Health insurer raises the bar for customer service standards

27th February 2015

Leading health insurance provider Westfield Health has bucked a national trend for declining customer satisfaction levels by scoring an 'exceptional' result in a survey by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).

The Sheffield-based insurer achieved a score of 89.3 in the UK Customer Service Index (UKCSI) survey - a rise of 5.5 per cent on its previous score of 83.8 in 2013 and a significantly higher rating in comparison to the national all-sector average of 76.3, which has dropped from 78.9 since January 2014. An online 'ServCheck' survey of Westfield Health's employees was also carried out by the ICS, to assess how staff think the company's strategy, culture, people and processes enable it to deliver 'world class' customer service. The insurer received a ServCheck score of 78.04, up from 76.31 in 2013. The two surveys and a three day on-site assessment by an independent assessor were carried out as part of the Institute of Customer Service ServiceMark accreditation scheme. Westfield Health has now been reaccredited with the ServiceMark standard for the next three years. Julie Gill, Westfield Health Executive Director Operations, said: -Achieving such exceptional scores in this year's ServiceMark accreditation surveys reinforces our position as a leading health insurer dedicated to providing the very best levels of service for our customers. -As customer satisfaction levels have actually dropped on average in the market place this year, it's fantastic to see that we're bucking the trend and even improving our score significantly. But this doesn't mean that we'll become complacent. We'll continue to review our areas for development and work even harder to look after our customers. Jo Causon, the Institute of Customer Service Chief Executive, said: -ServiceMark is increasingly recognised as the standard for customer service excellence. -Over 100 organisations have completed or are working towards ServiceMark. It enables organisations to benchmark themselves against best practice, gain a better insight into their customers' needs and develop strategies to meet them.