Case Study: Healthcare VOC Client

At A Glance

Challenges:

• High cost of traditional VOC program
• Uncertainty in accurately gauging the extent to which client needs/expectations are met
• Lack of performance metrics

Benefits:

• Improved data insights
• Increased engagement and accountability of account teams
• Improved client satisfaction and stronger relationships through client-driven action plans.

The Program

In 2008, a benefits management company came to The Chapman Group seeking cost savings in their VOC survey program and more actionable insights from their survey data. Previously, they were spending approximately $175 per survey response, which added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

The VOC survey program is a critical component in understanding how well they are meeting client needs and expectations, and also, where they might be falling short. It provides valuable information for performance management and action planning, and helps fulfill contract commitments and performance guarantees, which if not met, could have significant relationship and/or financial implications.

What We Did

TCG helped the company transition from a transactional survey to a relationship survey, implementing best practices such as:

• Improved data sampling techniques (high, wide, deep)
• Enhanced communication strategies
• Revised question structure, survey flow and methodology
• Recommended processes to drive participation and “close the loop”
• Implemented a regular survey schedule for program sustainability and benchmarking
• Provided reporting guidance on client satisfaction metrics, Net Promoter Score®, and insights into the drivers that most influence these KPIs.

The VOC survey helped the company establish performance benchmarks and track trends in client satisfaction. Any client that did not meet performance requirements was automatically enrolled into an Action Planning process; all clients were monitored and followed up with as appropriate. Teams were ultimately held accountable for participation and performance, leading to improved relationships and more satisfied clients.

The Outcomes

The company's continued surveying efforts, even during significant changes, helped them stay ahead of potential issues and resulted in cost savings, improved data and insights, and more satisfied clients. The survey proved to be a cost-effective tool for connecting with customers, gathering data and insights and identifying and mitigating potential losses. The information collected sometimes highlighted blind spots, but always led to relationship improvement efforts including the following.

ROI

• Increased Account Team engagement and accountability
• Ability to track organizational and client-level movement trends
• Client-driven action plans for improvement Stronger relationships and more satisfied clients

Key Takeaways

The customer experience is only as good as the team delivering it and an ongoing and structured VOC program is a critical component in ensuring a company is bringing its A-game. Despite changes such as reorgs and mergers and acquisitions, the organization has continued its surveying efforts throughout their 15-year relationship with TCG. This has allowed them to stay ahead of issues/potential issues before they become significant issues and has contributed to their ongoing success.

The ROI of the VOC survey extends beyond cost savings and data insights, as it also impacts risk management and compliance. Whether it’s contract performance penalties or flat-out losing customers, the potential for loss without this data is substantial. And while 8 out of 10 times, you learn something you already knew, the other 20% of the time, you get a piece of information that highlights something that, until this point, you had been unaware of.

"The KANECT VOC survey itself isn’t the end-all-be-all. It’s a roadmap. It tells us where we need to understand more, and where to dive deeper. Said another way, it’s not the period at the end of the sentence. It’s the comma in the middle of it. It’s a guide: to our next actions.” - Lisa Gaskin, Managing Partner & Director of Client Success