2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, and it is certainly true for contact centers. The pandemic forced companies to rapidly shift to a work-from-home model, in many cases where the required infrastructure and training were not already in place.
On top of the challenging work environment, representatives were also dealing with their own stress, anxiety and, in many cases, childcare issues. Customers, on the other hand, were still expecting the same level of service that they were accustomed to.
It is in this context that DALBAR this week announced that there were two firms that stood out from their peers and earned the 2020 Insurance Service Award, which recognizes providers for providing an industry-leading telephone service experience to policyholders. This year’s winners are:
- Guardian Life Individual Markets Contact Center
- Pacific Life – Life Insurance Division
Despite the unique challenges of 2020, these providers were held to the same exacting standards they would have been held to in any other year.
“It is often through adversity that the best of the best can really distinguish themselves. That was the case with this year’s award winners,” said DALBAR Director Brendan Yeager. “Not only were Guardian Life and Pacific Life able to maintain their service quality in the face of some pretty daunting challenges, they were both able to improve on their already award-winning service at a time when the majority of the industry saw service deteriorate.”
In order to earn DALBAR’s Service Award, companies must undergo a thorough and independent year-long audit looking at the quality of contact center interactions. Award eligibility is determined by a review of actual customer interactions against detailed criteria based on superior service standards and industry best practices. To achieve the Insurance Service Award, companies must exceed stringent quality thresholds in criteria covering all aspects of the telephone service experience.
For more information about DALBAR Awards and other Customer Experience Audit programs, contact Brooke Halloran at 617-624-7273 or [email protected].
DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community’s leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of a superior standard of care in the financial community.
