Do. Not. Work. Here.
Pros
some colleagues are good to work with
Cons
Working there was challenging, to say the least, with many inconsistencies and difficulties in communication between MGMT (management) and employees. The only consistency is the inconsistencies. There is a high turnover rate. Communication is lacking between departments, especially between Claims and Customer Service. The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing and that goes for all depts, not just Claims and Customer Service, including some that never take calls. Customers are seldom called back in a reasonable time (if at all) which leads to customer dissatisfaction. Customer service is prioritized superficially, focusing solely on call volume rather than addressing the customer’s concern. Managers have no compassion for the customers. If you have read the reviews on Google/BBB, then you should know not to work here. It's a joke how low their customer service bar is set at. This place is far from a well oiled machine. The training was inadequate and failed to meet the standards expected in a corporate environment. This ultimately leaves employees underprepared for their roles. Customers constantly complain they are being told contradicting information, depending on who they speak with. This could happen less if the training was improved. Additionally, the contact center is at the mercy of the limited tools they have in order to deal with other dept questions. I was constantly being gaslit, as well as being criticized by MGMT and rarely received recognition unless it came directly from customers (which was rare). Managers are condescending and speak to subordinates as if they were children. Apologies are rare, even when MGMT is clearly in the wrong. MGMT getting the last word is prioritized over correctness. I felt they always needed to prove something, and could use a lesson in humility. Escalating issues often proves difficult, as MGMT tries to shift the blame to customers rather than addressing the problem at hand, and are often unwilling to listen. Most managers lack effective communication skills and can be difficult to work with. Micromanagement abounds. There's a notable culture of favoritism and defensiveness within management, which can hinder constructive communication. The majority of customer complaints are due to the slow processing of claims. Documents sent by customers are untouched for days (if not weeks). More often than not members have to call in to get status on their claims rather than the company reaching out to them. That is partially because all communication and checks from the Claims dept is solely by US mail. Even when letters/checks are sent out, too often members do not receive them (which includes important tax documents). Letters and checks are not sent in a reasonable time. Checks (no direct deposit) take forever to reach members b/c they are not sent from NY. They had us tell customers that checks come from NY. It takes a minimum of a week for a check to reach customers, if they actually get them. And when the letters asking for missing documents are received by customers, the letters are ambiguous, so members have to call in anyway and ask what it means. Despite soliciting feedback through mandatory (voluntary but they hound you to fill it out) surveys, MGMT fails to act on the survey results, let alone share them. So there's really no point in expressing your opinion or giving constructive criticism. The lack of accountability and disregard for employee input contributes to a dysfunctional work environment. While regular employees are only allowed 1 work-from-home day per week, many directors and VPs are permitted to work from home most of the time. The payroll system's calculation method is confusing and often leads to inaccuracies. Employees must constantly check their paychecks for errors, further adding to workplace stress. The technology and systems used are outdated (by decades), negatively impacting efficiency and the customer experience. Customer Service Week: It is about supporting and acknowledging those who service customers. The fact that the whole company participated and recognized everyone in the company, rather than just (or at least a heavy focus on) the customer service center was ridiculous. This was mentioned during Customer Service Week, which is similar to this, per the company's LinkedIn page: "This year’s theme is Team Service reflecting the fact that regardless of one’s role, everyone is part of the same team.” No one feels like the entire company is one team. The company should take a page from their website: "Management that overemphasizes customer service without acknowledging the contributions and role of their employees in maintaining high quality customer service is not likely to gain the greatest performance from their staff. Employees are on the front line of every customer engagement and therefore must be empowered to perform their roles well and supported with the right processes and technologies. They should have a voice in the development of certain processes that they believe will best serve the organization’s customers. their ideas should be encouraged and fostered in regular team meetings, whether held live or virtually using a video conferencing platform. They should be recognized and rewarded – not just during one week in October – but year-round to further earn their dedication and commitment to customers and loyalty to the organization.”
