WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2014 – Learning specialists Hemsley Fraser recently announced a partnership with one of U.K.’s leading financial services companies, Legal & General, in training more than 1,300 staff members in its Insurance Customer Service division.
The three-module learning program, called Customer Experience Matters, was created to help the division’s staff further develop the way they interact with both external and internal customers. Initially, the program is being rolled out to the contact centre and back office teams who support Legal & General’s life protection business. It will then be extended to other parts of the division.
Joanne Hardy, L&D Manager for Legal & General’s Insurance Customer Service division, said that insurance can be an emotional business as one is dealing with people who may be planning for later life, buying a home, having children, coping with bereavement or they may have experienced a flood, a fire or a burglary.
“Customers are often emotionally-charged when they contact an insurance company and it can be extremely frustrating for them if the person they’re talking to responds robotically and doesn’t understand or empathize with how they’re feeling,” she said. “We’ve always tried to see things from the customer’s perspective. This program builds on that and highlights why it’s so important to create an emotional connection with every customer. It reinforces how our staff can apply the right mindset and develop the behavioural skills that will make a difference.”
The program’s three half-day modules cover aspects such as building rapport, matching the energy of the customer, listening and questioning, understanding and acknowledging what matters most to the customer..
To support the learning and portray an individual customer’s perspective, Hemsley Fraser commissioned three short films, one for each module. Produced by video production specialist Juice, these films won the 2014 IVCA gold award for best learning & development communication.
“The films tell a fictional, but highly emotional story of one man’s tragic circumstances and the mental anguish he experiences when trying to make changes to his insurance policies,” Hardy said. “They bring home the need to empathize with each customer’s circumstances and to understand that there’s a real person on the other end of the phone.”
Hemsley Fraser has also worked with the Insurance Customer Service L&D team in creating a complimentary one-day program for the division’s line managers. This highlights how they can support their staff through the Customer Experience Matters program. It also includes coaching skills development and practice.
About Hemsley Fraser
Founded in 1991, Hemsley Fraser is a market leading provider of in-company and customized learning programs, consulting services, open training courses and managed learning services. Recently ranked for the fourth consecutive year as one of the world’s top 20 providers of leadership training, it delivers learning in 50 countries. Since 2008, it has been part of the Demos Group, a global provider of learning and development.
