Considering a new call center campaign for your healthcare business? Here are two telling statistics* that should make you stop and take notice:
More than 90% of all customer interactions happen over the phone.
But…
Nearly 90% of customers are dissatisfied with their phone experiences.
*Statistics by Salesforce research, 2015
There’s something wrong here… right?
Want to know why some healthcare providers create such a negative experience? It’s because they’re not paying attention to their members’ needs and instead focus on objectives such as handling call volume that don’t paint a complete picture.
When you don’t have the right measure of success you’re going to struggle achieving member satisfaction.
Where your member experience begins
Let’s discuss what member experience means for a minute. It’s no secret that there’s no more important “people business” than being a healthcare provider, so having a call center that’s truly focused on member experience is vital.
What most call center providers fail to understand, is that creating a great member experience begins with hiring. It takes compassionate, high-quality agents who understand the importance of representing your organization with quality service.
It’s clear that success begins at the top. DialAmerica recognizes this by equipping its agents with uniquely programmed tools and systems for handling member experiences. This includes action plans for first call resolution and avoiding unnecessary call transfers.
How to measure your success
Now that you have “improved member experience” in mind, here are 3 important call center metrics your healthcare business should focus on as key performance indicators (KPI):
1) Net Promoter Scores
Typically gathered through end-of-call surveys, this relationship metric allows you to tap into the emotions of your members while the call experience is still fresh in their minds. It’s a very important consideration because it gives you an indication whether your members would recommend your brand to others. This is a tremendous opportunity to gain insight into your members’ next actions.
Member relationships in the healthcare field include some of the most personal decisions a consumer will make. DialAmerica hires and dedicates only the most compassionate, high-quality agents to their healthcare clients, and equips them with the proper tools and systems for success.
2) Member Churn Rate
Studies on increasing customer retention rates show that a 5% boost in customer retention can increase your profits by 25% to 95%. It’s no wonder that member retention is among the highest marketing priorities for healthcare brands.
Improving your member churn rate or attrition begins with the first moment of contact. Recognizing this, DialAmerica custom-designs its clients’ call center programs to be a driving force behind retention. Agents can maximize their effectiveness using uniquely-scripted and personalized call dialogues. It’s crucial that your messaging identifies the specific points of value that will keep members from leaving and enrolling with your competitors.
3) First Call Resolution
It just makes sense: When you properly address your members’ needs the first time, you eliminate the need for a second (or third) call. Costs are dramatically lowered and your members’ impression of your brand—not to mention their awareness of health and wellness–can’t help but go up. Having a focus on first call resolution means increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes.
Quality hiring practices and personalized scripting are also two DialAmerica hallmarks that play a major role in resolving member issues more quickly, as does the equally-important factor of agent training.
Members notice the difference when they are speaking with an agent who has an honest understanding of their questions versus one who is simply reading from a scripted page. That, when combined with a friendly, authoritative approach, makes a prominent difference in reduced talk time and increased member satisfaction.
Other Healthcare Specific Metrics
Keep in mind that KPIs are not a one-size-fits-all scenario. You need to prioritize important metrics based on your particular campaign type. For example, you would focus on increasing STAR ratings for the specific Medicare audience you may be engaging.
The main consideration in choosing the metrics you track is tying them back to ROI. If you can justify the upfront expenses in managing a call center campaign, then you are on-track for success.
What does your healthcare business need most?
DialAmerica focuses its member experience success programs into all segments of its healthcare outreach services.
This includes:
- Pre-enrollment Services
- Enrollment Services (Licensed and Non-Licensed Agents)
- Member & Provider Services
- Wellness Outreach/Gaps in Care/Welcome Calls/Survey Calls
- Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)/Retention Campaigns
Learn more about gaining a Member Experience advantage from your member outreach activities. Give us a call at (800) 913-3131, and let us put you on the right track.