The DACH Customer Excellence Awards – a Superb Event!

The DACH Customer Excellence Awards – no matter who you are, what you do or where you work, being recognized matters

I watched the Oscar Awards this year.

And there on the stage are some of the most successful people on the planet. And yet when they win the Oscar they kind of lose it – in a good way.

Tears, joy, expressions of gratitude.

And those emotions aren’t limited to televised stages in Los Angeles or New York.

No matter where I’ve attended any great Awards event the emotions are real and deep. Because people work so hard.

And to have a chance to show that, talk about what they’re proud of and perhaps be recognized in a formal way – is very powerful.

Which is just one of the reasons I’m proud that my company sponsors the DACH Customer Excellence Awards.

These awards celebrate meaningful Customer Excellence initiatives by organizations that are based in, operate in or serve the DACH Region – comprised of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The 4^th year of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards & Summit was held on 13^th October 2023 in Wiesbaden Germany and here’s what I saw that reinforced my pride and commitment to this event.

The Quality of the Finalists

The quality of the Finalist entries is the absolute fundamental mark of a credible and effective Awards program.

So when the Judges across the board tell us how impressed they’ve been with the quality of the Finalists it matters.

Here are just a few quotes from this year’s Judges:

“One of my entries even showed some great numbers that prove the impact and showed how employee satisfaction is driving customer satisfaction, loyalty, renewal and up-selling. That’s the evidence we need to ensure necessary investments into EX and CX are signed off by senior management and show some real ROI.” Judge’s comment

“Couldn’t have said it better, it was a great event with impressive cases.” .” Judge’s comment

Brilliant entry! I loved the innovation! The drive to make life easy for the customers and employees alike!” Judge’s comment

“I fully support your summary of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards. And like to add the importance of Customer Centric Culture and the MAGIC the Italian Team showed us.” Judge’s comment

The Quality of the Judges

And interestingly, Judges tell us that it matters to them who else is judging and the level of conversation that naturally takes place among the Judges themselves.

“The level of the conversations I had with the other Judges was remarkable. During the judging process and afterwards at the coffee breaks and at the Gala dinner.” Judge’s comment

The Quality of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards Event

These people make a commitment in time and money to participate.

So what they have to say about their experience including what they learned, who they got to meet and how much fun they had is the cornerstone of how we move forward year on year.

Here are just a few quotes from this year’s Winners, Finalists & Judges:

“A fantastic day made even better by the outstanding keynote speakers and the wealth of knowledge & passion shared by all participants!” Judge’s comment

“Extra shout out to Marcus von Kloeden for the perfect organisation and the opera singers during the Awards dinner that were the icing on the cake of a successful event.” Judge’s comment

Congratulations – Marcus, Daniel, and team – on yet another amazing award celebration, recognizing the whole CX industry. The contribution you are making cannot be overestimated and is testament to both of your passion for customer centricity! Thank you for all the effort you put into this event! Partner, Customer Institute

Experience and commitment to the industry

The Founder of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards, Marcus von Kloeden, has years of experience organizing events including training programs, conference events and even art gallery receptions.

The experience influenced everything, from structuring the event to allow ample time for people to meet, chat, and relax, to having opera singers roam the floor throughout the cocktail reception and gala dinner event.

And in the spirit of think globally and act locally, the suppliers and providers for the Event ranging from the florists to the crafters of the handmade Awards trophies, are all local small businesses.

The Mission of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards

Not all Awards programs are great. Anyone who’s been around the Customer industry for a while knows this.

With some Awards, it seems like there’s an army of salespeople who descend to hound people into joining.

Or Customer Excellence isn’t the main focus of the Awards program – but a slight add on to other categories of Awards that are all kind of jumbled together into one event.

The mission of the DACH Customer Excellence Awards is different. Here it is:

By CX Experts, with CX Experts, for CX Experts

That’s not just a tagline – it’s a way of working. A touchstone.

Everyone involved in creating, organizing and running the DACH Customer Excellence Awards are ‘Customer people’ themselves.

So there’s a deep & innate understanding about what Customer people deserve when they invest their time & resources into such an event.

In last year’s event one of our Judges flew in from Amman Jordan, with many others coming in from Switzerland, the Netherlands and from all over Germany.

It’s a real commitment – and we honor that.