The Art of Customer Service: Better.
Revolutionizing the healthcare industry
Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.
— Publilius Syrus
Anyone who lives in the United States knows that the words “healthcare” and “insurance company” are synonymous with “inefficient” and, well, “awful”. Having worked in the healthcare industry and having been a customer of two different insurance companies, I am well aware of how difficult it is to work with them, and how bad their customer service can be at times. For example, I had my wisdom teeth extracted in August 2013, the claim was promptly submitted, and it was not resolved until April 2014. April! I got the runaround so many times, I could’ve ran a hole through the ground straight to China.
Cue Better— a startup based out of Palo Alto to help you and/or your family make the entire healthcare experience a much easier process— as in, they handle everything for you! Need to book or cancel an appointment? Your Personal Health Assistant (PHA) takes care of it. Have a claim that needs to be submitted? They’ll get it in for you. Following up on aforementioned claim but the insurance company is denying they ever received it? No problem, your PHA is there to save the day! Also, if you so choose, they work with you to figure out a good dietary plan, aid in stress management, and help you find the best and qualified physicians in your area, and much more!
My husband, Will, initially came across the service after we relocated to Australia, when we were having a hard time scheduling his mother’s doctor appointments and taking care of insurance-related issues. We would either have to stay up until midnight or wake up at 6am to call their offices to ensure our 16-hour time difference aligned well. After some thorough research, he found Better and shortly after watching their brief video, we knew it was the solution to our concerns and problems!
We reached out to them via Twitter, and they were quick to respond, which prompted us to download the app and get in touch with an actual PHA. They left a wonderful impression on us, which lead us to sign up for a free trial for the first month. Right away, Ninette was a great help to us, answering our questions through the app and via email. When we were having a new PHA assigned to our account, we were alerted immediately and assured that any tasks Ninette was currently working on for us would be completed before the new rep, Jacqui, came on board. We were thankful that not much was required on our part, and that they were taking care of the transition seamlessly on their end.
As soon as Jacqui took over our account, she set up a meeting with us to go over the healthcare history of Will’s mother, insurance company roadblocks, her doctor’s information, and her future health. We had a meeting by Skype with her, in which she was extremely warm and pleasant, willing to help, and asked all questions needed to completely relieve us of any responsibility. Our free trial was up around this time, but we were more than happy to begin paying the monthly fee! Since beginning this journey with Better, they have been very helpful, always quick to answer our questions, and understanding when it comes to unforeseen circumstances or perhaps a delay in getting information to them. They are never pushy or rude. They understand the industry extremely well, are detail-oriented, and able to eradicate any potential issues that may pop up (for example, I filled out an insurance form incorrectly, and Jacqui let me know right away — so that the insurance company would not send it back and precious time would have been wasted). I can’t tell you enough how comforting it is to know that each PHA comes from a medical/healthcare background, well-educated in the field, and aware/alert to any changes in the healthcare industry — and that this responsibility is no longer ours!
It is my personal belief that when you have such a revolutionary and profitable idea, focusing on great employees and customer service is essential, as they are your foundation when first building a startup. Just as easily as an idea and concept can spring up and flourish, it can also spiral downwards if these two areas are not properly tended to. It’s important to guard your unique concept while simultaneously protecting your clients by rewarding them with amazing customer service, and awesome employees who love your customers.
Better has truly impressed us both, especially myself from a customer service standpoint. They’re not only breaking ground in their industry by alleviating stress in what is a huge and integral part of an individual’s life, but they’re doing it with amazing customer service. They also genuinely care about your well-being, and that of your family, going to extents to understand the situation in full, and figuring out the ways to best assist to make your life easier!
WOWing customers is incredibly important, because it builds your rapport with them and establishes their loyalty to your company. We have certainly been WOW’d by Better, and our hardworking PHA, Jacqui!
Want to find out how to better WOW your customers (and bring in new ones)? Check out these great articles I found:
Here are a few other articles I have written on customer service:
