Premium care: How healthcare benefits company Homestead Smart Health Plans reduced their ASA to under 10 seconds

Homestead Smart Health Plans, headquartered in Philadelphia, is dedicated to providing innovative healthcare benefits solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Their unique platform is built on a proprietary reference-based repricing system, and it includes stop-loss insurance and third-party administration services. This approach saves clients 20-30% on their healthcare benefits cost.

On top of that, the positive work environment at Homestead is another key factor in their success. With an average tenure of over 10 years and 0% agent attrition, Homestead sets a high bar for employee satisfaction and retention.

As part of their commitment to excellence, Homestead was on the hunt for a more reliable, efficient phone system that their employees could count on each day. 

And so Homestead turned to Dialpad Ai. We spoke with Tony Tedesco, CIO, as well as Corinne Reed and John Montemurro, both Customer Experience leaders at Homestead, to learn about the challenges they overcame as a result.

The search for a solution that could support a healthcare benefits company’s diverse needs

Before adopting Dialpad Ai, Homestead Smart Health Plans struggled with their previous business phone system, which was unreliable and inefficient. Tony recounted his concerns from previous experiences: “A previous employer had gone through a phone migration that was a complete disaster. I was afraid that we would have similar problems with Dialpad Ai, but I was pleasantly surprised.”

Like many healthcare benefit companies, Homestead needed a robust, reliable communication solution that could support their unique and diverse needs, including a 24-agent call center handling primarily inbound calls and a sub-team dedicated to provider outreach. The previous systems fell short, often leaving employees wondering if the phones would work each day.

What Homestead Smart Health Plans needed was a seamless, all-in-one communication platform that could enhance their operations—which is exactly why the ease of use, reliability, and innovative features of Dialpad Ai, particularly the Dialpad Ai Contact Center solution, proved to be a game-changer for the company.

Dialpad Ai Contact Center: Real-time reporting creates operational efficiency

The simplicity and user-friendly nature of Dialpad’s interface quickly won over the team at Homestead. Corinne, Manager of Customer Experience, highlighted this aspect:  

“Dialpad Ai is very real-time. Usually, you can’t get real-time info during the day with other platforms, but I like the real-time reporting where you see every interaction.” 

In fact, Dialpad's performance analytics reports have saved Homestead about one day per month, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks. From missed calls to abandoned calls, supervisors can get a clear overview of how the team is performing at all times, right inside Dialpad Ai Contact Center:

Additionally, creating customized reports using contact center data helps teams understand their business in new ways:

But that’s not all the team at Homestead loves about it.

Virtual fax caters to industry requirements

Despite the rise of digital communication, faxing remains a critical function in the insurance and healthcare industry. John, Supervisor of Customer Service, noted, “We do use Dialpad fax. That was one of the new features we downloaded.” The fax feature ensures seamless and reliable document transmission, essential for their operations.

Auto-answer feature results in speedier ASA and improved first call resolution

One of the standout features for Homestead has been the auto-answer feature. Corinne explained, “Before, we couldn't meet our service level because if an employee didn't answer within three rings, the call would go to another employee. With the auto-answer feature, members get a beep in their headset, and they immediately answer the call.” This feature has significantly improved their average speed to answer (ASA) and first call resolution times. 

Corinne shared:

“Our goal was to answer 80% of calls in 30 seconds or less, which is the industry standard. We went from over a minute to under 10 seconds.”

Additionally, the streamlined call flow and reduced number of IVR prompts have further enhanced efficiency. Tony explained, “We simplified it so that when someone calls, whether it's a member, a provider, or an employer group, they can get to a person after only one or two prompts.  We made the IVR tree much easier to navigate.”

The team is particularly pleased with the bulk holiday updates feature, which simplifies the management of their call center during busy periods. Tony noted, “The bulk update of holidays makes it easy to add a new observed holiday across the various contact centers or play a new closed message. It's a great new feature to have that was recently added.”

Continuous platform improvements & proactive communication for the remote workforce

With 80% of their workforce operating remotely, the cloud-based nature of Dialpad Ai has been indispensable. Tony stated, “There’s no panic or uncertainty among our staff,” highlighting the stability and reliability Dialpad offers. The platform supports their commitment to providing top-notch service regardless of their team’s location.

Tony also praised Dialpad’s continuous innovation and investment in the platform: “You offer much more than the basics. You're constantly adding enhancements and being transparent about your roadmap. We've benefited from those features.” 

Corinne adds:

“When there are issues, I've never worked with a vendor that's more on top of notifying us of a problem, no matter how small. Dialpad Ai keeps us informed with updates, even if there's no change.” 

Looking ahead: Leveraging analytics to further refine the support process

Homestead is excited about the future with Dialpad Ai Contact Center—and the feeling is mutual! They plan to delve deeper into the analytics provided by the platform to fine-tune their support processes and continue delivering exceptional service to their clients. By leveraging these insights, Homestead aims to maintain their reputation for outstanding customer care.

Take control of your healthcare benefits costs and visit Homestead Smart Health Plans to learn more.