One of the most important factors in the quality of customer experience is the quality of care received from the agent when a customer calls for help. This is partially achieved by listening to the customer and acknowledging their problem, but one of the most important factors in resolving an issue quickly and effectively is the subject matter expertise of the agent — in other words, how well are they trained?
In some customer service scenarios, this is easier than in others. If you are searching for a food delivery or parcel, then the interaction is simple — and these days probably automated. However, look at industries such as banking or insurance. These are regulated areas with many complex products that customers often need help to understand. In this type of customer interaction, the agent really must understand the products, the industry, and the regulation.
This is an important operational challenge for the insurance sector. Agents must have this detailed knowledge to support customers effectively, but also to remain compliant within the regulatory framework of the industry. This protects the customer but also protects the insurance company. The quality of agent training is critical in this environment.
So, what are the challenges or blockers?
It takes a long time to train customer service agents that are focused on supporting insurance customers. It is typical to require at least six weeks of classroom training plus two weeks nesting — this is the closely-supervised transition period between training and independent work. The products are complex, and the agents also need a good understanding of the systems and the regulations.
It is also important to emphasize the need for precision during training. Policy decisions or options cannot be described vaguely. The agent must learn how to describe these options clearly and precisely, so the customer is making informed choices. Communication needs to be clear and open, but also very precise about why each choice matters.
This all means that there is a large investment in training these agents. They cannot be productive for a long period of time as they are onboarded and then there is an ongoing commitment to keep on training them in changes to the regulatory environment and new products.
VXI has a proven approach that focuses on using tools and highly flexible customization for each training program. The suite of training tools available includes:
IQAA (Intelligent Quality Assurance and Analytics): Ensuring consistent feedback loops during training and nesting PPRO (Performance Pro): Gamified learning for engagement and skill mastery T-SIM (Training Simulation): Real-world scenarios that accelerate hands-on learning
Each training program is customized to tailor and match the content of an insurance portfolio — there is no generic “insurance” training program. Everything in training matches the reality of what needs to be supported. This also allows the programs to be highly agile and to change quickly to meet the needs of a customer and when regulations change.
We also apply a very high level of personal support during the nesting phase. This is traditionally a dangerous point in training because if the new agent does not feel supported when exposed to real customers then they can drop out of the program. Two months of training can be entirely wasted if the agent leaves at this point.
Extra support during the nesting process may appear to be an extra cost for the training team, but it really makes a difference and gives each agent the confidence to complete their training. Avoiding this attrition in the final stage of training has an enormous benefit.
What does this agility, customization, and suite of training tools mean for insurance companies?
Shorter time to proficiency: Our insurance team has case studies and examples of how our suite of tools reduces training timelines so you can more rapidly get a team up to speed — understanding both products and regulations. The impact on agent confidence and performance of our nesting support and the training tools also means they are ready to perform faster than ever. Cost efficiency: Focusing on what matters and using effective agile methodologies allows the training process to deliver exactly the skills that are needed, but this focus also allows for a reduction in the general training cost. This focus on precise training also helps to reduce compliance risk and errors in advice to customers. Improved customer experience: Customers find that they have a highly knowledgeable agent able to advise them on products in detail. Not only does this create a better impression of the service, but it also helps to ensure that questions and doubts are resolved quickly, usually on the first interaction. When a customer feels better supported by a skilled agent, then they can also feel more confident about their insurance choice.
VXI has developed these tools and this precise approach to insurance training because we want to create greater value for our clients. We have demonstrated that this more focused and flexible approach really works — it brings teams up to speed faster and gives agents more confidence to help customers.
Insurance is a complex and highly regulated industry. The agents are the front-line that represent an insurance brand, so they need to be reliable and knowledgeable. The training and onboarding process is critical for success.
The VXI approach not only helps to streamline the training process and improve agent abilities and confidence, but the stronger focus on precisely what is needed helps to drive efficiency into the process. This approach creates efficiency in addition to improved customer experience.
For more information and case studies that explain our approach to insurance training in more detail, please click here .
