WebCE has secured a Gold Stevie Award in the Contact Center of the Year category at the 20th Annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, marking its first Gold win and fifth overall Stevie Award in this category. This recognition is significant as it highlights a successful counter-narrative to the widespread industry shift toward artificial intelligence and outsourcing, emphasizing instead the value of human connection in customer service.
The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are among the world's top honors for professionals in these fields, with more than 2,100 nominations from 41 nations and territories considered this year. Winners were determined by the average scores of 150 professionals on eight specialized judging committees. According to Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller, "The remarkable scores achieved by this year's Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service winners reflect the extraordinary levels of excellence, innovation, and customer impact they deliver." Details about the awards and winners are available at https://sales.stevieawards.com/.
Judges praised WebCE's "people-first" approach as "contrarian" in an era focused on automation. Rather than relying on AI, the company employs a finely tuned training regimen for each representative to provide live, personalized support for 1.5 million customers navigating complex compliance requirements nationwide. This model enables a single representative to handle inquiries across 22 licenses and certifications without call transfers, scripts, or rigid time limits. Director of Support Services Jordan Smith stated, "Our support team is the heartbeat of WebCE, proving that, in an increasingly automated world, the ultimate competitive advantage is genuine human connection."
The impact of this strategy is evident in key performance metrics. From 2023 to 2025, WebCE reduced its average time to answer incoming customer calls by 14 seconds to just 29 seconds, lowering the call abandonment rate to 1.5%, well below the 5% industry standard. Customer satisfaction also soared, with the team earning a 95% Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), significantly outperforming the 74% industry average reported by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Judges noted, "Excellent job by WebCE Support Services in delivering personalized, knowledgeable, and timely customer care, achieving outstanding satisfaction, recommendation, and response metrics."
This award underscores the broader implications for industries grappling with customer service challenges. As organizations increasingly turn to AI and outsourcing to cut costs, WebCE's success demonstrates that investing in human expertise can yield superior efficiency and satisfaction outcomes. The recognition comes amid a competitive landscape where entries were considered in over 100 categories, including those for AI in sales and customer service, such as Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers. Winners will be celebrated at a gala event in New York City on March 5, 2026, following the announcement on January 29, 2026.
