Regence - Agent Recognition Best Practice

Opportunity Statement

We needed a recognition program to motivate frontline specialists (e.g., agents) to deliver exemplary service. Our Service Hero program is the most successful and longest-running recognition program. It not only recognizes the specialists that provide exemplary service, but it also provides a way to highlight the barriers our members face every day for our most senior executives. We identify calls that exemplify our team members’ high-quality service by removing barriers and helping members navigate health care complexity. The winning calls are heard across the company and are used to make changes that enhance our members’ experience. Our sales executives also leverage them during presentations for new or renewing groups to demonstrate the level of service their employees will receive as a Regence member.

Our four Plan Presidents and other senior executives make the final selection. The calls are distributed in advance of the selection meeting. The senior executives listen to the calls and rank them based on the specialists’ ability to create a truly outstanding experience for our members. They consider tenacity in resolving issues, compassion in difficult situations, and successfully helping members understand complex information, often when members are faced with challenging costs they need to manage. During these calls, the Plan Presidents often debate their logic in who they recommend as winners, which leads to great conversations around what types of experiences our members receive and what is at the root cause of customer challenges. In some situations, that results in executives taking responsibility for driving change. By the end of the session, three quarterly winners are selected.