• AUGUST 2007 FEATURE ARTICLES •
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A Blue’s call center Web-based VoIP solution empowers providers and saves time.
By David Boucher
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (BCBSSC)
has one of the largest technology workforces in
the state and provides health insurance and
administrative services to more than 1.3 million
people statewide. So when BCBSSC sought to address
the unacceptable wait times providers were experiencing
when trying to reach support representatives, they found
their solution was only a click away. By implementing a
voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) solution, BCBSSC
streamlined the call center service process and improved
overall responsiveness to provider inquiries.
The BCBSSC call center handles thousands of incoming
phone calls per day and serves approximately 14,000
in-network providers and 45,000 other related users.
With continued growth and the increasing complexity of
insurance coverage in recent years, hospital and physician
team members who relied on our call center for service
often experienced up to 50-minute queue times in order
to speak with a provider services representative (PSR).
Admittedly, 50 minutes is a long time to wait, but it isn’t
atypical for call queues in all call centers because of peak
call volumes and the prohibitive cost of staffing for those
peaks. In the hold queue, call-abandon rates in which
callers discontinue the call before reaching a PSR were at
their highest point.
We understood that this situation required attention
as we worked to address the service levels and needs of
both PSRs and the providers. We were unwilling to accept
it as status quo. We knew there were more efficient and
effective ways to do business that would result in a better
environment for our providers, patients and our own
organization. Realizing that a portion of the inquiries we
received were routine and straightforward, we felt that
handling these issues through a self-help channel would
eliminate the telephone logjam we were experiencing
within our call center, sparing providers long waits in queue.
The establishment of multiple service channels, some of
which would allow providers to serve themselves, became
an overarching goal for our organization.
Our first step in creating a solution was to evaluate
the communications options available to our organization. Through a detailed review of our self-service channel, we
ensured that providers were able to serve themselves and
resolve 50 to 60 percent of their routine inquiries within
their first call through a speech-enabled voice response unit.
We also tackled other ways to address the needs of our users.
When providers call us, they hear a recorded message
directing them to our Web site in an effort to get faster
response to their inquiries. We encourage providers to use
our self-help tool on the Web before calling our toll-free
line. Those who can’t find the answers they seek have the
option of sending a secure e-mail to us directly from the
site. We respond to messages within 24 hours and often in
as little time as four hours.
Solution Objectives and Configuration
Fewer than 4 percent of providers found the need to
opt out of the Web experience. However, we wanted to
see many more users taking advantage of the Web site. The
valuable information on our My Insurance Manager Web
site and the benefits of having
more providers utilize it led us
to consider a voice-over-Internet-
protocol (VoIP) solution we
ultimately branded STATchat. We believed that implementing
Click-to-Talk from Global IP Solutions (GIPS) would
offer providers the incentive needed to migrate to the
Web and minimize any chance of failing to complete their
self-service transactions.
With Click-to-Talk, if providers who have logged onto
the secure section of the Web site can’t find a resolution
to their inquiry, clicking on the STATchat icon instantly
connects them to a call center agent who can then engage
in a voice conversation. This approach eliminates the need
for the provider staff member to pick up the phone and
call for help. In order to draw provider staff members to
STATchat, we established a call-prioritization incentive.
STATchat calls were given priority status in the call queue
over those who called our toll-free line. This meant that
their time in the queue was measured in seconds rather
than minutes. We also positioned STATchat as a safety net
for users of our Web site.
Additionally, to increase caller and
contact center efficiency, we took advantage
of the programmable nature
of the software. This allowed us to
program Click-to-Talk buttons with
routing information so that Web visitors
would be directed automatically
to the right agent based on the type
of inquiry. Our primary objective was
for STATchat to fuel our organization’s
initiative to improve overall telephone
service by getting more providers to
self-help. After providers acclimated
themselves with our Web site, they
would in turn become loyal users of
the portal, particularly after they grew
confident that Click-to-Talk was there
to initiate a voice interaction when the
need arose.
We ensured that providers
were able to serve themselves
and resolve 50 to 60 percent
of their routine inquiries
within their first call through
a speech-enabled voice
response unit.
Shorter Wait, Better Service
We clearly understood the evolution
taking place within call centers
and could no longer assume such an
entity would thrive by only offering
live phone service. Instead, to meet
the ever-evolving needs of today’s
service-oriented customer, and the
constant need to be profitable, a
center must be more accessible in
more cost-effective ways than ever
before. Since the new STATchat
enhancement was introduced to our
Web site in 2004, it has helped reduce
the 50-minute on-hold time to about
12 seconds, and has eliminated the
time-consuming, “Please press 1....”
VRU selection process. This has allowed
healthcare providers to better
focus on their vital role of caring for
their patients.
Because STATchat calls enter our
Inquiry Center via the Internet,
neither our organization nor the provider incurs telephone toll charges.
Also, the time it takes to complete a
Click-to-Talk call is much shorter than
the data entry time it takes a PSR to
reply via e-mail. User feedback was
extremely positive after the STATchat
implementation. Due to this
increased provider satisfaction, recent
data show that the number of unique
providers using STATchat increased
from 223 in the first quarter of 2005,
to 980 in the first quarter of 2007,
while the total number of STATchat
calls increased more than 313 percent
in the same time frame—from 7,500
calls to more than 31,000.
The associated cost for operating
STATchat is substantially lower than
a live-rep answering a toll-free line.
STATchat can even beat an automated
voice-response system because about
40 percent of the time, traditional
telephone users opt out of the automated
VRU systems, choosing to
speak with a live PSR. By contrast,
only 3 percent of online Web selfservice
users opt out.
We implemented STATchat to
incentivize providers to hang up the
telephone and log onto the Internet,
hoping they would view STATchat as
a safety net in case they had the urge
to speak to a live agent. Theoretically,
our total traditional call volume would
decrease. We’re claiming victory with
this initiative because, in fact, our total
call volume has dropped by more
than 300,000 calls per quarter.
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David Boucher is assistant vice
president, healthcare services,
BlueCross BlueShield of
South Carolina.
Contact him at
david.boucher@bcbssc.com. |
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