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Optima CEO David King Shares His Thoughts on BBB Award for Ethics

Optima CEO David King Shares His Thoughts on BBB Award for Ethics

Optima Tax Relief was recognized as the sole Category 4 recipient of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) International Torch Awards for Ethics. The award is a prestigious honor bestowed upon businesses that demonstrate a strong commitment to integrity, transparency, and ethical decision-making. Optima CEO, David King, has since spoken to the BBB about the award and the company’s commitment to ethical business practices.  

He emphasizes the importance of the BBB’s Four Cs in Optima’s business practices. 

Character 

King emphasized the importance of placing integrity at the forefront of every business decision. He highlighted that maintaining honesty and transparency, even in tough situations, built trust with customers, employees, and stakeholders, ultimately contributing to the company’s success. 

Culture 

According to King, ethical business practices involve empowering employees and fostering a positive work environment. By prioritizing employee well-being and providing opportunities for growth, Optima has created a culture of trust and collaboration. 

Customer Relationships 

King stressed the significance of maintaining strong and ethical relationships with customers. This involves delivering quality service, being transparent, and actively improving the customer experience. 

Community 

King believes that businesses have a responsibility to engage with and contribute to their communities. Ethical practices extend beyond the office walls, and Optima Tax Relief actively participates in initiatives that benefit the local community.  

Read the full article here. 

Read the IABBB Press Release here. 

A Gold Standard in Ethics: Optima Tax Relief Triumphs at BBB International Torch Awards

Optima Tax Relief wins first ever International Torch Award for Ethics

The tax firm was recognized for its embodiment of trust and ethics in the marketplace.

Optima Tax Relief proudly announces its distinguished recognition as the sole Category 4 recipient of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) International Torch Awards for Ethics, underscoring the company’s unwavering commitment to ethical business practices. This accolade is a testament to the company’s dedication to excellence, integrity, and transparency in the tax resolution industry.

The BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics is a prestigious honor bestowed upon businesses that exemplify the highest standards of ethics and integrity. The award is divided into four categories with a single recipient for each: Category 1 (1-10 employees), Category 2 (11-99 employees), Category 3 (100-499 employees), and Category 4 (500+ employees). Optima was awarded the International Torch Award amongst 1,000 BBB regional winners from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. that were automatically entered into the competition.

Conferred each year since 1996, the International Torch Awards for Ethics recognize companies whose leadership centers on four C’s: evaluating the Character of the organization’s leadership, fostering an authentic Culture, maintaining a transparent relationship with Customers, and assessing the impact the organization is making in the local Community. Optima Tax Relief’s commitment to maintaining these principles has set the company apart and positioned it as a leader in the industry.

This international honor comes after Optima Tax Relief’s BBB Torch Award for Ethics in 2021 and 2017. David King, CEO of Optima Tax Relief, expressed his gratitude for the award, stating, “Receiving the BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics is a significant achievement and a reflection of the values that guide Optima. Our hope has always been to set the example of what a tax “relief” company should be, and this award assures us we are on the right track.”

Christine Bui, Chief Customer Officer of Optima Tax Relief, echoed King’s sentiments, stating, “Ethics and compliance are at the core of our company culture. We believe in doing what is right for our clients and maintaining the trust they place in us. Receiving the BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics is a tremendous honor and reinforces our commitment to ethical business practices.”

The virtual award ceremony took place on November 16, 2023, at the BBB’s inaugural Trust Summit, where Optima Tax Relief was celebrated for their commitment to ethical excellence.

Details about the BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics are available at https://www.bbb.org/all/international-torch-awards/about-itae.

Optima Continues its Winning Run of Customer Service Team of the Year in Financial Services

2023 stevie award winners optima tax reliefThe company’s exemplary customer service team was recognized for the fourth straight year. 

Optima Tax Relief, the leading nationwide tax resolution firm, is proud to announce that it has won four Stevie® Awards for excellence in customer service and technology. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are one of the world’s top honors for sales, customer service, and call center professionals. This year’s awards include: 

  • Frontline Customer Service Team of the Year (Gold) 
  • Customer Service Department of the Year – 100+ employees (first-time finalist) (Gold) 
  • Innovation in Customer Service – Financial Services (Silver) 
  • Best Use of Technology – Customer Service (Silver) 

Optima Tax Relief’s Customer Service Team was recognized for its outstanding performance in handling customer inquiries, providing timely and accurate information, and resolving customer issues with the utmost professionalism and care. It is Optima’s fourth year in a row receiving the gold Frontline Customer Service Team of the Year award for the financial services industry, and their first time winning the gold award for Customer Service Department of the Year (100+ employees). The team’s commitment to excellence has helped to establish Optima Tax Relief as a trusted name in tax resolution among clients.  

David King, CEO of Optima Tax Relief, expressed his gratitude for the honors stating, “We are thrilled to continue our remarkable streak of success in the area that matters most to us, service. We recognize that most customers would prefer not to need Optima’s services, so we take great pride ensuring they are taken care of when they do.  It will be difficult to continue this unprecedented run amongst some of the best brands in the world, but we will have fun taking a run at it.” 

Chief Customer Officer, Christine Bui added, “These awards are a testament to not only the innovative ways our team delivers exceptional customer service but also the high level of care our team provides for each of our clients.  Regardless of what may be going on in their personal lives, our staff consistently shows up for our clients and helps them navigate through a very challenging time in their lives.  I am proud of our team and their dedication to providing our clients with the best possible experience.”   

Optima’s use of technology also helped them lead their industry in innovation. The Innovation in Customer Service – Financial Services silver award was given to Optima Tax Relief for its innovative approach to customer service, which includes the use of cutting-edge technology to provide clients with fast and efficient service. The company has developed a range of tools and platforms that enable its customer service representatives to deliver exceptional service to clients, including intelligent call routing, an enhanced client portal, and improved systems. 

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others. Winners were announced at the awards gala held on Friday, March 3 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. 

Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the list of Stevie winners in all categories are available at https://stevieawards.com/Sales.

Optima Tax Relief Named an OC Top Workplace for Eighth Year

Optima Tax Relief Named an Orange County Top Workplace Winner for the Eighth Consecutive Year

Landing at No. 4 on this year’s list, the company was one of only two companies to rank in the “Top 5” over the last five years. 

Optima Tax Relief, the nation’s leading tax resolution firm, has been honored as a 2022 Top Workplace winner by the Orange County Register for the eighth consecutive year. This year the company ranked fourth out of the 17 large company honorees, making them one of only two companies to land in the “Top 5” in a five-year span. Orange County Top Workplaces recognizes U.S. employers that have fostered a people-first company culture.  

“At Optima, our success is deeply rooted in our company culture,” said Optima CEO David King. “We recognize that employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction not only go hand in hand, but also build each other up. Because of that, we are constantly working to cultivate a culture that is inclusive, nurturing and diverse.” 

The list of honorees is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.  

The Top Workplaces in Orange County award comes just months after Optima Tax Relief was named a Top Workplace USA winner for the second year in a row. The company was also recognized with Culture Excellence Awards in five categories: Leadership, Purpose & Value, Work-Life Flexibility, Innovation, and Compensation & Benefits. Optima was also honored with the “Excellence in Management” award for the last two years. 

Optima’s Associate Vice President of Human Resources Kimberly Carson credits the company’s success to their close-knit staff. “Our best quality is our people,” Carson said. “The level of engagement (even in a remote or hybrid environment), teamwork, inclusivity, and drive for excellence every day is exactly why we are such a fun place to work while still delivering the highest quality service to our clients.” 

An in-person awards program to celebrate the 2022 Orange County Top Workplaces winners took place on Wednesday, December 7th at the Irvine Improv.  A complete list of this year’s winners can be found on the Top Workplaces website. 

Optima Tax Relief is Recognized in Comparably’s Best HR Teams 2022

comparably hr

Comparably’s Best HR Teams list recognizes the nation’s top HR departments. There are over 299,440 Human Resources Managers currently employed in the United States, and Optima is proud to announce that our HR team has ranked in the Top 50!

About Comparably

Comparably is a leading workplace culture and corporate brand reputation platform with over 15 million anonymous employee ratings on 70,000 companies. Comparably awards are based on feedback provided by current employees in several categories. Workplace culture categories included the following:

  • Compensation
  • Leadership
  • Co-workers
  • Work-life balance
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Perks and benefits
  • Executive Team
  • Retention
  • Happiness
  • Meetings
  • Diversity
  • Team
  • CEO Rating
  • Manager
  • eNPS
  • Gender
  • Overall Culture
  • Office Culture

Of nearly 20 different categories total, all ratings were provided from March 2021 through March 2022.

Optima’s HR Team

Optima’s Associate VP of Human Resources Kimberly Carson shared her experience working with Optima, saying, “When I came to Optima, I was provided the opportunity to build almost an entirely new HR department/team. We have been incredibly blessed for the way that both the current and new HR team members have come together to show support for one another in working as a team, to be selfless and supportive every day, and exhibit a true love for life and positivity. I wake up each day excited to work with this team, and I feel incredibly honored that their efforts are being recognized for all the great work they do to make it the best department! I could not be prouder of our team!”

Optima is just as honored to have the great support system that is our HR department. We look forward to our company’s growth and improvement in all categories for next year’s list. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Optima Provides Free Tax Assistance to Local Community Through Partnership with VITA Program

optima vita

Optima Tax Relief has once again teamed up with the IRS to provide assistance to low-income residents and other members of their surrounding community with free tax preparation services. Over 100 members of Optima’s staff registered with the United Way of Orange County, California to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which was launched by the IRS to provide free tax preparation services to those such as:

  • Persons with disabilities
  • Limited English-speaking taxpayers
  • Elderly taxpayers
  • Low to moderate-income taxpayers

The free tax help offered by the VITA program is particularly beneficial for those who are 60 years of age and older, as it specializes in questions about pensions and other retirement-related issues that are unique to seniors. Many of the community members who would qualify for the program are retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. This year, however, we saw a wide range of ages attend for assistance. We were happy to help anyone that we could!

“It gave me the opportunity to offer assistance, to the people of our community, who may not have had the fortune to go elsewhere for tax assistance and walk away with a smile on their face for the help and guidance they received,” said Associate Director of Payments Steve Stoffel.

SVP of Accounting, Richard Hamiprodjo called volunteering for the VITA program “a rewarding experience getting involved with the community and helping those who are in need.”

By partnering with the IRS, the VITA program is able to offer reliable, trustworthy tax filing services for free. Optima’s volunteers for the VITA program helped with tax preparation, greeting guests, and some gathered the appropriate tax documents from taxpayers.

Associate VP of Human Resources Kimberly Carson was also a volunteer this year. She shared her thoughts and experience, saying, “It was great to have the opportunity to give back to our community and help people with getting their taxes completed. Not everyone has extra money to get their taxes done by professionals to ensure it is done correctly, so to be able to provide this service to the community is not only needed but fulfilling. Thank you for the opportunity!”

Our volunteers exclaimed how exciting and fulfilling it was to be part of this event. The culture within Optima is very community oriented, and it shows through the tenacity Optimians have for helping others and connecting. Martha Casillas, a Payments Coordinator at Optima said, “My participation as a VITA volunteer gave me a boost of self-confidence, and self-esteem within the company. Being new to the OTR family, it also allowed me to connect with other Optimians, as well as see some of the involvements OTR has within the surrounding communities.”

Case Manager Kateri Drewes added, “For me, being a VITA volunteer means taking the time to give back to my local community. I cherish the opportunity to help folks get the care and quality service they deserve!”

Optima looks forward to working with United Way to host our very own VITA site at our California office next year. Our goal is to serve more taxpayers with a bigger outreach in the Santa Ana community.