CEO COLUMN
Raising the bar
on client servicing
Continually (daily)
remind every employee
that they own the
customer experience.
These days, insurance agencies are finding themselves under the same pressure to provide
world-class customer service as hotels, retail stores and resort operations. All companies need
to keep in the forefront of their minds how providing good customer service, no matter what
industry, is essential for success.
I sat down with Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt
Disney World Resort, to discuss business strategies for improved client servicing. With Lee’s
major and lasting legacies being the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies that trained
7,000 leaders at Walt Disney World, Lee offers great insights into client servicing. Some of
his commentary is included within this column. More of Lee’s insights will be shared in the
forthcoming Q2 issue of Perspectives.
LaBert: Given your long reputation for inspiring great customer service, what basic customer
rules should any agency (big or small) implement to be successful?
Cockerell: Hire the right case managers, contract specialists and administrative staff and train
them in the art of customer service which customers/producers expect from any transaction
or relationship. There are four expectations we consider:
1 Make Me Feel Special by listening intently to my problem. Get back to me promptly
when I call or email you. Explain things to me in a way that I can understand. Be reliable
and do what you say you are going to do.
2 Treat Me as an Individual by focusing on my problem and helping me to solve it based on
my unique situation. Work hard to understand me emotionally.
3 Respect Me no matter what my race, religion, color, creed, level of education, disability,
language fluency, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or wealth.
Dan LaBert, CEO
NAILBA
[email protected]
4 Be Knowledgeable and Have Knowledgeable Employees from the receptionist to the
C suites. Offer alternatives and be able to explain insurance details in a way everyone can
understand. Offer your best advice on what you recommend.
LaBert: How do superior customer service and superior profits work together?
Cockerell: At Disney, every decision we make is focused on how it will affect our guests. We
use the Three-Legged Stool model for making decisions — think through the impact on the
guest, the cast (employees) and the financial results before making the best decision. An
example was when we were deciding to use a voice tree automatic phone system to save
money or have a live person answer the phone. We went with the live person because the
public is sick and tired of phone trees.
LaBert: How do you know if you are providing great customer service?
Cockerell: At Disney World, we interview over two million guests a year in various ways
including internet and face to face at the park, so we always know how we are doing, and
can correct short comings very quickly. We continually (daily) remind every employee that
they own the customer experience. Role modeling by leaders is vital.
LaBert: Ideas from Lee for employee engagement and the role of a CEO in implementing
improvements in client servicing will be shared in the next issue of Perspectives.
4
Perspectives
Q1 2020