Don’t Call Me (Maybe): The Psychology Behind Employees’ Preferred Support Methods
Studies show chat and text are the preferred communication channels for some individuals, except when it comes to health and finances.
In the evolving landscape of customer service and employee benefits, the interplay between artificial intelligence (AI) and human interaction has become a focal point. While AI offers efficiency in handling routine tasks, human empathy and understanding remain irreplaceable, especially in complex scenarios.
A Blended Approach Works Best
Debating between tech and human support creates a false either/or choice. Instead, it’s important to determine which option creates the lowest effort user experience based on the situation at hand. People’s preference for AI or human assistance depends largely on the nature of the issue they need help with. For simple technical questions, machine-based assistance is preferred. For that, a benadmin platform’s document library or carrier chat can be exactly the level of support needed. For everything else benefits-related, more personalized assistance is necessary and appreciated.
A survey by Talkdesk revealed that Americans are almost twice as likely to trust advice from a human than from an AI chatbot when making complex financial decisions. This preference underscores the critical role of human representatives in scenarios requiring empathy and personalized understanding. As one Quora commenter noted, “For anything that requires empathy, or understanding a personal take on a problem, I prefer personal interaction.” Another emphasized the frustration of dealing with automated systems when seeking genuine assistance, highlighting the irreplaceable value of human care in customer service.
The Dual Impact of Benefits Enrollment Decisions
Employee benefits enrollment is a pivotal process that influences both financial well-being and overall health. Understanding benefits packages is crucial, as it directly affects job satisfaction and stability. According to a 2023 MetLife Employee Benefit Trends study, 76% of workers who comprehend their benefits report happiness at work, and 82% feel a greater sense of overall stability. Moreover, 50% of employees believe that a better understanding of their benefits would enhance their loyalty to their employer.
The Necessity of Human Guidance in Benefits Enrollment
Given the complexity and personal significance of benefits enrollment, human guidance becomes indispensable. Employees often seek empathetic assistance to navigate their options effectively, ensuring their decisions align with their unique circumstances. This perspective reinforces why benefits enrollment—a process that directly impacts both finances and health—demands human involvement. Employees need personalized support to make informed choices, and an automated system simply cannot provide the nuanced understanding required for these high-stakes decisions. By offering human guidance, employers ensure that their workforce feels valued, understood, and empowered to make the best choices for their well-being.
Conclusion
While AI continues to revolutionize routine aspects of customer service and information dissemination, the human element remains vital in areas requiring empathy, complex decision-making, and personalized guidance. As the cloud-based customer experience experts at Nice aptly put it, “A competent agent with great listening skills can make an interaction seem effortless. Strong listening comprehension skills enable agents to quickly understand the issue and get right down to problem solving.”
In benefits enrollment, where financial and health decisions intertwine, human assistance ensures that employees make informed choices, ultimately enhancing their well-being and happiness at work.
ABOUT THE ORIENTATION COMPANY
At The Orientation Company, we partner with clients nationwide to provide full-service HR/benefit solutions that make their culture shine. Leveraging our decades of industry experience and a “people over everything” mentality, we help companies achieve excellence around new hire onboarding, long-term care insurance and other special-purpose enrollments, annual enrollment, employee service, and communications. Ultimately, we exist to help our clients maximize their return on investment in benefits while making their employees’ lives easier.