Past Awards

2002 ICSA SOUL Award
2002 SOUL Award Honorable Mentions
2001 ICSA SOUL Award
2001 SOUL Award Honorable Mentions
2000 ICSA SOUL Award Winners
2000 ICSA SOUL Award Honorable Mentions
1999 ICSA SOUL Award Winners
Award of Excellence

PAST SOUL AWARDS AND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

2002 ICSA SOUL Award

The International Customer Service Association (ICSA) is pleased to announce the winner of it’s 2002 SOUL Award is the Customer Process Integrity team of the of Sales and Marketing Division of Elkay Manufacturing, Oakbrook, Illinois.

John Heilstedt, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Division of Elkay Manufacturing set the goals high for the members of the newly formed Customer Process Integrity (CPI) Project team. "Improve customer satisfaction with the services that Elkay provides and deliver it right the first time", Heilstedt instructed the team at the outset of the project. The CPI project was designed to reduce the level of customer deductions, debits, credits and simplify the returned goods process while, at the same time, generating regular systematic reports related to the causal factors of customer credits and returned goods.

"This broadly scoped project presented an opportunity for a variety of different departments including Customer Service, Shipping, Receiving, Manufacturing and Finance, to closely work together to understand each other’s processes and requirements," said team member, Sue Roulo. "Ultimately this resulted in enhanced inter-department cooperation, which in-turn provided the customers with quicker and more accurate credit information."

The CPI Project was piloted at Elkay’s Broadview, Illinois facility and based upon the success at that location, other facilities are eager to become involved in CPI and incorporate similar process changes. Among the impacts and benefits that resulted from the project are:

• The automation of the credit process results in faster and more accurate issuance of credits to customers.
• An improved deduction resolution process was created by the modification of the accounts receivable system.
• The returned Goods Department has dramatically reduced the processing time for all returned products.
• New reporting codes and processes now provide detailed information on returns that allow us to follow-up more effectively with our customers.
• The development of quality reports now serve as a primary feedback monitoring system for the ISO process in operations and corporate support.

An important payoff for Elkay as a result of their hard work came in strengthening the relationship with key customer, Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. Ferguson took advantage of Elkay’s newly speedy issuance of credits and improved analysis of credits and deductions and allowed the company to participate in their deduction resolution improvement program. The end result created a reduction in both time and labor for both companies.

At the end of the day, Elkay’s experience in implementing the CPI project reinforces the concept that to excel at serving customers requires a team effort. A team by its very nature must rely and build on each member’s strengths, be open to new ideas and be ready to adapt to change. According the Ruolo, "In the customer service area, unlike other areas of business, there are no hard and fast rules, only guidelines with the goal always being a satisfied customer."

Founded in 1981, ICSA is dedicated to promoting the development and awareness of the customer service profession through networking, education and research.

2001 ICSA SOUL Award

Joyce Boyce
Conseco Medical
Rockford, IL

ICSA would also like to recognize the winners of the first ever UK SOUL Awards, presented by the Customer Service Network:

Leslie Weir
Hilton Plc
Temple Patrick, Northern Ireland

Sally-Ann Roberts
Lloyds TSB Insurance
Newport, Gwent, UK

Melanie Parker
Nationwide Building Society
Swindon, UK

2002 SOUL Award Honorable Mentions

Alicia Tully, Karen Gardner,
Shane Delacruz
CyberRep, Inc.
Canoga Park, CA

Alex Robenson
CyberRep, Inc.
McLean, VA

Shelly Goettig
Fey Industries, Inc.
Edgerton, MN

Front Line Direct Patient Contacts
Hemophilia Health Services Inc.
Nashville, TN

NYSEG Binghamton Booster Team
New York State Electric & Gas
Binghamton, NY

Polar Bear Team
Sargento Foods Inc.
Plymouth, WI

2001 SOUL Award Honorable Mentions

Aventis Customer Service Team
Aventis Pharmaceuticals
Headquartered in New Jersey

Christine Campbell
NOVA Chemicals
Moon Township, PA

Customer Service Focus Group
Aetna, Inc.
Hartford, CT

Customer Service Division
Las Vegas Valley Water District
Las Vegas, NV

Kathy Ott
Sargento Foods Inc.
Plymouth, WI

Traderonline.com Customer Service Team
Traderonline.com
Virginia Beach, VA

The Three Rights of the Employee
Start Choice Communications
Lincoln, NB

2000 ICSA SOUL Award Winners

Ken Krajchovich
Manager, Customer Service
BMI Metronics

Power Partner Team
New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG)
Binghampton, NY

2000 ICSA SOUL AWARD HONORABLE MENTIONS

Medigap Telephone Monitoring Team
Highmark, Inc.

Customer Service Reps designated as Sr. Direct Reps
Con Edison of NY, Inc.

Converting Team, Customer Support
P.H. Glatfelter Company

Wayne Ivy, Betty Thomas, Dwain Little
Evenflo Company, Inc.

Novartis Customer Service Department
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Customer Services Department
Las Vegas Valley Water District

Jeanne Lewis
Staples.com

Patrick Boumhover and Tom Donnelly
Yellow Freight System

Kevin Polakoff and Morris Djourejati
Register.com

Direct Banking Call Center Team
Peoples Heritage Financial Group

Sargento Foods, Inc. Wal Mart Customer Support
Sargento Foods Inc.

Sandra C. Bocynesky
Aetna Inc.

Paul Cosentino Sr.
Reynolds & Reynolds

Richard Hornbeck
East Bay Municipal Utility District

John Creedon
Deluxe Financial Services, Inc.

1999 ICSA SOUL Award Winners

Maureen Smith
Global Household Brands
Edison, NJ

The Dow Chemical Polyethylene Customer Service Representatives
Midland, Mich.

Keith King
Manager Cabin Crew Training
Qantas Airways Limited
Australia

Award of Excellence-- Past Winners

MANUFACTURING
Pirelli Cable Corporation
Lexington, South Carolina

Vistakon
Jacksonville, Florida

AMP, Incorporated
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Siecor Corporation
Hickory, North Carolina

PPG Industries Chemicals Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Honeywell Residential and Building Controls
Golden Valley, Minnesota

Zebco Corporation
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Allergan, Inc.
Irvine, California

The Coleman Company
Wichita, Kansas

Westinghouse Furniture Systems
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bio-Lab, Inc.
Decatur, Georgia

Syva Company
Mountain View, California

Elkay Manufacturing
Oakbrook, Illinois

Centralab, Inc.
Ft. Dodge, Iowa

NON-MANUFACTURING
Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Inc.
Piscataway, New Jersey

PVS-Nolwood Chemicals
Detroit, Michigan

The Signature Group
Schaumburg, Illinois

Sprint
Kansas City, Missouri

First Chicago, Cash Management Division
Chicago, Illinois

Oppenheimer Shareholder Services
Denver, Colorado

Reynolds & Reynolds
Dayton, Ohio

Bell Cellular
Toronto, Ontario

CSX Transportation
Jacksonville Florida

Good Samaritan Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio

First National Bank of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Ryder Truck Rental
Miami, Florida

Reynolds & Reynolds
Dayton, Ohio