10 Ways to Improve Your Phone Skills

We firmly believe that the appropriate use of the phone can lead to better risk management outcomes while providing a valuable service to your customers. Are your claim analysts keeping up with the competition? How can you and your team improve your effectiveness when speaking with your claimants?

1. Be prepared. Take three minutes to review the information in the file. Think about what you want to accomplish on the call and jot down a few notes.
2. Use a professional but upbeat tone. These calls and interviews are not meant to be an inquisition. The goal is to build a relationship that fosters direct and honest, two-way communication.
3. Set appropriate expectations. Our claimant customers don't always understand our process and our contracts. Explain how things work in lay terms, avoiding acronyms. Our claimants don't like surprises, and it is counterproductive to keep them in the dark.
4. Don't read from a script. Instead, use a check list to ensure you've covered all of the important pieces of information. If you keep it conversational, the claimant will feel more comfortable sharing information with you.
5. Listen carefully. The claimant is the best source of information. Give them a chance to share their experience, their limitations, their expectations, and their problems. The vast majority of claimants have suffered a legitimate loss of functionality and they deserve a chance to tell their story.

Wait a minute, we promised you 10 ways to improve your phone skills. Where are the other 5? Knowing that you also have lots of experience in this area, it's your chance to share your wisdom. Click here to share your comments and ideas on our blog as we truly appreciate your input.