January 4, 2010//Lincoln, Neb.//Ameritas Group, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., a UNIFI Company, earned its third consecutive Center of Excellence call center certification from BenchmarkPortal. Developed by Purdue University’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality, BenchmarkPortal is the largest call center benchmarking database program in the world.

“Exceeding customer expectations is always our goal. In each interaction, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact and enhance our customer’s service experience,” notes April Rimpley, M.A.M., FLMI, ACS, vice president - group customer connections and operations. “We are proud to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, and the fact that we’ve achieved certification for three years running truly reflects our commitment. We believe the Center of Excellence certification speaks volumes about our company, because it goes beyond the insurance industry and verifies that our contact center is world class.”

To achieve annual certification as a Center of Excellence, Ameritas Group contact center associates participate in BenchmarkPortal’s rigorous certification process based on established scientific methods that measure operational metrics, customer satisfaction and agent satisfaction. In addition, our contact center associates must meet Ameritas Group’s own set of stringent service standards by participating in ongoing training and continuing education.

“We benchmark the performance of thousands of customer service call centers across North America. Many call centers apply for certification, yet only 10% actually make it,” adds Dr. Jon Anton, founder and director of benchmark research at Purdue’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality. “Our Center of Excellence recognition is one of the most distinguished awards in the service and support industry, and Ameritas has earned it.”

About Ameritas Group

Ameritas Group, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., a UNIFI Company, has served customers since the mid-1970s and today provides dental, eye care and hearing care products and services for more than 60,000 employer groups, insuring more than 4.5 million people nationwide. In New York, products are offered through First Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York, a UNIFI Company. Learn more at ameritasgroup.com.

About BenchmarkPortal

BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue University Center for Customer-Driven Quality database of contact center performance metrics, the largest in the world. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Jon Anton, it provides reports, products and services for contact centers in the areas of operational metrics, customer satisfaction measurement and agent satisfaction measurement. Learn more at benchmarkportal.com.