Insight on Best Practices of Qaulity
Customer Service
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Welcome to your Insurance
Community University
Audio
 All of you are currently on mute
 Un-mute your own system
 Telephone Option
 Select Telephone on your screen
 Dial in the PIN number so that your
number becomes active
 Microphone and/or Speaker Option
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 You can use
this option if you have 2a
Participation & Chat Window
 You will receive information from the monitor via
the ‘Chat’ window.
 Please locate window in the control panel
 Q & A is welcomed during the presentation and at
the end of the presentation
 You will find the question box on your control
panel
 Write your question in that box
and send it to the presenter/organizer
 The presenter will take those
 questions in the order submitted
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DOI Requirements
 When you see a slide with the hand up symbol,
touch the “hand” icon on your control panel
 Click ONCE only
 If you do not raise your hand, the monitor will be
in contact with you in the chat box
 If you are in a group, the designated proctor is
responsible to make certain you are all in
attendance at all times
= Hand is down
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Polling
 Throughout the class we will be
conducting periodic polls
 We need 100% participation on the polls
 The polls are intended to check
participation but also to create discussion
topics throughout the presentation
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Forms To Complete for CE
 After class ends
 Return attendance form
 Proctors – return your form to email
address
 Email address is in chat window or in
email sent to you today
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DOI Requirements
 We will file your hours with the DOI after
the completion of this webinar and we
have received the attendance form.
 You have 48 hours to return the form
 You will be sent a Certificate of
Attendance/Completion by email. Please
retain this for your records for five years.
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Internet Disruption
 If the presenter looses internet connection
STAY ON THE LINE
 The administrators will communicate with
you
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Internet Failure
 If the internet fails and all participants are
kicked off line by Go To Training or other
source then the seminar will be terminated
 You will receive instructions by email as to
how we will proceed
 This is a precautionary notice, only
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This class is being recorded
 Available in the University
 This course is approved for CE in CA Only
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Disclaimer
Insurance forms and endorsements vary based on
insurance company; changes in edition dates;
regulations; court decisions; and state jurisdiction. This
instructional materials provided by Insight is intended
as a general guideline and any interpretations provided
by the instructor or the creator(s) of this material do not
modify or revise insurance policy language. In
providing these materials, the authors assume neither
liability nor responsibility to any person or business
with respect to any loss that is alleged to be caused
directly or indirectly as a result of the instructional
materials provided.
Copyright 2010 – 2013 All Rights Reserved
www.insurancecommunitycenter.com
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Your Instructor Today
Casey Roberts, CIC, AFIS, ACSR
President, Laurus Insurance Consulting
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Polling Question #1
When was the last time you got
“superior” customer service?
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When you think of superior service,
what company comes to mind?
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“Welcome to Nordstrom”
Seattle, Washington based
clothing retailer Nordstrom has
a distinct aversion to
voluminous employee policies.
Here, almost in its entirety is
Nordstrom’s employee
handbook:
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“Welcome to Nordstrom
Handbook”
 We’re glad to have you with our
Company.
 Our number-one goal is to provide
outstanding customer service.
 Set both your personal and professional
goals high.
 We have great confidence in your ability
to achieve them.
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Who do you think is the
Best Airlines?
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When you think of superior service,
what company comes to mind?
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Southwest Airlines
Many companies find it useful to attempt
to gauge the creativity of employees
before they are hired. Before they may
be considered for hire applicants to
Southwest Airlines in Dallas must
provide a satisfactory answer to the
question….
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Southwest Airlines
“Tell me how you recently used
your sense of humor in a work
environment”?
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When was the last time you
received “memorably” bad
customer service?
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Polling Question #2
What did you do when you last good
terrible service?
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Bad Service
What did you do about it?
Did you tell them about your experience?
Did you “blog” or comment on their
website?
Did you tell your friends?
Would you give them a second chance?
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Topics To Be Discussed
The customer and today’s economy
Thinking like the “customer”
Goals of providing the highest Quality
Customer Service
Creating a Quality Organization
Tips and Tricks in providing quality service
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The Customer and Today’s
Economy
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The Customer and Today’s
Economy
 Customers have always been cost
conscientious but now many are becoming
more “desperate” and looking for different
solutions.
 “Money”—cost of insurance has become
more of a driver then before
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Why do Customers Leave
http://www.jakehird.com/why-do-customers-leave-a-company/#!/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/lost-customers1.png
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Polling Question #3
When you lose a customer; what is
the primary reason for leaving your
agency?
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Not Meeting Expectations
 And you don’t even know why
 Bad Service Loses Business
 4% of your customers will complain if
they received bad service and will
complain directly to you but will tell 20
people about bad service.
 96% just take a walk--you don’t have a
clue what you did wrong.
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The Customer has never been more
important then they are today
 Focus MUST be on customer retention
 Our current customer is our best “new” sale
by upselling, cross selling
 We have to treat our “old” customer like they
were our “new” customer
 Focusing on the lifetime value of a customer
 It is the overall income from the customer
base that allows us to survive
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The Customer has never been more
important then they are today
 Service—exceptional service—has become a major
differentiator in keeping our customer. Focusing on
 Improving the customer experience
 Making interactions as effortless as possible
 People don’t have time to waste
 People don’t have the patience and are more
easily frustrated
 Reducing customer frustration increases
customer loyalty
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Thinking like the
“Customer”
We call them “insureds” and that is
the BIG mistake
They are customers!
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There are a lot of opportunities
for disappointment
Claims
Department
Passed off to the various
levels of service providers
from account manager, CSR,
accounting
Initial Contact is with salesperson
who creates the expectations, makes
the promises and then passes them
OFF
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Thinking like the “Customer”
What do they want?
Availability
Courtesy
Friendly Attitude
Care and
Understanding
• They want someone to answer the phone
• They want to be able to talk to “someone”
• They want to be treated nicely
• This often fails at the first point of contact, the
person that answers the phone
• They want to feel like someone cares about the
fact they need something done
• AND listens to them and takes the time to
understand what they need
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Thinking like the “Customer”
What do they want?
Undivided
Attention
Competent
Follow
Through
• They want you to treat them like they are your ONLY customer
at that moment
• They don’t want to be put on hold, transferred
• They “expect” you to be knowledgeable—that is what they
were promised
• If you don’t have the answer then make sure you find it and
don’t “fake” it if you don’t know. Honesty is the best policy
• Do what you say you are going to do
• Do it when you said you would do it
• Do it right the FIRST time
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Thinking like the “Customer”
Various ways we interact with our customers
 Every method has to be “satisfying” to our customer
 In Person
 Telephone
 Voice Mail
 Mail
 Email
 Website
 NOTE: What about the “person” who first
answers the phone—the first impression
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Characteristics
of Quality
Customer
Service
Promise only
what you can
deliver
Then Deliver
more than you
promised
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Ask Yourself some basic questions
“The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service
Excellence”
1. Am I offering a better product or service than
my competitors?
2. Am I selling a less expensive product or
service than my competitors?
3. Am I offering customer service that is better
then my competitors?
4. Am I offering value added services that are
not offered by my competitors?
http://www.slideshare.net/parature/the-nordstrom-way-to-customerservice-excellence
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Ask Yourself some basic
questions
“The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service
Excellence”
http://www.slideshare.net/parature/the-nordstromway-to-customer-service-excellence
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Customer Service
 If you don’t provide quality customer service
Someone Else Will!!
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Three Levels of Service
Exceptional
Basic
Satisfactory
Satisfactory
Exceed
Basic
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Polling Question #4
How would you rate your agency’s
level of service. (don’t be shy—tell
the truth!)
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Basic Skills for Providing
Quality Customer Service
Communication Skills
Customers do not always clearly state
their needs or expectations
Listen to the Customer
Problem Solving Skills
Our customers call us when they
have a problem
This is the moment that matters
Planning Skills
Going beyond the basics or crisis
Helping them to plan, anticipate and
control (RM)
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Basic Customer Service
 Basic--Expected features / services
 Not a HIGH level of Satisfaction if met BUT
 Very High level of Dissatisfaction if not met
 Most business fail at this level
 Examples
 No one answering phone
 No one speaks English
 Constantly leaving messages, emails not
answered
 Not getting the order straight (Taco Bell)
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Basic Customer Service
 The sad truth is that EVEN basic
quality customer service stands out
today because it is so rare.
 There is actually someone in the store
to wait on you
 You are actually talking to a person and
NOT a message machine
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Satisfactory Customer Service
 You actually satisfied your client
 You did what they told you to do like sending
out the Certificate on time and correctly.
 You did not go beyond what was satisfying but
did not disappoint them either
 Do it right the first time—it makes a big
difference
 Don’t make promises you can’t keep
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Satisfactory Customer Service
 Do what you say you’re going to do
 Do it when you say you’re going to do it
 Do it right the first time
 Get it done on time
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Exceptional Customer
Service
 Meet all first two levels
 Features not requested – unknown
 Sell the “relationship” not the product
(insurance)
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Exceptional Customer
Service
 Provide your customers with choices and
ideas they may never have thought of as
solutions
 Use the tricks of the trade such as
 Remembering their names and calling them by
their name
 Remembering their stories and ask them how
things are going
 Act like you want to spend time with them to the
extent they want that interaction
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Exceptional Customer
Service
 They are calling you for a reason and often
times it is a problem
 Problems are Disguised Opportunities.
 Use problems as opportunities to show
how great you really are.
 Every customer contact is a chance to
demonstrate knowledge and care
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Exceptional Customer
Service
 Customer service MUST be consistent
 It only takes one bad experience—one “bad”
employee to erase all the good experiences
that you have worked so hard to create. And
YOU know who that person is!!!
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Polling Question #5
Have you ever had someone work with you
that ended up losing an account because of
his/her behavior?
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Satisfying Customers
 Commit energy and resources to that end
 All staff members commit and participate
 Hire, train and motivate
 Use technology to benefit customers
 Standards are set very high
 Constant customer feedback
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Goals of Providing The
Highest Quality Customer
Service?
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Goals
1. To build a new customer base while retaining
those customers that already exist.
2. The average businesses spends six times
more time and money in attracting new
customers than it does to keep the old ones.
3. When was the last time you “rang the bell”
because your renewed an account—isn’t that
just as important
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Goals
4. To service all of our customers better and
smarter. (Personal and Commercial)
5. To know what customers really need and
expect from us.
6. To be prepared to recognize and meet the
changing needs of those customers.
7. We need to make the client to WANT TO DO
BUSINESS WITH US.
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Goals “Romancing your Client”
Nordstrom
1. Create an inviting place—in person, online
and on the phone (every once in a while
they do show up)
2. Provide your customers with choices---of
products, services, and service channels
3. Sell the relationship: Service your
customers through your products and
expertise
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Goals Energize your employees
Nordstrom
4. Hire nice, motivated people (Hire the
smile—train the skill)
5. Empower employees to take ownership
6. Sustain the people on the frontlines
through a culture of support and incentive
7. Celebrate Company heroes through
recognition and praise
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Creating a Quality
Organization
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One For All--Teamwork (Acronym)
Nancy Singer, CEO of American Bank Corporation
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
Together
Everyone
Achieves
More
With
Recognition and
Knowledge
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Leadership
 Management must set the tone
 Customer service must be a priority
 Determine objectives
 Develop performance benchmarks
 Create incentives
 Establish management unit
◦ Train
◦ Monitor work habits
◦ Exam work flow and procedures
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Motivate Employees
 Establish leadership that models
excellence in service
 Promote top-down rewards and two-way
communication
 Clearly define quality customer service
goals
 Have procedures to meet those goals
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Motivate Employees
 Select only quality employees and
train them to fulfill their potential
 Bring them into the “psychology of
success” in your firm
 Recognize exemplary work
 Encourage employees to make
suggestions
 Evaluate all of them.
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Hiring Customer-Focused
Employees
 Define the job requirements & technical
competencies needed
 Favor potential over agency experience
 Go beyond surface impressions
 Use behavioral Interviewing
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Desirable Customer Focused
Traits
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Conscientious
Secure
Agreeable
Problem Solvers
Outgoing
Flexible
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Customer-Focused
Employees
 Will see every customer contact as
important
 Will use every contact as an information
gathering opportunity
 Will look for ways to “partner” with the
customer
 Will strive to achieve service standards
 Will offer creative ideas to improve service
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Refocusing Your Employees
 Test and reassign
 Provide training
 Set standards
 Nurture “customer-focused”
behavior
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Polling Question #6
Do you feel that you are appreciated
on your job?
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Tips for Providing
Recognition
 Confer appreciation publicly
 Give praise effectively
 Don’t forget how much “little” rewards can
mean
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Customer Feedback
 Implement well-designed customer
response databases
 Regularly obtain client and employee
feedback on products and services
 Train employees to effectively handle
input from clients
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Customer Feedback
 Continually measure quality and customer
satisfaction
 Use quarterly employee focus groups,
annual client surveys and follow-up
questionnaires to clients after a claim.
 Focus on clients’ désires, expectations,
product satisfaction and service
satisfaction
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Customer Feedback
 Choose 10 customer annually
 Ask for candid feedback
 Set up specific questions
 Survey former clients
 Look for trends
 Maintain a lost client file and reconnect
periodically
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Customer Feedback
 Make it easy for clients to contact you.
 Emphasize use of manager’s e-mail
addresses in all client communication so
customers can “fire off missives in the
heat of the moment” to address service,
personnel, products or billing
 Monitor who is looking at your web site
and determine which pages they use
most, why and how to better serve visitors
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Measure
 Customer satisfaction
 Quarterly staff focus groups
 Annually customers
 Personal contact
 Surveys
 Customer expectations
 Performance
 Satisfaction
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Invest in Infrastructure
 Technology used to enhance (not avoid)
 User friendly
 Create immediate response
 Technical support must be readily
available
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Professionalism
 Understand company products and match
with customer needs
 Establish specific training program
◦ Soft skills
◦ Technical skills
 Proposals for new business should clearly
explain coverage
 Publish a booklet that thoroughly explains
coverage available
 Update website with product information
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Some Tips and Tricks
To help you provide Exceptional
Customer Service
Ask your client’s how you are doing?
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“The only way to know how customers see your
business is to look at it through their eyes”
How to Win Customers and Keep Them
A young boy entered a drugstore phone
booth and the druggist overheard the
following conversations:
“Hello, is this the Smith residence?...I would
like to apply for the opening you have for a
gardener…What’s that, you already have a
gardener?...Is he a good gardener?...Are
you perfectly satisfied with all of his
work?...Do you plan on keeping him?.. I
see, well thanks anyway.
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“The only way to know how customers see your
business is to look at it through their eyes”
How to Win Customers and Keep Them
As he left the booth the druggist remarked,
“Johnny, I couldn’t help overhearing your
conversation I know it’s none of my
business, but aren’t you the Smith’s
gardener?”
To which Johnny replied, “That’s right. I
just called to find out how I’m doing.”
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Telephone Tips
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Answer Phone! (Smile—Mirror)
Be Active Listener
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
Never Say You are with Another Customer
Ask - Can I Do More?
Post Telephone Manner Checklist
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Making Customers Feel
Welcome
“If I pick up the phone, I accept
the responsibility to ensure the
caller is satisfied no matter
what the issues.”
Michael Ramyundo, President
MCR Marketing
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An Easy Test to check how you are
doing
 Call from an outside phone and ask for something you
know won’t be easy to supply. Check for
 # of times you are put on hold
 # of times you are transferred
 # of people who say, “I’m not sure we can do that
 # of people who explain why their day is going badly
 # of people who say, “No you can’t have that”
From: Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service
by Chip Bell and Ron Zempke
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An Easy Test to check how you
are doing
 # times you have to ask to speak to
someone in charge
 # times you have to repeat yourself
 You might be very surprised looking in
from the outside !
From: Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service
by Chip Bell and Ron Zempke
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Voice Mail Tips - Receiving
Calls
 Don’t hide behind it
 Inform callers why you are unable to take
calls
 State when you will pick up messages &
return calls
 Tell callers how to reach a live person & to
bypass greeting
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Voice Mail Tips - Receiving
Calls
 Encourage callers to leave detailed
messages
 Change greeting often to reflect your
schedule
 Check frequently for messages & act on
each in timely manner
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Written Correspondence
Tips
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Use easily understood language
Be clear & keep it simple
Be prompt
Be accurate
Tell customer the reasons for actions / put
things in context
 Give the customer information
 Use customer friendly format
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Sending Email
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Be brief – one screen
Tell the story in the subject line
Make sure to attach attachments!
Avoid all caps
Follow rules for written correspondence
Retain same boundaries as in face-to-face
communications
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Receiving Email
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Respond in timely manner
Touch it once
Follow the FIFO rule (First In First Out)
Use auto responder if out of office & not
able to check messages
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Questionnaires
 Follow Important Rules
 Keep them short
 Make them simple
 Make them easy to use
 Make them relevant
 Make them “fun”
 Provide incentives
 Measure agency performance against
what is important to customer
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Sample Language for a Questionnaire
To Determine Customer Satisfaction
 Thanks for the opportunity of serving you.
It’s very important to us that we are
providing you with the best service possible
which means
 You’re the only one who can tell us whether
we have been successful or not. We value
your comments and want to hear about the
things we do right and the things we need
to improve. Please take just a few minutes
to answer a few important questions.
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Sample Language for a Questionnaire To
Determine Customer Satisfaction
Using a scale of 1-4 (1-Excellent, 2-Good,
3-Average, 4-Poor)
 How would you rate our service on an
overall basis?
 Was your most recent contact with
our office satisfactory?
 How would you rate our timeliness in
delivering your services?
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Sample Language for a Questionnaire
To Determine Customer Satisfaction
 Did we provide pleasant and
professional responses to your inquiries
and needs?
 Are there any areas for improvement?
 Please explain any problem which
remains unresolved.
 Would you tell someone else to use our
services?
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Sample Language for a Questionnaire
To Determine Customer Satisfaction
 If any member of our staff has been
especially helpful, please let us know
who they are and how they were helpful
so that we may acknowledge their
efforts.
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Handling The Hostile Client
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Customer Complaints
 Train Employees to deal with hostile or
upset customers
 Listen actively
 Allow venting without interrupting
 Acknowledge their feelings
 Offer and/or ask for possible course of
action
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Customer Complaints
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Tell what you intend to do
Involve management, if necessary
Give time frame
Offer a point of contact
Follow through on all promises
Follow up with a status report
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Customer Complaints
 If you made a mistake that caused the
problem, say so!
 If a complaint is unjustified, avoid arguing
or assigning blame.
 When handling customer problems, be
consistent in your actions.
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Great Customer Service
It all starts with YOU
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Reference Materials
 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders (tapes)
 Stephen Covey
 Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service
 Kristen Anderson
 Managing Your Mouth
 Robert Genua
 The CSR’s Desk Reference
 Standard Publishing
 How To Say It
 Rosalie Maggio
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Upcoming CE Classes
1/14
Commercial Property - 5 Key Issues
1/16
Homeowners – 5 Key Issues
1/22
Understanding Entities and Insurance (1 hour)
1/23
Commercial General Liability – 5 Key Issues
The 2014 Calendar is NOW published on the Community Website.
Visit the Community TODAY at:
www.insurancecommunitycenter.com
www.InsuranceCommunityUniversity.com
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