Building a Team of Experts, Part IV: A New Hope for Customer Service
By Dennis Hernandez
I had a recent, unfortunate mishap whereby I experienced poor customer service at the hands of a national retailer. I began to ask myself a very basic question: “Why is ‘Customer Service’ so easy to say, but so hard to do?” It’s on every company’s mission statement. We see it posted in stores, in company halls and break rooms, and memorialized on affirmation posters. So why is this “service” so elusive as to be on the brink of extinction? I’ve spent my career in a forward facing, customer service role. Here’s where I think it’s gone wrong, and how to get back on track.
Customer service is as old as business itself. Someone needs to fill the role of retaining the customer. Without customer service, you’ve reduced your revenue stream to a single point of purchase. This is a failed business model with respect to insurance. We sell a promise to service and pay following a catastrophic event.
Here are three critical areas of customer service for customer retention
1) Hire Key People with a Passion for Their Profession
Over the years, I have worked with many co-workers who have impressive resumes and titles. Although technically proficient, they were just going through the motions. I once asked a co-worker, “Why aren’t you trying to push yourself a little harder in your role?” The response shocked me: “I tried that before, but it didn’t get me anything.” It was in that moment that I realized this person had lost their passion for their profession. They would be in meeting saying all the right things, but their actions spoke louder than words. We all face bad days that leave us drained. Passionate employees just need a good night’s rest to recharge their batteries. They don’t give up.
You cannot quantify passion for a profession in a resume or professional designation; you find it through active dialogue with that person. I believe you can do far greater damage to your company’s reputation by placing someone in a trusted position who has no passion for a role than you can by placing someone in a role who may not have all the required tools for the job but has the overwhelming passion to see a task through.
2) Set Reasonable Expectations and Follow Through
Don’t try to set the world on fire, you may burn your own house down in the attempt.
When setting expectations, be sure you can meet your commitment. Don’t tell the client you can get them a deliverable in five minutes when you know your day is jam packed. I’ve always liked the military phrase, “Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” If you allow yourself the needed time to meet service requests, you enable the optimal result for your customer.
An effective servicer gives their client options, not mandates. Open communication on issues allows the customer to be a part of the process instead of alienated by it. In the insurance industry, commitments are a series of interconnected commitments. The customer needs a result by a certain date. This requires the servicer to obtain the needed commitment from the carrier or intermediary. The term “rush request” holds a different value to every person. An effective servicer aligns themselves with key insurance partners that are aware of their customer’s service needs, and are able to flex as needs arise. Developing these partnerships and effecting communicating along the service chain allow you to meet your customer’s expectations.
3) If You Make a Mistake, Own It
The great thing about mistakes is that everyone makes them. Mistakes keep us grounded (human), help us to learn, and keep us humble. The effective servicer can take a mistake and find a solution that mitigates its potency. I’ve watched many servicers try to deflect blame, as they spend their time looking for the scapegoat instead of finding a solution. I always try and remember the legal doctrine res ipsa loquitur (Latin: "the thing speaks for itself"). An effective servicer knows the cause of the mistake, and works to correct it WITHOUT laying blame (a wasted exercise that does not gain any favor with the customer). The correction is all that matters. An effective servicer works behind the scenes to correct the mistake and then outlines the steps they will take to insure this mistake is not repeated.
For insurance customers, choosing an effective servicer can be just as important as choosing an effective broker. A servicer is trusted with maintaining your insurance program and adapting to your changing needs. It’s always easy to provide a service in a time of plenty, but the trusted adviser shows their true value when options are scarce. Customers should be aware of their full service team and the value they add to their insurance program. Seek out those brokers, servicers, and partners that add value to the services they provide.
