5 things you need to know about the modern member experience

Here’s five ways you can build a modern member experience that puts the power back into your customers’ hands so that they can use their benefits with confidence.

“Today’s consumers are used to clear and seamless digital experiences — starting from social networking, music streaming, and e-commerce services to mobile banking.” (IBM)

When it comes to insurance, this should be no different. And yet, 60% of insurers admit the lack of customer experience strategy in their organization, which unfortunately has resulted in a general lack of trust amongst consumers when it comes to their insurance programs.

We have to ask an important question: how do we “demystify” insurance programs and quiet the fears of the people that use them? It has to do with how we’re taking care of our customers, and it has to change, not tomorrow, but today.

Here’s five things you need to know in order to build a modern member experience that will drive better outcomes and build real trust:

#1 Find moments to educate throughout the benefits journey

People can’t trust what they don’t understand. And when it comes to insurance products — education is hard. A recent survey revealed that only 9% of employees reported that they feel like they have a solid understanding of their health plan. We need to design a benefits journey that has education imbedded at every touchpoint, so we can build a deeper relationship with consumers along the way:

Enrollment

You can set up group lunch and learns, you can send out emails, you can even suggest employers offer services to help employees understand what they’re buying, and why they should pick a benefit as many do today. But the reality is that the most meaningful education you’re probably going to give a member is in the minutes you have with them one on one.

In this consideration phase where there’s often more inertia than action, take the time to talk to people — and speak to them in a language they can understand. Help them learn why they should be putting their dollars towards a benefit, or if it’s the right fit for them. If you want customers to use a benefit— you have to start at the beginning, even before they’ve purchased it.

Getting started

No matter what product you’re offering, employees need a helping hand when they’re getting started. Mobilizing customers to set up accounts, register for an employee portal, or set up a mobile app should be a moment to help them gain a deeper understanding of their coverage. Even if this process is simple, even if you think it’s obvious — explain it. You’ll take the first real step in helping your customers feel considered, and seen.

Active coverage

It may seem obvious, but if employees don’t know how to use their insurance offering, they don’t get the most out of their benefits during active coverage. Find ways to engage your customers — from the moment they file a claim to payout. Check in on them to see if they have questions, send them reminders of their coverage. Find out ways you can help them eliminate friction and save time. The simpler you make their lives by helping them fill in the gaps, the more likely they are to trust you, and their benefits, to show up for them.

#2 Be proactive AND reactive

It’s often been said that the insurance industry has been known to take a detect and repair rather than a predict and prevent approach when it comes to customer service models. But what if we flipped this arrangement on its head — where we could be proactive enough to help people get ahead of problems before they happen, to mitigate risks, and anticipate customer needs? When we are both proactive AND reactive by asking the right questions, reaching out to customers early, and showing up in the moments that matter, we’re able to not just better support our customers, but build real trust. A great example is United Healthcare, who offers rewards to customers for getting preliminary screenings and tests so that they can monitor their health and avoid potentially costly medical care down the line.

#3 Forget a one-size-fits-all approach

Think about the three M’s: multi-channel, modern, meaningful:

It should go without saying that in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, omnichannel insurance experiences should be the new standard. People only understand something through repeated, consistent communication — when we take a multi-channel approach, we help employees take charge of the outcomes they will have by teaching them to use their coverage more effectively, in more ways than one.

In order for a multi-channel approach to be effective, we need to use not just traditional, but also modern methods to drive consumer engagement. From offering subscription-based models, mobile apps, AR-enabled video consultation and on-demand chatbots — insurtechs have found lots of new ways to create an “Amazon-like experience” for today’s insurance consumers. Innovations like Beam Dental’s electric toothbrush that connects to an app to help track and improve brushing habits or Ohio Mutual’s texting offering to help customers understand the status of their claim are all a part of a larger movement towards offering modern customer care that people can understand alongside their other digital experiences.

Finally, your customer service model needs to be meaningful — or in other words, must consider the whole person, with respect to their risks and behaviors, instead of one that consists of impersonal or standardized experiences. An important thing to note here is that cultural literacy will be key in being able to address today’s modern and diverse workforce, where different values, backgrounds, ages, and more will impact what one employee needs versus another.

#4 Use technology to pave the path, use people to go the extra mile

Technology has the power to make insurance more accessible and convenient for employees, but no matter how simple a product is, it cannot stand alone. Insurance is complex, misunderstood, and often scary. When it comes to health incidents, no amount of sophistication nor innovation can replace what people really want — someone that will pick up the phone, someone who will help along the way, someone to take the burden off their shoulders. We have to remember that especially in our industry, people are what our customers will remember, not a sophisticated, cutting-edge product.

#5 Foster a culture of customer excellence

The average NPS score in insurance today is 35 — we have to do better. Positive experiences shouldn’t be far and few, but instead a requirement of today’s customer care.

Have high standards when it comes to the little things — how fast are you responding to your customers, what’s your call resolution rate, what’s your average employee rating or net promoter score?

Ask your customers about their experience with their support options — and care about what they have to say. Find out what’s actionable. What’s working? What isn’t working? The best way to show up for your customers is to make them feel seen, and to deliver when they ask.

Finally, don’t forget to look inward— what values are you sharing with your team? Is everything you’re doing as an organization driven towards better customer outcomes? When you build a culture of customer excellence from the bottom-up, you’re much more likely to deliver results.

Read more: Finding the right tech-enabled solutions for employee benefits

We’ve done a lot of work to build innovative products that bring customers accessible, convenient and simpler insurance, but innovation unaccompanied by a consumer experience that meets today’s customers’ needs and delivers real and meaningful support only takes us half the distance. In order to reach our full potential, we must unlearn old habits and bridge the gap between customer and provider to build long-lasting trust. We need to build a modern member experience not tomorrow, but today.