Employees create process to keep associates connected to customers, reduce phone outages

Many of us have been working from home for months, and our phones are our lifeline to our coworkers and customers. When our phones stop working, it not only disconnects us from others but also hinders productivity.

Division 10 Customer Service Manager Robin Key and Business Analyst III LeRicko Benson took a proactive approach to identify outages before they interrupt workflow. The new process relies on the Technology Support Center Help Desk to maintain coverage and monitor functionality by testing the Customer Service Associates’ phone system and the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) daily.

Key and Benson’s new process has reduced the number of hours needed to resolve outages 75% and the number of employees needed to respond nearly 40%. It also has earned the honor of Division 10’s Process Improvement of the Quarter.

Team Members

Robin Key, LeRicko Benson

Training team recognized for collaborative spirit, focus on improvement

Palmetto GBA trainers are integral to the success of each associate. The Part A Home Health and Hospice and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) trainers are responsible for introducing each new hire to the processes and procedure of Palmetto GBA during their onboarding experience. Each trainer is also responsible for functional area specific training curriculum that can span up to nine weeks.

This team includes Customer Service Coach Bobbi Jackson Qualls, Training Specialist I Stephany Reese and Training Specialist I Christopher Guiler. The three have adapted to the challenges presented by COVID-19 by working in tandem with the eLearning Development Training Team. This has allowed the Part A Home Health and Hospice and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Training team to adapt to the online learning needs of new employees.

The team also continuously seeks ways to improve the customer experience and streamline our processes. Earlier this year, they developed a process for the Provider Contact Center to transition newly hired customer service associates to transition from a training environment to a production environment on their respective teams.

The collaborative forward-thinking of the Part A Home Health and Hospice and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Training team has earned them the distinction of Division 10’s Team of the Quarter.

Team Members

Bobbi Jackson Qualls, Stephany Reese, Christopher Guiler

Jeff Coleman named Coach of the Quarter for focus on team’s growth, development

Palmetto GBA leaders are not just concerned with their own personal growth and development, but also the growth and development of their team members. Training and Development Manager Jeff Coleman is one such leader.

Coleman has led the eLearning Design and Development team for just over a year and has accomplished much in a short amount of time, including assisting with the enterprise Customer Xperience program.

Coleman has established team goals using key performance measures to ensure projects are completed timely and accurately. He then works with each member of his team to create development plans to encourage employee growth and ensure those goals are met.

Coleman’s focus on measuring success expands to other areas, too. He has deployed a new project management tool to capture feedback on all development modules. This allows not just team members to provide feedback, but customers as well.

This dedication to ensuring ongoing growth and development is why Coleman has been named the Division 10 Coach of the Quarter.

Associates of the Month

Mary Latta (April)

Mary Latta, Training and Development Assistant, is a part-time employee who, in addition to her primary role, she also serves as the Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator. She is the go-to person for LMS reports for all management and always has reports ready in a timely fashion.

Wendy Coats (May)

Wendy Coats, Training Specialist I, has proved herself to be incredibly adaptable in an ever-changing environment and has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. She has complete multiple back-to-back new-hire training cycles and has juggled overlapping training classes with poise. She has done all this while also monitoring and providing support to new trainers as they instruct new classes.

Michelle Smith (June)

Michelle Smith, Supplier Contracting Analyst, approaches all projects with a positive attitude and an unwavering commitment to ensuring high-quality end results. She does this by making use of all her available resources and working diligently to understand processes and work instructions to ensure efficiency, which is evident in her work as the point of contact on the Change of Ownership Workgroup. Her extensive knowledge also extends to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) Help Desk, where she serves as a subject matter expert to assist customer service associates with complex issues.