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 further
Who 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 System TM Monthly Account Balances ($) YTD Account Balances ($) Insurance Premiums Life, AD&D, LTD, Stop Loss, Critical Illness, Out of Country Claim Transactions Health, Dental, STD Plan Operation Costs Administration, Producer Compensation, Taxes Monthly Contribution $ $ $

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

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Client service vs. customer service may 2011

by Iggynatz on May 30, 2011

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Client service vs. customer service may 2011 — Presentation Transcript