client service vs. customer service may 2011

Customer Service and Client Service …

What’s the Difference?

What is Service?

… An act of a helpful activity

What is a Customer?

… Any person with whom a business has dealings

… A person who buys

What is a Client?

… A person or company for whom a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, etc., is acting

… A party for which a professional service is rendered

So what is the difference between Client Service and Customer Service?

Price point?Hard good vs. Service?

Commodity vs. Customized solution?

Client service feels better

Client service is founded in the relationship between the purchaser and the provider

Customer service involves a transaction where no relationship or no desire for a relationship exists

So what is the difference?

Employee benefits is all about ongoing relationships

Between three (or more) parties

Client – Insurance professional – Provider(s)

Let’s take client relationships a step furtherWho do you introduce/recommend people too?

People with whom YOU have excellent client service relationships

…You need a roofer … I know a company…

What is the SINGLE most important characteristic of an excellent ongoing client service relationship?

Empowerment!

Is the individual you are dealing with empowered to make a difference in the relationship? Can the person respond with value?

When seeking employee benefit solutions

Deal with provider(s) who are empowered to provide great ongoing client service!

The Benefits Trust (the commercial)We work exclusively with insurance advisors & brokers providing creative budgeted ASO employee benefit solutions.

Our solution work best with entrepreneurial profitable clients with 1 – 100 employees who understand, demand, and value ongoing client service.

The Benefits Trust SystemTM

Monthly Account Balances ($)YTD Account Balances ($)

Insurance PremiumsLife, AD&D, LTD, Stop Loss,Critical Illness, Out of Country

Claim Transactions Health, Dental, STD

Plan Operation CostsAdministration, Producer Compensation, Taxes

MonthlyContribution

$

$

$

What do we do at The Benefits Trust•One stop provider solution •Share Advice, Knowledge, Wisdom•Assist with plan design and set-up•Secure Insurance contracts•Create plan doc’s, booklets and drug/ID cards•Daily claims adjudication •Multi-insurer billing, financial and renewals•Handle employee enquires •Handle employer administration enquiries•Employee meetings

Examples of our Client Service

•Same day claims adjudication•High value claim cheque delivery•Personal catastrophic claim processing

•Confidential adjudication by senior staff for executive cost plus claims

•More to be added….

Client Service and Your Business•Where do you get great client service?•What are they doing that you can be doing?

Ask yourself the following questions when you experience great client service …

•How do I learn from this experience?•Am I providing great client service today?•Is my entire team empowered to provide great client service?

When a client gets frustrated…

They are often looking for a messenger to shoot.

Don’t put yourself in the firing line because your suppliers are not empowered to provide you with the client service you need.

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”

- Walt Disney

Great Client Service

Empowerment to respond with value … An attitude … Not a department, manager, or something that can be mandated.

You have to believe in the attitude. Empower your team to believe in this attitude.

Think big about benefits!

www.thebenefitstrust.com