Presented at ORBiT Real Time Days 2014 Keynote address by Sean Mulcair, Gradient Solutions How to shift focus from customer service to client experience. What's the difference? Customer service is the transaction and is quantifiable where as customer experience is a lifetime of interaction, which creates a feeling or emotion.

1. A SHIFT IN FOCUS:
CREATING THE
EXPERIENCE
Sean Mulcair,
Gradient Solutions

2. Navigating Clients to Measurable Success
The
Customer Experience

3. 3
What’s the difference?
Customer Service
drives
The Customer Experience.
Shep Hyken – Customer service expert

4. 4
What’s the difference?
Customer service is the transaction and is
quantifiable
where as
Customer experience is a lifetime of
interaction, which creates a “feeling” or
“emotion”

5. Two Targets
Customer Service
Client Experience
A shift in focus is occurring

6. Two Targets
Customer Service
The Actions:
•Answer the phone
•Reply to the email
•Be polite
•Be prompt
•Respond to the need
•Process the transaction
Client Experience
The Experience:
•Make them feel secure
•Make it easy
•Be consistent across all
departments
•Customized Informative
interaction (VoC)
• Wow them!!

7. Economic Evolution
Author Joseph Pine
Book: Authenticity, What customers Really Want
Book: The Experience Economy
Along came the industrial revolution
•Goods became the predominant economic offering.
•Goods have become commoditized - people don't care who makes them.
Along came customer service
• It was delivered on demand to that individual person. It was meant to be customised.
• Services are being commoditized as well (long distance telephone, Internet, fast food,
and Insurance?)
We're shifting to an experience economy
• What happens when you design a service that is so appropriate for a particular
person ?
• You can't help but make them go "wow"; you can't help but turn it into a memorable
event; you can't help but turn it into an experience.

8. 8
Authenticity =
Good Experience
Customers are
looking for
authenticity. It is
authenticity which
creates a good
experience.

9. 9
Walt Disney

10. 10
The importance of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
Competitive advantage:
 Are we more suited to compete on price
and commoditise our service OR
 Find ways to offer a more
authentic experience?

11. 11
The importance of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
Service Industry Standards are on the rise:
 Repair shops
 Coffee shops
 Grocery stores
We are not simply being compared to others who
offer insurance, but to others who offer any
service.

12. 12
The good old service
station!

13. 13
The good old service
station!
- Free drinks
- Leather couches without oil
stains on them!
- Free Wi-Fi
- Newspaper
- Flat screen TVs
- Car washed inside and out!

14. 14
The benefits of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
Employee Engagement:
 Employees want to transition from being order
takers to being relationship builders.
 It has been statistically proven that the quantity
of “referrals received” by customers is directly
linked to how engaged an employee is to their
Employer/Brokerage.

15. 15
The benefits of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
Refers stem from client experience:
 In 80% of brokerage firms we work in – referrals
are the greatest source of lead generation. They
are the #1 producer.
 In 100% of brokerage firms we work in, referrals
rank 2nd (behind portfolio completion) for highest
close rates.

16. 16
The benefits of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
What we sell is based on:
“perceived value.”
As the experience
improves the perceived
value rises!!!

17. 17
The benefits of moving our
focus to Customer Experience
Definition of 'Perceived Value'
The worth that a product or service has in the mind of the
consumer. The consumer's perceived value of a good or
service affects the price that he or she is willing to pay
for it.
How much is a 14 page black & white document, full of
legal information, stuffed in an envelope, worth to most
consumers?

18. 18
The benefits of moving our
focus to Customer Experience

19. 19
Measuring the
Experience
There are several
metrics and tools
available to help
measure and
quantify how well
your doing.

20. 20
Measuring the
Experience
Navicom. Bill Morris (BBiC)
Net promoter system (Schwab, American Express)
Beyond Philosophy (customer Advocacy)

21. Measuring the
Experience

22. The benefits of moving our focus to
Customer Experience
Good for moral
It’s good for your
bottom line!

23. How to move our focus to
Customer Experience
Big Data
VoC
Adjust service
levels
Improve the
client’s
experience
It’s not just about underwriting data anymore

24. How to move our focus
to Customer Experience
Understanding Big Data and VoC (voice of
the customer):
 Examples:
 Client’s preferred method of communication
 Schedule and availability
 Our client’s ages, past-times, education
 Our client’s children's ages, past-times and education
 Vehicles types, rental or ownership preferences?
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/04/08/chevy-equinox-gmc-terrain-honda-pilot-iihs-crash-video/
http://consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/best-worst-fuel-economy/index.htm
http://teensafedriving.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-teen-drinking-and-driving/
http://www.pioneeringtech.com/safe-t-element

25. How to move our focus
to Customer Experience
Understanding Big Data and VoC (voice of
the customer):
 Simply put, this is the client information we need on file
that we can use to create an “authentic experience” for our
customers and drive loyalty.

26. How to move our focus
to Customer Experience
Zappos Family Core Value #1:
Deliver WOW Through Service
To WOW, you must differentiate yourself,
which means doing something a little
unconventional and innovative.
You must do something that's above and
beyond what's expected. And
whatever you do must have an
emotional impact on the receiver.
We are not an average company, our
service is not average, and we don't
want our people to be average. We
expect every employee to deliver
WOW.
The Experimental Nature of Zappos CEO
Tony Hsieh
Founded in 1999 sold to Amazon in
2009 for 1.2 billion dollars

27. 27
How to move our focus
to Customer Experience
Client focused process improvements:
 When reviewing your internal processes try to
first focus on “what can I do to improve the
client’s experience or journey?”
 It’s what you do for the client and not to the client that
matters!

29. 29
How to move our focus
to client Experience
Client focused process improvements:
 Call your own organization:
 See how well you perform – how was the experience?
You be the judge!
 How did we sound at reception (director of first
impressions)
 What % of calls go to voice mail?
 What % of our calls can we answer effectively the first
time?

30. 30
How to move our focus
to client Experience
Client focused process improvements:
 Try and analyse your internal performance
levels:
 Lead Times – Process Times and Accuracy of
information.
 Use of voice recording and client surveys
 Effective writing & communication courses

31. 31
How to move our focus
to Customer Experience
Client focused process improvements:
 Establish service level agreements:
 All our clients are contacted 2-3 times a year
 We return all our calls/emails within 30 min.
 All our NB quotes in personal lines are done in real-time
 We support our client throughout the claims process and
follow up at 24 h – 7 days – 14 days – 30 days
 We provide extended hours – open on weekends!
 You can reach us by phone – email – chat – text – drop in.

33. 33
What makes a great
Customer Experience
B2C or Business to Customer
1. Helpfulness
2. Value of Time
3. Customer Recognition
4. Promise Fulfilment
5. Problem Solving
6. Personalisation
7. Competence
8. Accessibility

34. How to move our focus to
Customer Experience
Big Data
VoC
Adjust service
levels
Improve the
client’s
experience
Technology

35. 35
Conclusion
Be cautious not to transition too far into
transaction-based relationships.
Start small and take it one step at a time. 50%
now is better then 100% never!
Work with what you can change and don't worry
about the elements we currently can’t change.
Don’t quit!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG48U5iPESA

36. 36
Information
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean H. Mulcair has been working in the insurance industry for over 20 years; he is
an established lecturer at McGill University, teaching in their Risk Management
department since 1996. He was also appointed Quebec's Best Practices Champion
by the IBAC in 2006 and currently works alongside provincial associations bringing
informative topic to brokers across Canada. Sean is also a Lean certified facilitator.
ABOUT GRADIENT SOLUTIONS
Gradient Solutions is an established insurance industry strategist firm, concentrating on process
optimization, management coaching and strategic thinking. The GSI team's tactical approach is to
study North American industry trends and the unique challenges facing the insurance industry.
Over the past 10 years, GSI has worked with Canada's leading insurance brokers, carriers and
software providers, helping them reach their goals.
Call or email us anytime 1.888.376.2566
sean.mulcair@gradientsolutions.ca