Customer Service is Our Focus at The Benefit Advocates

(L-R) Benefit Advocates Ann Richardson, Linda Carter and Benefit Advocates' CEO Mary Kesel

As The Benefit Advocates reaches its sixth year in business, customer service has never been more important. 

Consistently providing great customer service has helped our company succeed and provided the competitive advantage that differentiates us from other companies. It's why our slogan is "Real People, Real Answers" and why we continue to receive comments like this one from Helen Dodds Sheppard:

“Always when I call the Health Line, I am very satisfied with the whole situation whether large or small – service is great.”

Seldom will you contact The Benefit Advocates and not get a benefit advocate on the line instead of a voice recording — a rare personal touch in today’s industry. I remember one customer explaining her dilemma. After I listened to her problem and talked about how we might handle the situation, she said, “You sound as if you really care.” We do!

The consistent delivery of superior service requires the careful design and execution of a whole system of activities that include people, technology and processes. Our people are the most important part. At The Benefit Advocates, we use state of the art technology and are continually updating and improving our processes. Although we set very high expectations for ourselves, it pays off.

As one retiree, Nell Able, put it, “It was good to have a 'real person' talk to me instead of a recording.” Whether dealing with a 82 year-old retiree or a 36 year-old factory worker, our advocates always remember that “ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL.”

We recognize some customers require a different degree of assistance than others. Some know exactly what they expect from us when they call while some only know to say “I need help!” Our customers do not always have a clear understanding of their needs.

Our advocates are trained to listen and act upon what they don’t hear as well as what they do.

Customer service is defined as the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. In many cases, customer service is more important if the purchase relates to a “service” instead of a “product.”

At The Benefit Advocates, “GREAT” customer service is in large part due to the culture of our people. We go the extra mile for the customer and consider what we do not a job but our mission.

Perhaps one of our satisfied clients, Thomas W. Atkinson, put it best when he said, “Keep up the good work.” We'll keep on doing just that, Tom!

Linda Carter, Client Relationship Manager