J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Crutchfield Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Customer Service Experience
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. 17 October 2006 — Crutchfield has been recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center ProgramSM. This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Crutchfield’s call center operations to provide an outstanding customer service experience.
Crutchfield’s call center operations in Charlottesville and Wise County, Va., handle nearly two million telephone, e-mail and live online interactions with customers per year. To become certified, the call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of their recruiting, training, employee incentive, management roles and responsibilities, and quality assurance capabilities. As part of its evaluation, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a random survey of Crutchfield’s customers who recently contacted its call center. Additionally, for certification status, a call center must perform within the top 20 percent of customer service, based on J.D. Power and Associates’ cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
“Crutchfield has clearly demonstrated its commitment to providing outstanding customer service,” said Steve Kirkeby, senior director of the telecommunications practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “In particular, customers view Crutchfield’s call center operations as conveniently available and highly capable of resolving issues, which are two key drivers of customer satisfaction.”
To attain certification, a call center must meet the J.D. Power and Associates’ cross-industry customer satisfaction criteria. The criteria include evaluation of: courtesy; knowledge; concern for the customer; usefulness of the information provided; convenience of operating hours; ease of reaching a representative; and timely resolution.
“Everyone at Crutchfield is extraordinarily proud of our call center professionals for having been awarded this prestigious certification from J.D. Power and Associates,” said Bill Crutchfield, founder and CEO. “For more than 32 years, Crutchfield has worked diligently to provide our customers with the finest possible service and support. This certification showcases the dedication, sincerity and care that our call center staff has toward each and every customer we have contact with.”
The Call Center Certification Program was launched by J.D. Power and Associates in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction and help call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing best practices for handling service calls.
There are more than 75,000 call centers in North America and an estimated 125,000 worldwide that help customers with product and service questions across a multitude of industries, ranging from credit cards, financial services, investment services, utilities, service warranty and insurance to telecommunications, healthcare and office products.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
Media Relations Contacts:
Bridgette King
Crutchfield Public Relations
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
(954) 937-9616
bridgette@getthescoop.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate
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