2024 Supervisor CX Success Stories

Finalist Success Stories

Michelle Pratt – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 

Michelle is a caring, dedicated, and committed leader. Michelle is the Supervisor of a specialized team within our Medicare Member Service division. This specialized team was created in 2024 and includes a group of Diabetes Navigators, Member Engagement Specialists, and a dedicated group to handle a specialized product. These advocates work specifically with our Medicare members on incoming and outgoing calls. To be considered for this team, the advocates need to be highly skilled and empathetic problem solvers who are true advocates for our members. Michelle has spent time with advocates to provide an understanding of these roles and has made herself available to schedule any mentoring or answer any questions to build a solid performing team. 

The Diabetes Navigators provide a high level of member support for diabetes care, which includes anything from getting needed prescription drugs to sharing resources on healthy eating and nutrition. The Navigators are trained extensively on diabetes as a chronic condition and the supplies diabetics use to test their blood sugar. These scenarios can be long and complex, but Michelle is a solid support for any questions or guidance. This team also requires advocates outside of the Diabetes Navigators to support when call volume is high.  Michelle is there to assist with training and coaching these backup advocates so they feel comfortable and confident servicing these members. 

The Engagement Specialist role was created in February 2024. This is a newly created role within member service that is responsible for making outreaches via outbound calls. This team provides members with education and resources so they have a better understanding of their health plan and can take advantage of the benefits and programs available to them. In addition, this team lives out our mission of treating each person like they are the only one. They can do so along with the rest of the team because Michelle is an example of this, and when she spends time coaching each advocate on the team, she is focused only on that one advocate. She has good insight into the advocates’ personality, strength, area of focus, and how they could effectively and kindly engage in a meaningful conversation with our members where they feel listened to and valued. Sometimes, an advocate can’t resolve a situation, but because of their specialized training, confidence, and Michelle’s encouragement, our members leave the conversation feeling that they were heard and understood, which leads to our members feeling resolved even if a situation could not be resolved the way they hoped it would be. Michelle’s curiosity about her advocates has given her the ability to understand what might be preventing an advocate from taking the next step. She has aided advocates in breaking down walls that may have kept them from handling difficult situations or taking the next steps in resolving an escalated situation. More importantly, she has created an environment where advocates are passionate about sharing members' experiences and feedback. They are the voice of the member, and they are proud to share so that we, as a team and a health plan, can do better. 

In addition, Michelle has a few members that she has dedicated herself to, who have previously been escalated, and the calls have been tough for advocates to handle. Michelle has taken ownership of these members and provided her direct line for any assistance they may need. Michelle has created friendly relationships with them, and they have learned to trust her because she communicates with them and is able to resolve situations, which leaves the members feeling satisfied with the service and the outcome. Her ability to work with all people showcases her awareness and talent.  

I sent an email to the team to ask if anyone would like to share anything about Michelle or a story. The response I received was overwhelming. Their comments are below:  

• “When thinking of Michelle, what comes to mind is that she is kind, patient, and always willing to listen to the advocates on her team. Michelle’s ability to break down complex projects into manageable tasks is incredibly helpful. It keeps everyone on track and makes the workload feel more manageable. She is prompt in addressing the team's concerns and is available to answer questions. Michelle has a wealth of knowledge and knows where to find the answers to questions, or if she is unable to find the answers, she takes the time to research it further or knows who to reach out to have the issue resolved. Everything Michelle does for her team shows that she cares about the team’s well-being and the quality of our work. Michelle also makes sure that she lets her team know that she appreciates our efforts, even when things do not go as planned.  I could not ask for a more understanding, supportive supervisor. She is the best and wants to make sure everyone on her team is successful.”  - Suzanne 

• “She is always the go-to person, is helpful, and has all the right answers.” – Dotty 

• “Michelle’s confidence in her knowledge of Medicare Market plans goes so far that it naturally extends to whomever is seeking her assistance.  She is precise with her answers; they are given in a manner that is both educational and gracious.  Her passion for her job, as well as her concern for our members, is evident at all times.  Her kindness is contagious as well.” – Laurel 

• “Michelle is a great leader and has a wealth of knowledge! I feel I can go to her with anything. She always has a solution! She has taught me so much and is open to new ideas. Michelle is a very kindhearted person, and it shows in her interactions with her fellow team members and with our members. Thank you, Michelle, for being here for all of us! You are greatly appreciated!” – Tracey 

• Michelle is continuously there to support our team and our members, going out of her way to help us be the best advocates we can be for our members. -Jen 

• “From my 2nd seasonal position (2018-2019) to now, I seem to follow Michelle to every team she goes to. Whenever I’ve called a hotline and heard her voice on the other end, I’ve always been confident we could find the answer together. That has not changed at all; if anything, her resourcefulness and dedication have only continued to increase, to an almost invaluable level. I would absolutely agree that she is a Superhero Supervisor.” – Alicia Merry  

• “Michelle leads by example, always quick to respond to questions, ensures she follows up and checks for understanding.   Michelle always has fitting examples, advice, and support to ensure we are giving our members the best experience.   During coaching sessions, Michelle provides feedback and guidance and always includes opportunities for skill development.  She always makes sure we are aware of growth opportunities within the company.  Michelle encourages us to try things out of our comfort zone, she often states, “It’s a good challenge for you!”   Michelle is a wealth of information, helping with workflows and resources, and is very dedicated as she wears many “hats” throughout the day.  However, I always feel connected to Michelle and appreciate her support. She always communicates through emails, IM, and touch-base calls to check in.  I love that Michelle always shares recognition about team members so that we can celebrate together.” – Jane 

• “Michelle is always quick to respond when asked a question in the Chat. I know she is always juggling a million things, but she is always willing to help and get the answer. If she's not sure of the answer, she will try to find the answer or tell you who you should reach out to. Because she is so quick to respond, we are all able to provide FCR and make our members feel like they are the only ones.” – Megan 

• “Michelle has played a vital role in my overall performance as an Engagement Advocate and member of our Engagement Team. Through coaching sessions and informal discussions, Michelle shares her knowledge, strategies, and expertise and gives support and encouragement, which has given me the confidence and drive to be successful. She has been instrumental in building a strong, effective, and cohesive Engagement Team from what started as a pilot program with six Advocates just over one year ago. I can't imagine a more qualified and deserving nominee!”  - Sharon  

• “Michelle is a caring, supportive, and experienced supervisor. Her knowledge and experience are valuable and important to helping us with the sometimes complex and/or sensitive issues our members may have. I can always count on Michelle’s support of each of us as well as encouraging us as a team to challenge ourselves for our growth and experience.” – Caryl 

• “My experience with having Michelle Pratt as a supervisor is that she is compassionate and available to answer any work-related questions.  I feel she really listens to what you need and meets you where you are.  I love that she says, “How can I support you?” One of the many examples was that I was having burnout at the beginning of the year.  We had a coaching call, and she asked how I was doing.  I am very transparent and said I am feeling burned out.  She offered support with reminding me to take care of myself and to take time off.  She also told me about the Calm App, which I now use all the time.” - Wanda 

Michelle’s story about Tracey 

• 2023 80.65% to 2024 87.5% 

Tracey has been with Medicare Markets since June 2017. While she always did a great job on her calls, she lacked confidence in herself and her abilities and was resistant to change. When I became her direct supervisor sometime in 2022, I got to know her better as a person and an advocate. One of my goals as the new supervisor for this team was to work with all advocates on their own development. I worked with Tracey on building her confidence, to research more thoroughly, and to trust herself and her abilities as an advocate. I also worked to encourage her to embrace change and to try new things within her role and the call center. 

During our coaching sessions, we often talked about what Tracey wanted to accomplish in her role, but also about how she could go about reaching her goals. We discussed how to become a better researcher, how to trust herself, and trust what she was seeing in her resources. I initially allowed her to ask as many questions as she needed to, at first providing the answer outright, and then slowly guiding her to where to locate the answer on her own. I wanted her to realize that she knew what she was doing and had to trust herself.   

As we worked together through 2023, I saw change slowly taking shape. Tracey’s confidence in herself and her resources was growing. She asked fewer questions of her peers and of me as she navigated her new research skills, trusted the process, and overall learned to trust her own abilities. Now that she had her confidence up, I encouraged Tracey to recognize that change was a good thing, and to try to resist it a little less and to embrace it. We started small, with mentoring new hires, and she found she really enjoyed helping others learn by sharing her knowledge. Next, Tracey started supporting advocates on our hotline and helping with our inventory.  

After much encouragement, Tracey joined our first outbound calling team as part of a pilot program near the end of 2023. This was a huge step in Tracey’s development. She learned a great deal about herself, and her abilities, what she enjoyed doing, and what she wasn’t so fond of. Even though Tracey chose not to become a permanent member of that team, I am proud of her and what she accomplished. Tracey was a great support to our members during challenging times, often delivering less-than-ideal news while maintaining empathy.  

I believe this step in her development is what led to her achieving World Class status in 2024. Tracey gained a greater understanding of our members and their needs and used that knowledge to go the extra mile in helping our members. 

Lindsay Segale – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont 

I’m excited to share with you a glimpse of Lindsay’s passion for developing her team members and her ability to leverage the voice of the customer to drive positive improvements for not only our customer experience, but our employee experience as well.  

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is a small Blues plan, and our employees are often tasked with many responsibilities. In addition to Lindsay managing a team of customer service representatives, she also manages our team leaders and oversees our coaching program for the call center. 

When a call does not go as planned, or our performance is not where we’d like it to be, Lindsay loves the challenge of digging into the issue to gain insights and understanding. At the start of 2024, we set a goal to achieve World Class Call Center Certification. When January concluded with an FCR rate of 68% and a World Class Call rate of 74%, we knew we needed to take targeted action to improve. Lindsay analyzed our SQM surveys, identified the trending opportunities to improve customer satisfaction, and crafted a training for our team addressing those opportunities. The training focused on ways to provide complete and accurate solutions, incorporate strong recaps and next steps to ensure customer expectations are realistic, and communicated the expectation that providing concierge service and taking the member out of the middle is not a choice we get to make but simply the way we do business. Lindsay also shared World Class survey examples, incorporating customer feedback, and highlighting the techniques the representatives used as best practices. Our team found this training very beneficial, and it had a positive impact on our performance. At the team’s request, Lindsay continued these trainings monthly throughout 2024, always incorporating the voice of the customer as our anchor.  

Team members shared the following:  

• “Lindsay is always encouraging us that we can make it through the difficult parts of our job. She always reminds us how to work positivity into our everyday jobs and lives.  She thinks outside of the box and is willing to try new things.  She will always hear you out and make you feel like a valued employee, and that your opinion and feelings matter.  She is a team player.” 

• “Lindsay’s unwavering commitment to excellence and exceptional leadership has helped transform our call center into a place where quality interactions thrive.  Her tireless efforts to collaborate with our team on areas of growth are always infused with positivity, inspiring others to join her in creating a culture of continuous improvement and success. Her infectious “can-do” attitude permeates the call center, empowering us to tackle any challenge in front of us.  Lindsay’s unwavering optimism and determination make even the most daunting tasks seem conquerable, uniting us in the belief that together, there is no mountain too high to climb on behalf of the members and providers we serve each day.” 

Lindsay also works closely with our team leaders to ensure our coaching program meets the needs of the call center. She works with them one-on-one, providing real-time coaching feedback on ways to improve their ability to identify the pivotal moments during calls, how to provide actionable and empowering feedback to team members, and ways to foster a growth mindset culture. She also facilitates triangular coaching sessions between the team leader, the CSR, and herself to provide additional perspective and support and ensure our monthly coaching sessions are impactful. In addition, Lindsay conducts weekly call calibrations with our team leaders. These weekly sessions have been fundamental to the development of our team leaders and have ensured alignment in our coaching delivery model across all teams in the call center.  

Team members shared the following:  

• “Lindsay has been integral to my success at BCBSVT. She has been more than a mentor; she’s been a role model. From my time as a customer service trainee just trying to find footing on solid ground to my pursuit of a leadership position, Lindsay has led by example, with dedication and tenacity.  I have always been a very emotionally charged person. Pair that with a position in customer service at an insurance company dealing with people often facing some of the hardest moments of their lives, and I quickly learned that my emotions could either be a superpower or a detriment. Lindsay has been my main mentor in learning how to place my emotions aside when interacting with our customers, and she has led me with curiosity and persistence. When receiving feedback from customers, having difficult conversations, or coaching me through a tough call, Lindsay’s motivation for me has always been to simply ask “why?” “Why do you feel like you can’t review this member’s benefits?” “Why do you think that they are going to be angry, sad, frustrated, or upset?” “Why do you think this customer is going to have this reaction?” “Why do you think the worst thing will happen?” It’s been in simply trying to uncover my “why” that I’ve been able to continually succeed throughout my time here, and that is due in part to Lindsay’s constant and consistent coaching. Lindsay has helped me find ways to recognize triggers that bring up my emotions during calls, and she has helped me find ways of coping with those triggers so that I can provide our customers with the best experience possible. From a simple exercise like using hold on every single call I took (even if it was just to allow me a moment to compose my thoughts or take a few deep breaths), to even having me practice typing out verbiage to use in different call types, Lindsay found ways to help me mitigate and harness my emotional reactions to ensure I was providing accurate, complete, clear, and concise information to every customer I interacted with.”  

• “Lindsay is an invaluable resource to both me as a team lead and to the representatives on my team. Every day, my team and I are faced with difficult conversations after difficult conversations. No matter how overwhelming or arduous the situation is, Lindsay always seems to have the perfect guidance. From the start of every conversation, her wisdom and knowledge shine through, setting the example for what every supervisor should aspire to be. Not only does Lindsay set a level of excellence that pushes you to be better every day, but she will also constantly show you how to achieve it, not just tell you. She is always able to go back through her wealth of experience and shows you how she would navigate a call, and makes it clear why she would do it that way. Being a great leader isn’t about giving orders; it's about being involved with your team, having their back, facing challenges, and supporting them every step of the way. These are things Lindsay exemplifies every day. It’s hard not to be motivated when every ounce of work you put in is reciprocated tenfold. I’m grateful to have a supervisor as amazing as Lindsay, and her efforts keep me encouraged every single day!” 

• “I cherish Lindsay’s feedback as she can view any situation from multiple angles and is able to provide clear and concise options for the next steps to resolution, which has assisted me with being able to resolve issues in one call. She explains her thought process, so I can learn from how she looks at the issue, and I have been able to apply this to my calls, improving my success with FCR. Just when I think I have exhausted my resources and options, I check in with Lindsay and she illuminates a path I hadn’t considered.” 

• “Lindsay is a wonderful supervisor and a great source of inspiration. One of my biggest challenges as a CSR was divulging too much information to a customer, which can be confusing and overwhelming to the caller. Lindsay gave me some helpful suggestions and paired me with another representative so I could listen to their call flow, which gave me food for thought. The most pivotal moment in my SQM success was Lindsay’s encouragement to break down my calls. She encouraged me to ask myself, “What can I leave out?”, “Does this extra information add value?”, “What am I required to advise in order to give a clear, concise answer?” and to ask the caller if they would like more information, versus assuming. Lindsay’s compassion as a leader gave me the power to identify ways to improve. With her guidance and suggestions on how to refine my communication, I have become a better representative.” 

• “One thing I am most grateful for having Lindsay as a supervisor is that she provides a safe space to ask questions and voice my concerns. I can have open and honest conversations without any fear of being looked down on or my ideas being pushed aside. She validates me and makes me feel heard. Lindsay pushes me to be the best CSR I can be; her confidence in me gives me confidence in myself.  There have been many times I have turned to Lindsay, feeling I was out of options or had no direction for my next steps, and she has provided me a path for how to resolve the issue and the steps to take to get there. Recently, I had a member who was questioning how we processed their claims and did not believe we were processing them correctly.  After promising a follow-up call, I reached out to Lindsay for guidance.  Lindsay took the time to explain the claim processing, which I was having a hard time understanding. She stuck with me, providing examples, changing her wording until it finally clicked.  After I had a clear understanding of the process, she gave me a pep talk, providing me the confidence I needed to follow up with the member, knowing I had the right information.”  

Lindsay is such an asset to our team. Her passion and dedication to the growth and development of our team and the customer experience are tangible and contagious. Her unwavering focus on monthly team trainings to improve our SQM performance, paired with just-in-time CSR/team lead coaching feedback and support, made our goal of SQM World Class Call Center Certification a reality. Her leadership style embodies the attributes needed to foster a satisfied and engaged workforce and improved customer experience. 

Kerry Cowart – HCSC FEP

Kerry Cowart’s tremendous passion for our Customer Advocates, as well as our members and providers, is visible to all! Not just this year, but every year, Kerry strives to educate CAs on the best call flow to ensure stellar service and avoid the need for members to call back.  

In regard to helping the department improve performance, she is an idea machine! She regularly has ideas to help the department improve service to our callers, inventory, employee satisfaction, and more.  

She has worked to introduce a new department goal focused on call flow skills. She started this idea with her own team, trickled it down to a peer a few months later, and as they saw positive results, she worked with leadership to implement this new way of coaching. Her peers have adopted this new form, which is a big reason why our HCSC FCR/CSAT scores have improved so much. With this goal, “Supervisor Feedback Coaching,” the intent is to coach the customer advocate on live calls in a timely manner. Coach at the beginning of the month, instill the new behaviors, and see the impact before the month is over. 

Kerry coaches to her assigned CAs, but also pays attention to those not on her team who need additional support, often coaching them too. She is supportive of her supervisor peers; when someone is out, she jumps in to assist so that their Customer Advocates do not get left behind.  

Kerry is also the lead on a project we call “Frequent Caller.” In this project, she collaborates with a team of Customer Advocates to review those members who call us often. They research to see what the member calls us for. If it is a repetitive question, Kerry has the advocate contact the member to provide a resolution. Her focus is always on the member. She helps the CAs understand the best resolution for the member.  

She is also active in our call calibration sessions, offering feedback to her peers to improve customer advocate skills. In these sessions, all supervisors attend a session to listen to a live phone call and analyze the call together. They listen for areas of improvement, areas to reinforce, and areas done well. They share their ideas on how to best provide feedback. Kerry engages with her peers and provides her ideas to drive positive change. 

Kerry’s spirit for our members is contagious! Her team knows how important it is to assist our members so that they feel heard and supported. Kerry’s team has high praise for her and has let me know they appreciate her leadership and guidance. She coaches to educate; she leads to encourage growth in others.  

Kerry’s intentional coaching has shown she can take advocates who are lower performers and turn them around for positive impact. She has had new teammates come to her who were not meeting goals, but she was able to work with them to help them understand the importance of why we strive for first contact resolution and customer satisfaction. 

For these reasons, and more, Kerry Cowart is the best candidate for Supervisor of the Year. We appreciate her hard work and drive at HCSC and believe she is making a difference for our members and advocates! 

Nicolas Campos – Mr. Cooper

It is with great pride that I nominate Nicolas Campos for the prestigious Service Manager of the Year award. In 2024, Nicolas ranked number one for the year in the CSR metric for the Rushmore Brand, a truly outstanding achievement that reflects his exceptional leadership and dedication to excellence. This recognition speaks volumes about his ability to inspire, coach, and guide his team to deliver extraordinary customer service every day. 

What stands out most about Nicolas is his unique leadership approach. He doesn’t simply direct his team; he leads by example, fostering a culture of empowerment, empathy, and service excellence. Nicolas has a natural ability to connect with his team members on a personal level, helping them understand that each interaction with a customer is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. His leadership is rooted in a deep belief that every customer contact is a chance to exceed expectations and to delight customers, not just meet their needs. 

One of the key reasons I believe Nicolas is deserving of this recognition is his ability to turn challenges into opportunities for growth. Under his leadership, his team successfully pivoted from a reactive approach to a proactive one, focusing on customer engagement and resolution with a genuine servant’s heart. While his previous role focused on collections—a department often associated with negativity—Nicolas transformed this perception by coaching his team to see every customer as a person, not a problem. Through his guidance, his team has learned to approach each call with empathy, patience, and a commitment to delivering positive outcomes. 

Nicolas’s leadership is not about simply managing metrics; it’s about shaping a mindset. He has instilled a philosophy of customer-centric thinking within his team, which is now deeply ingrained in their daily interactions. This shift has not only helped reduce customer complaints but also created an environment where his team is consistently motivated to perform at the highest level. Each team member feels valued, supported, and inspired to contribute to a greater purpose: providing exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for our customers. 

Nicolas embodies the very essence of our CORE Values and demonstrates what it truly means to be customer-centric. He leads his team by embracing the Voice of the Customer and ensuring that every decision is made with the customer’s best interest at heart. Nicolas’s ability to coach his team with both compassion and conviction has resulted in outstanding service delivery, consistently setting a high standard for others to follow. 

It is this combination of leadership, vision, and relentless focus on customer experience that makes Nicolas Campos the ideal candidate for SQM Manager of the Year. His team’s success and the positive impact he has made on our customer experience are a direct reflection of his outstanding leadership. 

Trevor Raymond – VSP Vision Care

Tanya began her role in the Customer Experience Center in June of 2022. She has experienced many changes within the organization, but the one thing that remains constant is her commitment to leading her agents to be their best. Tanya's first interaction with her agents begins with, “If you give me 100%, I will provide you with 110%.” This interaction sets the foundation of trust. 

Here is what her agents have to say about Tanya: 

• "Tanya has been very understanding and helpful in everything we do. She is always concerned with helping me reach my goals. When I feel like I have failed, Tanya educates me in a way that I can receive it and achieve it.” 

• “Tanya encourages and supports me. She shared my SQM results and gave me tips to get the job done. I appreciate how she listens to me and helps me create a plan to improve.  

• “She always makes herself available, and she provides great advice.” 

• “She understood and shared with me my improvements, so I knew she was paying attention to my efforts.” 

 

Here is the foundation Tanya sets for her Team: 

The key to giving World Class service is to understand the caller and their needs, providing “white glove service” ensures that no question is left unanswered. This was the focus for me and the Team.  

We made our own slogan, "Taking it Personally," which means we are all customers. What better way to assist than placing ourselves in the caller's shoes? 

We achieved this by: 

 1. Actively listening to the needs of the caller. 

 2. Listening for cues that help to better understand and asking probing questions  

 3. Understanding the type of caller. Do we have to spend a little bit more time to explain while respecting the caller's time?  

 4. Most importantly, honing in on the importance of asking, "Have I resolved the reason for your call?" 

We made sure to celebrate every World Class Service as it was a testament to a job well done and another satisfied caller. This focus in 2024 led to the success of the Team.