State Business Response Center/Licensing Center Wins National Award
05/18/2007
Contacts:
Kristi Sullivan, 860-571-6213 or
MaryAnn Simkewicz, 860-571-6217
Connecticut's Business Response Center (BRC) and Smart Start/the Connecticut Licensing Center (CLIC) have been recognized as national leaders for their business assistance efforts with a Government Customer Support Overall Excellence Award, beating out the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System Contact Center and the IRS Employee Resource Center.
The award, presented at the Government Customer Support Conference and Expo in Virginia, recognizes help desks, contact centers, web portals, and other touch points at all levels of government that excel in teamwork, technical excellence and customer focus to produce exemplary customer support and high customer satisfaction. High Tech High Touch Solutions (www.hthts.com), the owners and producers of the expo, the Government Customer Support Community of Practice (www.fedhelpdesk.osf.noaa.gov), and a board of industry experts selected the BRC and Smart Start/CLIC as the award winner in the Overall Excellence Customer Support Excellence category for their innovate ways to deliver exceptional service from a variety of mediums with a limited number of staff members.
Ivy Meadors, CEO of High Tech High Touch Solutions, says, "It is rare to find such a progressive group offering this level of advanced customer support services with exceptionally high customer satisfaction scores and "live" answers with very limited resources. An environment like this is characteristically found where the team members are passionate about their job, have skilled workers, and are committed to superior teamwork. The Connecticut Business Response and Smart Start Licensing Centers effectively illustrate these attributes. Other organizations can certainly benefit from learning how to deliver advanced service offerings from this impressive work group that provides exceptional customer service to their customers."
The BRC, which is managed by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC) and funded in part by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), helps in-state and out-of-state companies start, expand or relocate by connecting to the resources needed to do business in Connecticut. Smart Start/CLIC, which is funded by the Office of Policy and Management and also housed at CERC, provides business licensing and registration services, working in conjunction with the BRC services.
"We are very proud of the economic development resources we have available for companies thinking of moving to Connecticut, expanding here or just starting out," Governor M. Jodi Rell said. "Over and over we have heard that one of the most important ways we can help is to put all the information business leaders need together in one place - and that's just what we've done. I want to thank the talented and dedicated staff at the BRC and Smart Start/CLIC and offer my congratulations on this important award."
"As the lead state agency for economic development in the state, DECD has a sales force that is constantly on the road meeting with companies, touring sites and attending trade shows so it is critical that we have top-flight support that can provide businesses with the assistance they need in a clear, professional and timely manner," said Ron Angelo, Acting Commissioner of DECD. "This award recognizes the complementary efforts of the staff at the BRC and Smart Start/CLIC. They are a key part of the overall delivery system of business assistance in the state of Connecticut, and we appreciate their commitment to excellence."
"This is a tremendous honor and well-deserved recognition for the great job that the BRC and Smart Start/CLIC staff do to support business startups, expansions and relocations to Connecticut," stated Rob Simmons, who is the governor's appointed business advocate and works in partnership with the centers. "Companies and entrepreneurs can look forward to our partnered efforts that will build upon this success and help make Connecticut a great place to do business."
Agencies across the U.S. and Canada submited for the 2007 Government Customer Support Excellence Awards that recognize the best service and support providers in the public sector for Technical Excellence, Teamwork Excellence, Customer Focus Excellence, and Overall Customer Support Excellence. These prestigious and impressive awards receive recognition across the nation. The finalists are published in the FedTech Magazine and numerous other recognized resources nationwide. For more information on the awards, please visit http://www.hthts.com/gcs2007awardsprogram.htm
About CERC
Based in Rocky Hill, the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that provides objective research, marketing and economic development services to local, regional, state and utility entities and policymakers. CERC is a public-private partnership, funded primarily by utility and telecommunication companies, with a mission of making Connecticut a more competitive business location. Visit www.cerc.com for more info.
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