During our August Recognition Monday meeting, Kay Bramlett was asked to speak about one of Highpoint’s Fundamental Behaviors. She spoke on the principle of “be a fanatic about response time” and encouraged our team to think about what that means to them and how they can use it to deliver great customer service.
Recognition Monday is a companywide meeting held each month to recognize employee achievements, celebrate our wins, and refocus our team on the agency’s annual goals.
Kay’s talk is based on experience and inspires us all to deliver excellent customer service.
Read it below:
BE A FANATIC ABOUT RESPONSE TIME. People expect us to respond to their questions and concerns quickly, whether it’s in person, on the phone, or by email. This includes simply acknowledging that we received their question and we’re “on it”, as well as keeping those involved continuously updated on the status of outstanding issues. Rapid response is one of the easiest and best ways to stand out from the crowd.
When I started my insurance career at AIG, I specifically remember a large sign in the conference room “SERVICE KEEPS THEM”. From that point on, I realized that even if your pricing is a bit higher or the coverages are a bit less, if you go above and beyond on service, you will either keep them or they will come back when they don’t get the service that you’ve made them come to expect.
No matter your position with the agency, you can always give your best service both inside and outside the office.
When you get requests from co-workers, realize that they are requesting something that they are working on right now so the faster you respond to the request, the faster they can do their job. For example, when Accounting asks that you book something and you book it quickly, they can finish balancing a carrier commission statement. They will appreciate your prompt service.
Service to our customers – I’ve received compliments from my insureds on how reception answers the phone with a smile, and yes, you can hear a smile on someone’s face. I’ve also received compliments on how fast certificates are issued. The insured is working on a task just like accounting and if you get them the certificate quickly, they can finish what they are doing which may mean the difference between them getting a project or not…and being aware of our great customer service or not!
Service to the carriers – If a carrier is working on a quote and requests additional information, the faster you get it back to them, the better. If you get it quickly, they can finish your quote quickly….it’s a win win!
So Deliver Legendary Customer Service because SERVICE KEEPS THEM!
