Company: Alteva, Philadelphia, PA
Company Description: Headquartered in Philadelphia, Alteva is North America’s largest enterprise hosted VoIP provider.
Nomination Category: Customer Service Department Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Customer Service Department of the Year - IT & Telecommunications

Nomination Title: Alteva

Tell the story about what this nominated department achieved since the beginning of July last year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

In order to fulfill its mission to be the Nation’s Number One Enterprise IP
Telephony Company, Alteva recognizes that it must have the most proactive
customer service in the industry. In this effort, Alteva has developed a
dedicated department that always keeps the customers’ needs in mind in every
situation. The Client Satisfaction Specialist (CSS) Team works across all
departments as needed to resolve issues or answer questions on behalf of
clients. Alteva requires its CSS Team members to listen to customers,
understand their business and provide dynamic customer service that fits their
needs.

To ensure exceptional customer service, David implemented Alteva ‘s new Client
Satisfaction Department in May 2009. The many layers of the Alteva servicing
model and CSS Team include a New Hire Training Program, a Survey Program, a
Bonus Program and a Leadership Program.

The Alteva Customer Service Policy and Client Satisfaction Creed are
communicated to every new hire and are strictly adhered to and monitored.
Upon completion of initial implementation and upon resolution of open cases
submitted to Customer Service, a Client Satisfaction Survey is emailed to the
client. Every customer who checks the “request to be contacted by management”
box will be called personally by David Cuthbert within 24 hours. One of
Alteva’s proudest accomplishments lies in the survey scores of these surveys;
Alteva’s average score over the past 18 months is 4.56 out of 5, spanning 594
surveys. Each month, the Customer Service Agent with the highest survey score
receives a cash bonus.

David’s Leadership Program was designed to develop all Alteva employees to be
helpful, respectful and courteous to everyone they work with including co-
workers, clients, prospects and channel partners.

In September 2009, David hired Alteva’s first Customer Care Specialist, Darcy
Bjornsson. As a staunch advocate within Alteva to ensure that clients’ needs
are met, the most imperative characteristic Alteva wants in successful
candidates is exceptional people skills. Alteva’s Customer Care Specialists
are trained to be relatable, able to build rapport with clients and capable of
speaking in laymen’s terms. Darcy demonstrates a unique background combining
sales experience with a Masters degree in Education. She
proactively assists the client by answering questions, keeping them informed
of status of technical assistance requests and training them on use of their
Alteva products - while identifying areas where Alteva can better service its
clients. Adding Darcy to the Team has been a great step in solidifying
Alteva’s customer service goals.

The effectiveness of Alteva’s efforts is demonstrated in its retention rate of
98.46% over the past 12 months. In fact, our customers say it best: “Alteva’s
customer service is top notch. The reps are friendly, helpful and smart – but
most importantly, it is apparent that they all genuinely care about helping
their clients. As an entrepreneur, I know how vital great customer service is
to my own business. That’s why I so highly value the incredible level of
service Alteva provides every time I have any need for them.” ~ Steve
Grandizio, Friendly Home Mortgage

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated customer service organization:

Alteva’s Customer Service Department is led by David Cuthbert, who has 12
years of operational leadership experience. A graduate of the US Naval Academy
and a former Naval Special Operations Officer, he has led underwater and land
bomb disposal teams domestically and abroad. In 2003, David assumed the
leadership of the Navy’s nuclear weapon casualty response detachment. His
process innovation and mission accomplishment earned him several high level
awards. His responsibilities included leading multiple federal and civil
agencies in crisis situations. He joined Alteva in 2006 as the VP of
Operations, and is responsible for all daily operations of Alteva.