MyCustomer interview with Chair of the Judges for insider information
MyCustomer examines why the ECCCSAs have become the continent’s premier competition through an intense interview with Chair of the Judges, Ann-Marie Stagg.
“Just taking part in the process makes people stop and reflect on what they have achieved,” explains Ann-Marie. “For many organisations, winning can have a very real impact on their business.”
“You have to meet applicants to have the opportunity to question them and really drill down into some of the answers in order to understand how credible their nomination is,” she continues. “And this process has been validated in the past, because we have had organisations that have been judged on the strength of their application, but when they are interviewed by the judges it has become clear that they have exaggerated their case in their written nomination and do not have the calibre of an award-winner. Equally, we have judged organisations that are actually far better than they think they are!”
And as someone who has been a nominee and winner herself at the awards – having scooped a prize for Industry Champion 15 years ago – Ann-Marie is perfectly placed to provide advice for first-time applicants who want to make an impression on the judges.
“I would say they need to reflect on what their story is,” she explains. “Sometimes nominations come in and they haven’t clearly articulated their journey. They should focus on telling their story: ‘we were here; we aimed to get there; we did this; we achieved that.’ It should have a flow to it, rather than just writing a nomination that rams in everything that has been done in the last 12 months.
For the full interview, visit https://www.mycustomer.com/service/contact-centres/ecccsas-how-to-be-a-winner-at-europes-biggest-and-best-service-awards
