Other parts of this series:
Digital platforms can enable insurers to provide call center representatives with on-demand, ongoing training and support. Erik Sandquist explains how digital can bolster the call center.
Digital is no longer simply a channel; it is also an enabler of other channels. For example, insurers that equip call center representatives with digital tools—such as detailed customer profiles, collaboration tools or suggestions for next-best actions—can capture the benefits of using both technology and human touch.
This alignment of tech and talent, however, challenges insurers to re-examine and redefine how they select, train, equip and motivate call center representatives.
Digital platforms can help insurers provide on-demand, ongoing training
In addition to aiding contact center representatives in their customer interactions, digital tools can play a valuable role in providing ongoing training and support. The tools shown below can be used in combination with in-person coaching. Similarly, the rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs) can provide opportunities to help the workforce improve their skills and achieve professional goals.
The future of the contact center: People first
There are plenty of reasons for insurers to invest in their contact center representatives. Workforce typically accounts for two-thirds of operating costs of a contact center—and notably, handles 100 percent of customer interactions. Further, investing in representatives’ futures can broaden job satisfaction and help minimize workforce attrition. Finally, by equipping contact center representatives to deliver an optimal customer experience, insurers can strengthen customer relationships and foster loyalty for long-term growth.
I encourage you to register to download Transforming the Financial Services Contact Center: A human perspective in the digital era (PDF), which includes several examples of how financial institutions have used digital to bolster their call center capabilities. It also provides three steps for how best to redefine how insurers recruit, train and support their call center representatives. Many thanks to my colleague John McNally for his work on this report.
Learn more:
- Read my four-part blog series on capturing the omni-channel opportunity in the insurance contact center.
- Register to download Transforming the Insurance Contact Center Customer Experience (PDF).
- Email me to discuss how Accenture can help insurers redefine their talent strategy for the contact center.
