Health insurer redesigns its learning program
One health insurer opened new contact centers in anticipation of extra call volume when the health insurance exchanges opened in 2013. New hires were trained to handle specific questions about the program. Once open enrollment began, however, the insurer faced unexpected call volume and call types, beyond what the associates were initially trained for. Some consumers called with detailed questions about individual state exchanges. Others accidentally signed up multiple times because they didn’t realize their applications had gone through. At one point, the care organization had so many calls in the queue that the IVR system informed callers to call back another time.
Associates were sent new training materials in a piecemeal way, without any consistency across the care organization. Customer satisfaction and first call resolution fell below goal levels.
The company is now redesigning the training curriculum to be consistent and expand associate expertise, particularly in claims and eligibility. The team now leverages additional associate simulations and role-playing to increase confidence and understanding of tools and applications.
So far, results have been positive. Average handle time dropped by 42 percent, and speed to proficiency among new hires has increased.
Wellness brand trims customer experience obstacles
One consumer wellness company revamped its training curriculum and social enterprise knowledgebase, so customer service associates would have access to information they need to resolve issues related to products, billing, tech calls, lifestyle motivation, and more. A dedicated curriculum development specialist manages the content to keep it updated and in the right places.
The knowledgebase is modeled after the member lifecycle for easy access to the relevant information a member would call about, such as program features for prospects and billing questions for members. Employees can read and comment on the content, adding insight and updates to grow the knowledgebase. The documents average 2,400 views and six comments per document.
The company recently opened up its knowledgebase to its members, launching self-service tools via its mobile app. Members can search for answers to technical and program questions through a mobile device. Since June 2014, the app averages more than 700 questions per day, and nearly 75 percent of those questions are answered, resolving member issues and saving costly calls into the contact center. The available knowledgebase contains 67 tailored responses to common issues, and new responses are identified on a weekly basis as users increase adoption.
