Articles
Benefits Managers Give Delta Dental High Marks in Survey
New Training, Workflow Improvements Mean Calls are Answered Faster, Claims Paid Sooner
Holiday Closings
Mark The Date
Plan The Opening Words of Your First Call
New Survey Shows Oral Health May Mirror Overall Health
Staff Spotlight: E.J. Sebelle

Benefits Managers Give Delta Dental High Marks in Survey

More than nine out of 10 benefits managers said they would recommend Delta Dental to other administrators and eight out of 10 are "extremely satisfied" or "very satisfied" with our services, according to our annual customer satisfaction survey, conducted last fall.

Brownstone Information Resources, Inc., an independent market-research firm in Morristown, New Jersey, conducted telephone interviews with 250 benefits managers and 400 members selected at random.

Overall, benefits managers said that they rarely experience problems with Delta Dental, and like our benefits coverage, reasonable rates and large network of dentists. Members also rated Delta Dental highly for our network of conveniently located participating dentists and for processing claims accurately.

Additional key findings

• Overall employee satisfaction ranks high. 7 in 10 benefits managers felt their employees are "extremely" or "very satisfied" with Delta Dental.
• Claims processed quickly and accurately. More than 7 in 10 managers rated our claim processing "extremely" or "very well."
• Customer Service Agents receive favorable marks. More than 7 in 10 benefits managers said they perform "extremely" or "very well" in the areas of knowledge, courtesy, pleasantness and empathy.

For more about what Delta Dental is doing to keep members and benefits managers satisfied, please see "New Training, Workflow Improvements Mean Calls Are Answered Faster, Claims Paid Sooner" in this issue.

New Training, Workflow Improvements Mean Calls are Answered Faster, Claims Paid Sooner

In 1997, Delta Dental launched an all-out effort to improve service levels, and the effort is paying off dramatically. We've cut more than two business days off the average claim turnaround time (from 10.4 business days in 1997 to 8.3 business days today), and are answering incoming calls to Customer Service 65% faster than in 1997.

Several factors account for this improvement.

Hiring the right people. "We talk about our customer service philosophy during the interview, so new hires know what we expect," says Lori Acker, assistant vice president, Customer Service. "We tell people that when callers get off the phone with them, they should have had a positive customer service experience."

Training. Service levels started rising shortly after Claims and Customer Service launched training programs 18 months ago. "We now have better trained people on the phones and it's making a difference," says Acker. New agents undergo six weeks of comprehensive training before they answer the phones. Ongoing training is offered whenever necessary, for both individuals and the entire team.

Focusing everyone on the goals. Team leaders meet weekly to talk about service levels and where the team stands against the benchmarks. "We do a lot of communicating to people what the benchmarks are and why they are in place," says Acker. "Each week we talk about what we did right, and where we need to improve."

Introducing more efficient processes. "We've cross-trained people so we can assist each other and help wherever we're needed," says Peggy Marvin, director, Claims. Instead of each associate specializing in one particular area, such as orthodontic claims, every agent is now capable of processing every type of claim. Cross-training has resulted in reduced cycle times, and made it easier to manage the workflow.

System improvements. A new mainframe computer and upgraded imaging system were installed this year to speed claim processing. In Customer Service, the automated Voice Response Unit (VRU) now handles about 20% of the routine calls during the day, freeing Customer Service agents to work on resolving more complex issues for callers. The VRU is constantly expanding its capabilities, and recently added the ability for callers to find out details about their claim's status automatically.

"Customer Service and Claims have improved tremendously over the past two years," says Acker. "Everyone knows that we are at the front line. When members call in, we know we have to put our best foot forward—and we're working hard to make sure that we do."

Holiday Closings

Delta Dental's offices will be closed December 24 for Christmas and December 31 for New Year's. Happy holidays!

Mark The Date

Our next broker seminar is scheduled for April 5, 2000. The seminar-offered free of charge to New Jersey licensed brokers who actively write Delta Dental business--features two half-day courses. Each course is worth five CEUs. Brokers may attend either one or both courses.

Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey offers broker seminars twice a year. Please watch your mail for details and registration information.

Plan The Opening Words of Your First Call

Psychologists say that whenever you meet someone new, you form a lasting impression of that individual in less than a minute.

That also means that, whenever you make a cold call, prospects are quickly making up their minds about you. To help make a positive first impression, experts writing in Selling Power recommend these tips:

• Plan your opening statement in advance. If necessary, write it out beforehand so you feel comfortable with it. Go over it to discover how you can say more with fewer words. Study every phrase and delete anything that doesn't make the statement more effective.
• Use a direct and interesting introduction that focuses on the prospect's needs. Know enough about your prospect's business to determine how and where you can help the prospect.
• Don't use your opening statement to sell. Avoid statements about how your company is the biggest and the best.
• Make your statement enticing without sounding unbelievable. Use statements such as, "there's a possibility that," or "depending on what you are doing now."
• Tie your opening statement to a brochure or literature sent to the prospect. Be ready with a copy of the brochure if the prospect doesn't remember getting it.

Do patients tell their dentists as much about their overall health as they do their primary doctor? They should: Dentists are often the first to see signs of a more serious health problem.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA)/Colgate Oral Health Trend Survey, conducted in October at the ADA annual session, dentists report that they see symptoms of a variety of common medical ailments in the mouths of their patients. Dentists identified hypertension/heart disease (62%) and diabetes (22%) as the two ailments they see signs of most often. "We're learning more about the associations between oral health and overall health. Keeping the mouth clear of infections may also be reducing the risk for other medical problems," explains S. Timothy Rose, DDS, president, American Dental Association and practicing periodontist.

Recent reports indicate a possible relationship between periodontal (gum) disease and stroke, heart disease, and pre-term low-birth-weight babies. Nearly eight out of 10 dentists surveyed report that they are taking the proposed connection seriously and are helping to educate their patients on the issue. More than three-quarters (78%) are directly educating patients on the possible links, 31% recommend home care products with anti-bacterial ingredients and 22% are increasing recall of patients with other health risks.

Most dentists surveyed also ranked periodontal disease as the most pressing oral health issue as we approach the year 2000, and 57% of dentists identified gum disease as the one area that patients are not adequately concerned about.

The survey also revealed that dentists are taking an active role in counseling their patients on a regular basis. Ninety percent of dentists surveyed said they counsel patients on home care for special oral health care needs resulting from chemotherapy or head and neck radiation therapy.

Eighty-seven percent of dentists surveyed responded that they counsel patients on tobacco use, more than half (59%) proactively provide direct counseling to patients.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents also provide literature on the dangers of tobacco and information on tobacco cessation programs to patients, 17% refer patients to their primary care physician, and 14% directly refer patients to cessation services.

The computerized survey polled 515 U.S. dentists about general oral care trends. The survey, in its eighth year, was administered by Pathfinder Research Group of Acton, Massachusetts, an independent opinion and market research firm specializing in trend and leadership studies.

The newest member of Delta Dental's marketing team is E.J. Sebelle, who was named Marketing coordinator on November 1.

You may already know E.J. He began working part time in the Marketing Department in June 1998 while attending Montclair State University. He graduated in June 1999 with a degree in business administration/marketing.

For the past two years, E.J. has interned in the Marketing Department. During that time he has been instrumental in successfully coordinating many of the special projects that come up. Most recently, E.J. has coordinated the mailing and response for the NJREA dental plan.

In his new role, E.J. will coordinate many of the special reports and requests that come in from our clients. Additionally, E.J. will work on responding to the comprehensive proposal requests that we receive each year from prospective clients. He will also be responsible for marketing the Flagship product to employers in the "the less than 100 employees" group market.

"This is a great place to start my career," says E.J. "There's a lot to learn and people are willing to spend time teaching me. I'll work on a lot of different things, becoming a jack of all trades, and eventually, I hope, a master of some."

E.J. played baseball in college and still plays in his spare time. He also enjoys cooking, a hobby he learned during a stint working at an Italian restaurant. "I like experimenting with food," he says. "I use cookbooks to get started, but then make up the rest as I go along. I know what tastes good to me, and that's what I aim for."

Another thing he aims for is to support brokers any way he can. "I'll work hard to help them produce," says E.J. "If I can help them sign a group, it's good for them, and it's good for Delta Dental."