Willis Towers Watson - Customer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year
Company: Willis Towers Watson, South Jordan, UT
Company Description: Willis Towers Watson is a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company. Willis Towers Watson’s Individual Marketplace, delivered through its Via Benefits™ brand, enables employers and plan sponsors to honor their health care commitment to retirees while reducing costs and administrative burden. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com.
Nomination Category: Customer Service & Call Center Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Customer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Other Service Industries
Nomination Title: Via Benefits by Willis Towers Watson
Via Benefits™ by Willis Towers Watson is a driving force in retiree benefits, helping millions ofretireestransition from group health insurance to individual Medicare plans.Our company prioritizesprovidingempathetic service that puts retiree needs first. Fittingly referred to as the Parent Standard, our approach tomembersatisfaction ensures that every retiree interaction meets standards one would want for one’s own parents.
A rigorous training program, called Via Benefits University, instills the Parent Standard in all our service center representatives.The program emphasizes emotional intelligence, seniorsensitivity,and continual learning.It’salso responsible for imparting an immense amount of knowledge about the complex, highly regulated health insurance industry toall ofits students.
The foundation of Via Benefits University is a train-the-trainer program tethered to an emotional intelligence curriculum. Trainers learn to address the needs of the variety of personalities and learning styles, and to navigate cultural differences so they can create a safe and positive environment for all students.
The curriculum fostersteamwork in a tell-show-domethodology. Prior to COVID-19teachers usedmanuals and slideshow presentations to introduce key concepts; students practicedin groups and through e-learning modules and other interactive methods.
New in 2021werethreekey training initiatives: micro-learning,VideoScribe,and the creation of aContentLibrary.
Our micro-learning approach involves refining a skill or idea to its most essential parts — and only teaching what’s most important. Consequently, our micro-learning courses are made up of snackable activities. Our learnersare able tocomplete an online training activity or module in just a few minutes rather than sitting through long lectures or presentations. This has afforded just-in-time training to our service center employees.
VideoScribewhiteboard animation videos have been a successful addition to our training armamentarium. Theyprovideengaging, short, strategically placed explanations about our systems, processes and programs. They’ve helped turn complicated topics into simple, retainable knowledge.VideoScribe has proved invaluable to providing learners with critical information. In addition, minimal text and simple, visually pleasing imagery has allowed our learners to focus on meaningful content without becoming distracted by extraneous details.
Finally, we created aContent Library as a learning resource for current staff and new hires to expand knowledge when needed. The Content Library contains a new Content Stopwatch, designed for returning furloughed employeesto track information and materialsthey may havemissed. The Content Libraryhelpsbuild a more versatile workforce, allowinglicensed agentsto supportdifferent roles as needed andleading tomore knowledgeablecustomer service agents for our members.
Due to COVID-19, learning virtually is the new normal.Rather than just shifting learning materials online,significant effortswere madethis yearto keep improving the virtual learning experience, making multidimensionallearningfunand interesting. Increasing service team knowledge leads to better member outcomes and experiences. We attribute our increase in Net Promotor Score (NPS) from 67 in 2020 to 76 in 2021 in part due to our customer service training programs.
Via Benefits continually looks for opportunities to improve its training program. Continuing educationremainsa primary focus, and specific training initiatives are reviewed by the member-experience team to fine-tune knowledge and adjust the service provided to the needs of our members.
The ongoing improvements made by the training team enable our service team members to continue to be prepared forthe annualopen enrollment periodfully trained and ready to apply the Parent Standard to their interactions withmembers.
The documentsand linksprovidefurtherinformation about the improved virtualtraining program.
Senior Sensitivity Training Module Translating this key course to the virtual world was one of the biggest challenges for the curriculum team so that its important messages were not diluted in the virtual world. This course highlights the diversity of retirees while teaching representatives the importance of valuing individual differences. The module, even in its virtual format,remainsa powerful experience for students so that the prioritization of empathy and kindness remain foundations in our customer service interactions.
Voice of the Customer: (pdf) This documentprovidesa detailed look at the entire member listening program.
Customer Service Training Quotes: (pdf) Via Benefits University students describe their experiences in their own words.
OPERSPre-Medicare Transition Training Promo Video: This video is an example of how the training department created a fun video for its customer service team towatch as it prepared for the onboarding of a new subset of members from the company’s largest client, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.
VideoScribeWhiteboard Animation: Whiteboard animation is a style of video designed to look like the content is being hand-drawn on a school whiteboard or white background. It’s a particularly popular way to communicate complex information because the simple graphics are easy to understand.