You’ve decided you need to outsource insurance services, but you have concerns. You need to get some processes off your plate so your company can focus on mission-critical functions, but you don’t want to be left out of the loop. You want to outsource, but you want to stay in control.
You’re right to be concerned. According to Gartner, customer experience drives more than two-thirds of customer loyalty. That makes customer experience more important than brand and price combined.
The stakes are high, but you have options. Here’s how you can control quality while outsourcing insurance services.
1. Monitor response time.
It’s no secret that people hate waiting. According to HubSpot Research, 33% of customers say they are most frustrated by having to wait on hold, while 19% say they are most frustrated by slow response times.
If you keep your customers waiting, they might decide not to stay with your company. Make sure your outsourcing partner provides fast responses, every time.
2. Demand scalable support.
You expect an outsourcing partner to provide great service under ideal circumstances – but circumstances aren’t always ideal. If call volume surges because of a disaster, for example, will your outsourcing partner rise to the challenge? Make sure your outsourcing partner is prepared to handle your worst-case scenario.
3. Insist on knowledgeable staff.
When your customers call, they expect to be helped – not passed off from one person to another. HubSpot Research found that 33% of customers are most frustrated by having to repeat themselves to multiple customer service representatives, meaning that this annoyance ties with waiting on hold as the biggest frustration.
You need an outsourcing partner that provides well-trained staff who can resolve common issues without transferring the call.
Learn more about Covenir’s Onshore Insurance BPO services. Frontline Services, Back Office Support, and Customer Communications options. We’re not an extension of your team, we ARE your team. Talk to us today.
For first notice of loss intake, the stakes are especially high because customers are already stressed. In fact, Value Penguin found that 68% of insurance consumer complaints involve claims. You need the person who takes the claim to have the right expertise to get the claim off to a positive start.
4. Keep your branding.
When your insurance customers reach your outsourcing partner, they shouldn’t notice a difference. This can be achieved if the outsourcing partner follows your company’s script, policies and procedures.
5. Confirm quality.
An insurance outsourcing partner might look good on paper, but you need to make sure they can deliver in real life.
- Conduct regular quality control checks so you know exactly what customers experience when they interact with your outsourcing partner.
- Create customer surveys to invite feedback.
- Monitor the social channels and reviews. When customers are upset, they might not tell you, but there’s a good chance they’ll tell someone – or, because of the way the internet works, there’s a good chance they’ll tell everyone. Regularly monitor social media and online review sites for mentions of your company. The occasional complaint might not indicate a real problem, but if you’re seeing frequent and consistent complaints, it’s time to reassess the situation.
Count on Covenir
Covenir’s team of onshore insurance experts takes exceptional care to deliver on your brand promises. Learn more about our customer support services here and read our case studies to learn why customers refer to us as the “FNOL easy button” and the “partner who cares about our customers as much as we do.”