The Anti-Customer Experience
By Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International
A great deal of focus for Xploration 16 is on the 
Customer Experience as well as the technologies and processes that surround it. I must admit in helping put together our 2016 Education Matrix, I learned a great deal in trying define both the concept of Customer Experience and the complex world surrounding it.
However, after a recent experience with my health insurance company I may have been negligent in leaving out one category: The Anti-Customer Experience.
The Start of the Anti-Customer Experience
I recently received an email from my insurance provider who notified me via email that I should have received my enrollment package and I was enrolled for 2016. The problem was that I had not in fact received my enrollment package and had no idea what my premium would be or if there was a change in my coverage. So I decided to call their hotline.
Could it Get Worse? (Hint: Yes)
Once I got past the oh-so simple just let me talk to a person menu prompts and through the awful hold music, my conversation started when I spoke to Walter in Customer Service. He asked standard questions to verify my identity so I provided my policy number, name, social security, etc. Walter then informed me that since I had a current policy, I needed to speak with a different department. So he forwarded me to Lisa in Member Services. I provided the same information to Lisa, explained the same reason for calling, and then was told I needed to talk to the sales department since it was for a renewal. After Lisa forwarded me to Sierra in Sales, I (again) gave the same information, repeated the same process and guess what!? Do you see where this is going yet? Yep. I was forwarded once again, but this time to Ida (who told me I needed member services again!), then Dora and finally a manager Nigel. Dora was the most helpful as she stayed on the phone with me WHILE contacting her manager (Nigel) and promised not to forward me again. Only took five people for good service…
Total process to get a quote for 2016 and my pamphlet? 32 minutes.
Adding Insult to Injury – (and a bit of venting)
After I voiced my frustration to Nigel about the whole process, he apologized but then informed me that my 2016 premium was 36% higher (no further comment here). He did offer me a policy that had fewer benefits and in his words was ”only $182.15 higher per month”. This was still about a 10% increase in my policy. Somehow I did not feel good paying more for less while spending 30 minutes and getting aggravated. I did not feel the love.
The results of the Anti-Customer Experience Campaign
As a result of my “pleasant” experience, I am now spending my time looking for alternative healthcare plans which to me only surpasses my disdain in buying a new car.
It really was not the 10% increase, which I am still not happy with, or the reduction in benefits, even though with a family is hard to swallow. How they treated me as a customer paying a lot of money for coverage is what drove me to look elsewhere. It is just about the principal.
The Commercial
Xploration 16 has a great deal of content on the importance of the Customer Experience. If you have never attended the annual Xplor event and are an end user, I invite you to apply for our “First Timer Recognition Program”. Here, you will have the chance of receiveing a FREE full conference pass to enjoy the event. Are you an Xplor Veteran? Than we have a package that will cover your conference pass AND hotel stay. Just get to Orlando and you’ll be taken care of. Hope to see you there!
Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International
