organisations to work on their submissions 24/7 and to keep refining them right up until closing date on 12 July.

Round 2 – If you’re shortlisted

The ECCCSAs shortlist will be announced in mid-August and this will lead to the shortlisted nominations either being called for a panel interview in London towards the end of September or a site visit from a panel of expert judges.

What are the judging criteria?

The judges will be looking for evidence in a number of areas, including:

Initiated with a solid rationale and with engaged key stakeholders throughout.
Delivered a significant benefit to the business either in savings, reassigned resources or increased revenues.
Has the improvement in the customer experience been incremental or transformational?
Has the solution had a positive impact on the day to day role of the front line Advisor?
Has it lead to the operation being more efficient and effective?
How successful has the solution/initiative been overall; was it worth the resources applied?
Does this initiative improve the image of our industry through doing the right things?

Entering the ECCCSAs

Who is eligible to enter the awards?

Any organisation that is headquartered in, based in, or which operates a contact centre or customer service programme in Europe.

How much does it cost to enter?

There is a fee of £295 (approx. €340) per entry.

Why is there an entry fee?

Part of the robust judging process of the ECCCSAs includes site visits or panel presentations with our judges. There is considerable cost involved in organising and carrying these out, which the entry fee helps to cover.

When is the entry fee due?

For your entry (or entries) to be eligible, we must receive your fees in full before midnight on Friday 12 July.

How do I enter the awards?

To enter the awards the first step is to register here www.ecccsa.com/enter, submit your written entry and pay for it before midnight 12 July. You can pay for your entry (or entries) at any time and continue to edit them right up to the deadline.

Are there word limits on the written entry?

Yes, each section has a word limit between 100 and 500 words. The limit for each section is indicated on the online form.

What should I include in my entry?

You should include the specific information requested for the category that you choose. In general, the judges will be looking for evidence of exceptional merit in:

Business impact
Operational effectiveness
Innovation and creativity
Customer centricity
Employee engagement
Industry best practise

How can I pay the entry fee?

You can pay the fee of £295 per entry on our website by credit card or debit card. Once you have Submitted your entry (or entries) to the Shopping Cart, choose the PayPal payment option. You don’t need a PayPal to pay by credit or debit card. We take:

Mastercard
VISA
American Express

You may also choose the Invoice option. In this case we will send you an invoice and you can choose to pay by bank transfer, or by telephoning us to pay by credit or debit card.
For your entry to go forward we should receive your full payment before midnight of 12 July.

Is the business information in my award safe and secure?

We use a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform called AwardForce to manage the awards programmes, including your written entry. This platform is fully encrypted, which means any confidential data you enter is fully secure and only visible to you and us.

Judges are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before receiving the award entries to judge. Please also review the ECCCSA Privacy Policy.