Make your nomination shine in 2023

Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA) Executive Director, Jeremy Larkins shares his insights into how to prepare a standout nomination for the 2023 Australian Service Excellence Awards

I'm often asked about what is the best way of presenting a successful nomination for the Australian Service Excellence Awards.

Nominating for the Awards is a great way to showcase the exceptional service provided by your organisation. The awards recognise individuals and organisations that excel in customer service and satisfaction, and winning an award can bring many benefits, including increased visibility, improved reputation, and increased customer loyalty.

In this article, I hope to provide some useful guidance to help you prepare for an organisationcategory nomination.

Understanding the Awards

Before you start the nomination process, it's important to understand the different categories and the awards criteria. The Australian Service Excellence Awards are divided into four primary organisation categories: Organisation of the Year, Team of the Year, Project of the Year and Service Excellence in a Contact Centre. Each category has three or four sub-categories related to the organisation/team/contact centre size. Project sub-categories are determined by the awards judging team and don't require your consideration.

The Awards are judged using the four perspectives of the International Customer Service Standard: Learning and Growth; Operations; Service; and Finance and Governance. You can contact CSIA for a copy of the Standard.

Centorrino Technologies have been ASEA finalists every year for the past decade. They won Best of the Best in 2020

Gathering Information

Once you have chosen the category/s you want to enter, you need to start gathering information about your submission and the service you provide. This may include customer feedback, testimonials, case studies, and other evidence of outstanding service. You should also gather data on key performance indicators such as customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty.

HCF are the only organisation to win Best of the Best twice in 2013 and again in 2022.

Writing the Nomination

The nomination questionnaire is your opportunity to showcase your organisation and the exceptional service you provide. Make sure you follow the guidelines and address the nomination criteria. Use the organisation questionnaire and complete each of the five sections clearly and concisely and illustrate your nomination with examples and evidence. CSIA expects you to provide around 250 words per section.

It is important that you address the specific criteria in each section. Guidance is provided in the nomination questionnaire, and you are always welcome to contact the CSIA team if you need assistance.

Further information, videos, case-studies, customer testimonies etc. that you may wish to provide to support your nomination can be uploaded with your submission in a zip file.

Telling your story well

Successful Awards submissions tell the story about their organisation/team/contact centre/project in a compelling manner and entries more likely to be shortlisted as finalists have a nomination questionnaire characterised by my key tips below:

1. Highlight achievements and focus on the most significant milestones and achievements.

2. Support your submission with evidence by highlighting data, testimonials, and other forms of evidence that demonstrate the impact made to delivering service excellence. You may choose to reference these in your submission and provide extended information in a supplementary supporting data file.

3. Use specific examples and details to illustrate your achievements.

4. Keep it concise and be succinct and to the point.

5. Project of the Year submissions should highlight the problem, explain how the solution was designed and executed and what was the outcome.

Organisations such as American Express, HCF and Centorrino Technologies have featured consistently as finalists and winners in the Awards over the past ten years, because they have made their submissions both compelling and easy to absorb.

American Express won Service Excellence in a Large Contact Centre 9 years in a row and won Best of the Best in 2016

Submitting the Nomination

Once you have completed the nomination form, make sure you review it carefully to ensure that all the information is accurate and complete. You may also want to ask someone else to review it for you to ensure that you have not missed anything. When you are satisfied with your nomination, submit it before the nomination deadline.

You can find information about submitting your nomination on the Awards Portal.

Celebrating Your Success

If you are selected as a finalist, it's important to celebrate your success and share it with your customers and employees. Use social media and other channels to promote your achievement and thank your customers and employees for their support.

We often hear that preparing a nomination for the Awards is a rewarding exercise that provides an opportunity for reflection and celebration, so I wish you well as you prepare your nominations. And please remember the CSIA team is always available to help.

Best of luck in 2023!

Jeremy Larkins Executive Director, CSIA.