Articles — October 17, 2022
3 Customer Service Attitudes Your Ben Admin Vendor Should Have
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,During annual enrollment and year-round, you want to partner with a vendor that understands the importance of an excellent enrollment experience. To achieve this, you must not only look at the technology platform they offer, but their customer service priorities and values as well. As your organization goes through annual enrollment 2023 and looks ahead to the remainder of the year, here are 3 customer service attitudes your vendor should have.
1. The voice of the customer should be their top focus
The voice of the customer (VoC) is far and away your benefits service vendor’s most powerful metric. In essence, the VoC is a collection of data points that provide your vendor visibility into customers’ friction points, opportunities for enhancement, and ways to improve overall customer experience. For example, at bswift, our Service Center gathers VoC data via post-call surveys to help measure employee satisfaction. Our client teams also gather feedback via the Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey, developed by Bain Consulting which influences our technology and service investments and helps us spark meaningful discussions with clients around service delivery.
By partnering with a vendor who listens to the VoC, you will be working with someone that values an intimate understanding of what their customer service does well, and, in turn, knows where to seek improvements. When choosing a benefits service vendor, make sure listening to the VoC is their number one priority. Think of the VoC as a lighthouse in the fog: without it, not only does your vendor lack direction, but a destination as well!
2. Customer service and benefits technology should be a seamless experience
You want your employees to use customer service when they have questions during their enrollment experience, or year-round as they engage with their benefits. The best way to achieve this is by making sure your enrollment technology and service experience align.
After an employee interacts with their benefits platform, such as through enrollment, viewing educational videos or interacting with a virtual assistant, calling their benefits service center needs to feel like a continuation of that experience. The tone of your vendor’s representatives, and their attention to detail, should seamlessly combine with the platform to create a single and continuous customer service experience.
3. When your employees engage with the service team, it must feel personal
Annual enrollment can be a tricky time for employees. Making decisions for an entire year isn’t a simple task, and with such a large array of possible benefits and combinations, it’s easy for employees to feel overwhelmed. It is paramount that you partner with a vendor that understands the level of compassion customer service requires.
When on the phone or through online chat, your vendor’s representatives should handle each customer as if they were a good friend or dear family member in need of help, taking their time and patiently working through their problems with understanding and positive support. In addition, it’s essential for representatives’ tone to align with the employer’s culture and voice. This ensures the interaction feels just like an extension of the employer’s HR team for the employee. At the end of the day, your vendor’s primary goal is to make the customer service experience as easy and stress-free as possible.
Customer service is a vital part of delivering a smooth benefits experience during annual enrollment and year-round. bswift recently received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau – watch our video to see the steps we take to create a personal service experience for our customers.