Insurance Customer Service Training
Increasingly, customer service provided in the insurance industry is by telephone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health insurance carriers establish call centers where customer service representatives answer calls from health plan members and network providers and facilities. Other insurers have representatives that handle all inquiries, including requests for information and resolution of issues. Training settings often involve a combination of classroom, Web-based and on-your-own practice activities.
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Customer Service 101 Training
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Poor attitudes and service lose the customer's respect. Basic customer service training includes how to answer inquiries, how to listen and help customers, and how to resolve issues. Having the fundamental customer service training prepares representatives to respond in a professional and timely manner that keeps customer satisfaction very high.
Insurance 101 Training
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Understanding basic insurance concepts is required to help customers. For customer service professionals without an insurance background, training in insurance fundamentals is necessary. Concepts such as authorization of services, claims processing, premiums, co-insurance, deductibles, coverage types and networks are included in basic training. Any fully trained insurance customer service professional is knowledgeable about the basic concepts of the insurance industry.
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Telephone Training
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Telephone customer service requires training in how to answer the phone, using headsets, logging in and out of the phone queues, managing wait times, and using other phone settings such as auto in and auxiliary settings. Understanding the functions of the telephone system, such as how to transfer calls, put calls on hold and set up conference calls, will prevent dropped calls and unhappy customers. Proper training on the phone system will lead to quicker answering of calls and a reduction of lost or abandoned calls.
Systems Training
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Interactions with customers are documented in the computer system. Systems training is typically the bulk of new hire training, as it is comprehensive and requires a specific degree of skill to accurately and efficiently document information. Training is usually in a classroom setting using several real-life scenarios for practice activities. Thorough training on systems must occur before representatives begin working directly with customers.
Dealing With Customers
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To ensure consistent delivery of good customer service, staff training should include an overview of the different type of customer calls and interactions a representative will receive. All training includes how to greet customers, how to determine the nature of the customer's request, how to route the customer to the appropriate area and how to end the interaction. Training includes role-playing and practice calls. Training on handling difficult calls and crisis situations is essential to the success of the insurance customer service professional.
Privacy and HIPAA Compliance
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Health care customer service professionals must comply with privacy rules. Customer service representatives need mandatory training on protecting patients' privacy and HIPAA rules, including when and to whom a representative can provide protected health information (PHI), when to obtain authorization to discuss PHI, how to guard PHI in the workplace and what to do when an HIPAA rule has been violated.
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