DES PLAINES, IL – Wheels, Inc., a leader in the multi-billion-dollar fleet leasing industry, earned a top prize at the 2012 American Business Awards (a.k.a. “The Stevies”) for Sales and Customer Service.

Wheels’ Account Management program was presented with the Gold Stevie Award for “Front Line Customer Service Team of the Year” last night at an awards gala in Las Vegas. It was one of three awards Wheels received over the course of the evening.

“We are humbled by this award because it takes great clients to do great work,” said Norman Din, Vice President of Client Relations at Wheels. “Our Account Management team has become a recognized industry leader in building customized fleet management programs that deliver measurable success to each of our clients. We are proud that the American Business Awards judges have acknowledged our commitment to providing some of the best frontline customer service in not only our industry, but any industry.”

Wheels’ “multi-layered” Account Management structure is responsible for the execution of the company’s foundation-level focus on strategic account management and customer service – and for delivering tens of millions of dollars in cost savings to its clients every year. Wheels provides each client with a full team of Wheels employees – rather than a limited single contact – to directly engage the client’s fleet office. This team includes an Account Manager (AM) to help the client plan its strategic initiatives and program rollouts. AMs identify trends, provide analysis, communicate performance results and discover opportunities for improving each client’s fleet. Wheels also assigns an Account Executive (AE) to each client in order to deliver day-to-day fleet office support. AEs provide phone and e-mail assistance throughout the workday for matters like vehicle ordering support, fleet program questions and more.

In addition to the Gold Stevie, Wheels took home Bronze Stevie Awards in two categories this year. The company’s Driver Services Center won bronze in one of the “Contact Center of the Year” categories and its Human Resources and Quality Service Coach training teams earned a bronze award for “Customer Service Training Team of the Year."

The Stevies are among the world’s premier business awards, and the Sales & Customer Service award segment honors the accomplishments of sales, customer service, and call/contact center professionals across the globe.  This year, nearly 1,000 entries from companies in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in 65 categories. More than 100 members of seven specialized committees participated in the final round of judging for this year’s awards.

“We’re delighted to kick off our celebration of the 10th year of the Stevie Awards movement with the 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer, which will be the first program in which we’ll bestow Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. “It’s gratifying and inspiring to have received so many remarkable entries for this year’s competition.”