For a quarter of a century, the European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards have been used as a common reference point for assessing customer contact excellence across the continent.
Last week, the awards program reached a significant milestone, celebrating its 25th edition with a ceremony that brought together finalists and industry leaders from 44 European countries at Evolution in Battersea Park, London.
What began as a vision to recognize outstanding customer service has evolved into what many winners describe as the equivalent of “winning an Oscar” in the customer contact profession.
Hosted by acclaimed broadcaster Anita Rani, with a special appearance from Olympic cycling legend Sir Jason Kenny, the event showcased not just the achievements of individual organisations, but the collective progress of an entire industry committed to elevating the human experience in business.
A Night of European Excellence
The 2025 awards demonstrated the remarkable breadth of talent across Europe’s customer contact landscape. Winners ranged from global household names like BMW, British Airways, Booking.com, EE, HSBC, The LEGO Group, Sage, Santander, and TUI to fast-growing challenger brands and purpose-driven charities including Fibrus, Ditto Music, and StepChange Debt Charity.
ING in Romania claimed the prestigious Contact Centre of the Year title, highlighting the growing strength of customer operations in Eastern Europe. This recognition reflects a broader trend of innovation and excellence emerging from regions that are increasingly setting new standards for customer service delivery.
Poland also made its mark on the European stage, with Alior Bank winning Best Employee Experience. This award reinforces the country’s reputation for people-centered leadership and demonstrates how investing in employee wellbeing directly translates to superior customer outcomes.
Unisys delivered a particularly impressive performance, securing both Outsourced Contact Centre of the Year and Best Pan-European Customer Contact Operation. This double victory underscores the critical role that strategic outsourcing partners play in delivering consistent, high-quality customer experiences across multiple markets and languages.
Foundever’s Remarkable Seven-Award Haul
Among the standout performers of the evening, Foundever, one of the most prominent global leaders in the customer experience industry, received a significant 16 nominations and successfully walked away with seven awards across six categories, including Gold for Best BPO Partnership with John Lewis & Partners.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized across six categories,” said Chris Halbard, CEO of Foundever.
“This achievement is a testament to our constant commitment to keeping brand promises by delivering people-led, technology-enabled customer experience solutions that create measurable value.”
The scale of Foundever’s recognition demonstrates how organisations that balance human expertise with technological innovation are shaping emerging best practices for partnership-driven customer experiences across Europe.
Energy Sector Shows Compassion in Action
In a powerful demonstration of corporate social responsibility, energy companies swept all three top spots in the Best Approach to Supporting Vulnerable Customers category.
This clean sweep reflects the sector’s commitment to ensuring that those facing financial hardship, health challenges, or other vulnerabilities receive the support they need during difficult times.
UK Power Networks impressed judges across the board, taking home the coveted Best Customer Experience award. Their success demonstrates how utility companies are transforming from service providers into customer-centric organisations that prioritize seamless, empathetic interactions.
The Rigour Behind the Recognition
All 31 categories were judged through a rigorous and fully independent process overseen by Professor Moira Clark, Chair of the Judges and Professor of Strategic Marketing at Henley Business School.
With judges drawn from multiple European countries, the process ensured fairness, neutrality, and cultural balance across all categories.
“The quality of entries this year demonstrates the extraordinary progress being made across Europe,” said Professor Clark.
“Our judges uphold the highest standards of independence, reviewing entries across borders to ensure every finalist is assessed fairly. The 2025 winners truly represent the best of the best.”
Winners Celebrate Their Achievements
The impact of winning an ECCCSA resonated strongly with recipients, who took to social media to share their pride and gratitude.
Shawn Stanyer, Head of Customer Experience at Bank of Valletta, wrote that he “could not be prouder of what we achieved as a team.
“This year the awards received thousands of submissions across Europe, followed by a rigorous judging process. Our work was selected and we reached the finals in two award categories, placing us within the top one hundred organisations on a European stage.
“This was not just a moment for us. It was a moment for Malta and for Bank of Valletta plc.”
Danielle Doherty, Senior Director of Services at Concentrix, celebrated their Bronze award with Egencia for Most Effective Learning & Development Programme:
“You can’t always see the fast impact of learning programs in real time, but you can always feel the shift in the people. That’s why our Bronze ECCCSA, received yesterday evening in London, means so much.”
Sabina Onwuka, Head of Customer Services at London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, expressed pride in their bronze medal for Best Innovation in Customer Services:
“Just being in the room with over 44 countries across Europe and so many entries, I’m so proud of team and what we have achieved.”
Leo Ooms, Head of Customer Services BPO at TUI Group, shared excitement about their double win:
“We’re excited to share that TUI Customer Services brought home two major awards at yesterday’s prestigious European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards, one of the largest customer service award programmes in Europe, with organisations from 44 countries participating.”
Industry Support and Recognition
Sabio, headline sponsors of the ECCCSAs since its inception, continues to champion the program’s mission, with Ioan MacRae, Sabio’s Chief Revenue Officer, stating:
“This awards program showcases the exceptional talent, innovation and dedication across Europe’s customer contact industry. From pioneering technology to outstanding service and employee engagement, the organisations that make it as a Finalist are setting the benchmark for excellence and inspiring the next generation of customer contact leaders.
“Congratulations to all the Finalists and the winners at last nights’ awards. It was a privilege to be in their company.”
Leigh Hopwood, Managing Director of the ECCCSAs and Chair of the European Customer Contact Alliance, was also full of praise for the organizations involved:
“The organisations recognized tonight are delivering life-changing support to customers and colleagues across Europe. Whether a growing brand, a charity, a public service or a global enterprise, every winner reflects a commitment to exceptional service.”
“Congratulations to all our 2025 ECCCSA winners and thank you to everyone who supports these awards. Together we can make a difference.”
A Thought to Carry Forward
As the ECCCSAs enters its next quarter-century, the 2025 ceremony reminds us that exceptional customer service is not the domain of any single country, industry, or business model. It belongs to those who understand that every interaction is an opportunity to make someone’s day better, to solve a problem with empathy, and to build trust that transcends transactions.
The diversity of this year’s winners, from Romanian banks to British utilities, from Polish financial institutions to pan-European outsourcers, tells us something profound about the future of customer experience.
Excellence is not about following a single playbook. It is about understanding your customers deeply, empowering your people genuinely, and innovating relentlessly. The organisations celebrated this week have mastered this balance, and in doing so, they have set a standard for us all to aspire to.
Foundever’s seven-award achievement particularly exemplifies this principle. Their success across multiple categories demonstrates that when organisations commit to keeping brand promises through people-led, technology-enabled solutions, the results speak for themselves.
As we look ahead, the question is not whether customer expectations will continue to rise. They will. The question is whether we, as an industry, will rise with them. If the 2025 ECCCSA winners are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
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