For years, consumers had limited options when it came to interacting with the companies with which they did business. They could call an 800 number and be connected to a representative, yet the experience with a single channel was often limiting and potentially frustrating. Today, that isn’t the case—technology has evolved to the point that brands can provide an omnichannel customer experience. However, healthcare payer organizations lag behind when it comes to providing this same experience for its members.
In this post, we’ll explore how healthcare payers can provide a superior omnichannel member experience through a modern cloud contact center. Ideally, this platform includes a combination of outbound, inbound, and digital (i.e., social media, live chat) member touchpoints, supported with rich collaboration tools, such as messaging, video, and phone. These tools enable members to connect with their payer how and when they want.
How can an omnichannel cloud contact center create a better member experience?
Cloud contact centers create a better member experience in the following ways:
- They meet consumer-driven member demand
- They allow members to find answers on their own
- They help staff be more accessible and efficient
- They give teams the tools to effectively help members
- They secure member health information
- They offer analytics to improve the member experience
- They can work 24/7 from anywhere
Let’s explore each of these ways in a bit more detail.
Cloud contact centers meet consumer-driven member demand
Member expectations have changed over the years. Their interactions with digital-first companies such as Amazon and Netflix raised their expectations for other service providers, including health insurance organizations. For example, research from McKinsey reveals that in 2018, 77% of consumers preferred to use digital channels to pay their health insurance bills.
A cloud contact center enables members to interact with their payer in a variety of ways. They can call, chat, SMS, or even hold a video conference. Cloud contact centers enable the digital interactions members want from healthcare payers, like live chat, engagement over social media, or SMS. These tools create personalized member experiences.
Cloud contact centers allow members to find answers on their own
Self-service options is one of the cloud contact center benefits members can get. Research from Forrester shows that customers prefer knowledge bases over all self-service channels, while Millennials, in particular, would rather have a live chat with a customer service representative than connect in any other way.
A modern cloud contact center offers self-service capabilities, so members can easily access information. Enabling members to find answers to their questions faster on their own creates a better member experience.
Cloud contact centers help staff be more accessible and efficient
In a report published by American Express, 40% of customers want representatives from a company to take care of their needs faster. It makes sense—no one wants to wait while an employee figures out who they are and what their history is with the company.
A cloud contact center increases employee efficiency by integrating with systems of record, including CRMs. With a few clicks, employees can access a member’s history with the company as well as record new information so they can solve member problems faster.
Cloud contact centers give teams the tools to effectively help members
Efficiency is important, yet it’s also critical that employees have access to the tools they need for first contact resolution for members. Traditional contact center infrastructure created information silos, so agents couldn’t connect to their colleagues in other departments. As a result, it took longer to solve member problems.
A cloud contact center with integrated collaboration capabilities will feature built-in company directories that display the presence of staff. If an agent needs to confer with a colleague in another department about a member issue, it’s easy to see if that person is available. As a result, it’s faster to solve member problems, which leads to a better member experience.
Cloud contact centers secure member health information
In July 2020, a hacker infiltrated EyeMed, a vision insurance provider. Five months later, it became clear that the number of patients affected was far higher than anyone thought previously: over 480,000 Aetna ACE plan members were included in the hack. Hackers stole member names, contact details, dates of birth, health insurance account numbers and identification numbers, Medicaid/Medicare numbers, drivers’ license numbers, and other government-issued ID information.
The right cloud contact center platform strengthens the weak links in your security through industry-leading security features and certifications. An example of this is HITRUST CSF certification. Cloud platforms with this certification strongly support payer HIPAA compliance. This ensures that you keep member healthcare information safe. That gives members peace of mind that their confidential data stays that way.
Cloud contact centers offer analytics to improve the member experience
Do you know what kind of member experience your employees deliver when they interact with members? Is it positive or negative, and do members want to continue working with your organization? You won’t know the answer to these questions unless you have real-time reports, agent monitoring, and in-depth customer surveys.
Leading cloud contact center platforms offer these capabilities, rich reporting, and built-in analytics that gauge how employees handle member interactions. Contact center supervisors can encourage agents to continue providing excellent member service or course-correct when agents need assistance.
Cloud contact centers can work 24/7 from anywhere
Your healthcare plan members aren’t always available during your business hours. Yet, they still need to reach you if they have questions or problems.
Modern cloud contact centers give you always-on capabilities with call routing to available agents as well as chatbot functionality, so members can still get the help they need outside of normal business hours.
RingCentral’s cloud contact center: providing a superior member experience for healthcare payers
RingCentral’s cloud contact center and business phone systems provide a superior member experience because of built-in security, flexibility, and all the capabilities that meet members’ needs. See how cloud communications can transform your healthcare organization. Request a demo.
Originally published Feb 22, 2021, updated Aug 23, 2024
