August 18, 2011 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Productivity and Best Practices Group Recognizes Discover for Superior Thinking, Creativity and Execution in Call Center Functions
RIVERWOODS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Discover has been named by the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) as the winner of two 2011 Call Center Excellence Awards – “Best in Class Call Center” and “Best Performance Acting on Voice of the Consumer and Voice of the Social Customer.”
“Receiving independent recognition of our leading customer service is a great honor and is a reflection of the pride that we take in providing a great experience with each interaction.”
The 12th annual awards honor and promote the most innovative call center solutions and individuals across all major industries.
The Best in Class Call Center (over 200 staff) category recognizes companies that provide outstanding customer service while controlling costs and managing complex operations. The award also honors call centers that set a vision of excellence and show a direct connection to growth and profit for the company.
For the second year in a row, Discover placed first in Best Performance Acting on Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Social Customer. This award honors Discover for leveraging social media to turn detractors into business advocates and for translating feedback into action, including product and process innovation. In 2011, this category was expanded to include the Voice of the Social Customer.
“Our strong commitment to making the customer experience our top priority is a key contributor to winning these awards in 2011,” said Carlos Minetti, president of consumer banking and operations at Discover. “Receiving independent recognition of our leading customer service is a great honor and is a reflection of the pride that we take in providing a great experience with each interaction.”
Discover employees at all levels, including the chief executive officer, attend call-listening sessions to hear recorded playback of actual customer service calls. The sessions, totaling nearly 8,000 hours annually, include questions and commentary from attendees, and a discussion of the key aspects of the calls.
Discover, which pioneered 24-hour live customer service, cash rewards and no annual fee in 1986, has built a reputation for excellent customer service, including finishing #1 in the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index of major card companies for 15 consecutive years. Discover also was awarded first place in Best Overall Customer Experience for prospective customers in the 2011 Keynote Competitive Research Industry Study.
Winners of the IQPC awards are selected by a panel of call center experts who look for superior thinking, creativity, and execution across all call center functions. The awards were presented in June at the Annual Call Center Week conference.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company operates the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers personal and student loans, online savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its Discover Bank subsidiary. Its payment businesses consist of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discoverfinancial.com.
