John Hancock Sweeps American Business Awards(SM) in Customer Service Team of the Year Category for Financial Services

BOSTON, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock swept the category of Customer Service Team of the Year, Financial Services, winning Gold, Silver and Bronze awards at the American Business Awards event held recently in New York City.  John Hancock Annuities took the Gold for Best Customer Service Team, while John Hancock's transfer agency, John Hancock Signature Services (JHSS), won Silver for its complaints team, and John Hancock Annuities won Bronze for its annuity claims team.

In addition, JHSS took home Silver in two categories – Most Innovative Company of the Year (up to 2,500 employees), and Business Innovation of the Year.  John Hancock Fund Administration (JHFA) won Silver in the Support Department of the Year category.  

John Hancock also won numerous Bronze awards in a variety of categories. Those were:

• Company of the Year to JHSS
• Business Innovation of the Year to JHSS
• Customer Service Department of the Year, Financial Services, to John Hancock's Annuity & Fixed Product customer service department; and also to JHSS
• Support Department of the Year to John Hancock Annuities; to John Hancock Fixed Products; and to JHSS
• Support Team of the Year to JHSS
• Management Team of the Year to JHFA, and to JHSS

"On behalf of John Hancock, I am very pleased to congratulate our many talented teams on receiving this important recognition of their accomplishments. We are proud of our dedication to consistently providing excellent service to our customers," said Charles A. Rizzo, President of John Hancock Signature Services.

"Recognition from the American Business Awards is a great achievement for our associates as well as recognizing our dedication and ongoing commitment to our policyholders," said John Hatch, Vice President, John Hancock Annuities & Fixed Products.

Nicknamed the Stevies®for the Greek word for "crowned," the trophies were presented to honorees during a gala banquet. The American Business Awards(SM) are open to organizations operating in the U.S., public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.  More than 3,000 nominations were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.  

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, John Hancock celebrates 150 years of serving clients across the United States, while Manulife celebrates its 125th anniversary. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$512 billion (US$512 billion) as at March 31, 2012. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Financial