The case for a high-touch solution in the digital age

Balance is key to engagement

Technology has infiltrated just about every corner of our lives. We celebrate the convenience and ease that technology brings, more now than ever before with social distancing and remote work. Think about the difference video conferencing and food delivery apps have made to our pandemic experience. 

At the same time, there is significant value in providing a high-touch, white-glove service. If you’ve ever tried calling your cable provider, but were routed through an automated telephone service, you understand this value. Sometimes you just want to speak to a human being! 

A Health Advocate survey among employers found that high-touch support is a critical component to balancing high-tech offerings. A majority (82%) agree that “high-touch support is integral to a successful strategy.” 

This is where employers get tripped up. In an effort to streamline and digitize health and benefits, they forget about the personalized needs of their employees. There are nuances and edge cases that automated chatbots cannot solve for. If employees can’t find what they need, they’re likely to redirect questions to HR or do nothing. 

Savvy employers know that benefits usage is dependent on a combination of high-tech and high-touch. In that same 2018 survey, eight out of ten employers confirmed that having some level of high-touch support increases employee engagement with their benefits.

How League puts high-touch into practice

At League, we’ve realized this effect on employee engagement, and have built a digital support team of health and benefits experts into our health OS platform. Just recently we rebranded them as our Care Team. 

League members can chat directly with one of our Care Team staff to answer benefits coverage questions, find cost-efficient care or address health concerns. Members are connected in real-time with a local registered nurse or care navigator (depending on their need) within the platform interface. 

This team also has the advantage of seeing each member’s benefits information, and can address questions and concerns within the context of individual health coverage (something that other providers can’t always do).

“The benefit of this team is that it gives employees peace of mind and accessibility of care,” says Henry Hayes, Care Team Director. “They’re able to give information in a highly contextual and relevant way, and in the end, it can reduce the need for things like primary care visits or even emergency care visits.”

Previously, this team was broken out into separate teams of benefits experts and registered nurses. By combining them together, they’re able to share resources and deliver a more seamless experience for members. “We want to take the lift off of members in terms of them having to figure out who to talk to,” notes Hayes. 

The Care Team has elevated the experience for League members who have increasingly reached out for support during the COVID-19 crisis. Due to demand, we’ve expanded our Care Team across North America, and use intelligent routing to connect members with an expert in their local area. 

And for those that prefer a digital only, DIY-approach, League also offers a digital triage experience through the platform to quickly connect members with the information and care they need. 

As we look to the future of employee well-being, we will continue to invest in delivering expert support and guidance–with people and technology. HR leaders looking to amp up benefits engagement should do the same. High-touch support is here to stay.