For over 200 years, The Hartford has focused on customer experience and innovation by putting the right people in the right positions to guide us. Meredith Werstak became our head of customer solutions for Employee Benefits in August 2024 after 20 years in Employee Benefits. We sat down with her to discuss her work, her view into industry trends and what excites her about the future of employee benefits.
What is your role at The Hartford?
MW: I’m the head of customer solutions for Employee Benefits, which is part of our sales and relationship management organization. I oversee all our relationship managers who support employers that have over 500 employees with their employee benefits products and services.
I also oversee the enrollment strategy team. Additionally, within my organization are key partners who do so much to support and enable our success, including our client consultants, service center of excellence and our customer solutions best practices teams.
How would you describe the work your team does?
MW: When I think about my role and what my team is responsible for, it’s all about the relationships we have with our customers and broker partners. Our work is grounded in understanding and anticipating customer needs based off a combination of what we hear from them as well as their experiences and our expertise. As their insurance carrier, we support them and take a consultative approach to offer a more personalized experience.
We aspire to be the trusted expert on the products and services we offer, and they look to us for the right solutions to help them administer their benefits appropriately.
How do you and your team ensure success?
MW: Listening is a crucial component of our work. Our team's responsibilities include understanding the underlying reasons for customers' inquiries and identifying opportunities to better meet their needs. Beyond providing an exceptional service experience and offering consulting support, we aim to deepen and strengthen our relationships with customers. To achieve this, we must earn their trust, which in turn fosters loyalty and strong customer retention.
Collaboration is also key. Our team works collaboratively, leveraging internal expertise and resources to respond to customer needs and requests quickly and effectively. This internal collaboration is crucial to meet the diverse and complex needs of our clients, ensuring that we provide comprehensive and timely solutions. By aligning our efforts and maintaining constant communication within our teams, we can anticipate potential challenges and address them proactively, thus strengthening our commitment to delivering exceptional service and fostering long-lasting relationships with our customers.
What trends have you seen in the industry and how has your team responded?
MW: Over the past couple of years, there has been an increased level of complexity in the employee benefits space. For example, our customer relationships have multiple layers. We respond to employers who have to administer their benefits in accordance with ever-changing laws and regulations. Those employers are also juggling the diverse and evolving demands from their employees. Additionally, new technologies and the need for data integration have become the market standard, adding further complexity. These dynamics are evident not only in our own products and services, which have evolved, but also in the way our customers and distribution and vendor partners want to interact with us.
What’s the result of that increase in complexity?
MW: The complexity of today's benefits landscape requires insurance carriers to possess a high level of expertise. Our organization employs knowledgeable individuals because the current environment demands it. The required knowledge and expertise needed to effectively support and consult with customers has increased significantly.
To that end, we have invested in both personnel and technology. So, when customers reach out with important questions about how to administer their benefits, we can provide them with the necessary guidance and services. Our investment in technology can be seen in our intentional development of better claims and benefit administration platforms. It not only helps us manage the increasing complexity but also enhances the precision and efficiency of our responses. We are continuously adapting to the evolving landscape, ensuring that we stay ahead by providing industry-leading customer experiences. This proactive approach allows us to meet the rising expectations of our clients and maintain our position as a leader in the industry.
What excites you about the future?
MW: It’s really an exciting time in our company history. It’s energizing to see us deepening our focus on customer centricity. I am passionate about this because of what it means to our customers and their experience with The Hartford, and in turn, how it helps all of us on our quest to achieve and exceed our growth goals and how it helps continue to foster employee engagement.
Any final thoughts?
MW: When I think about the future, I’m struck by how we keep raising the bar together with our customers. We’re coming up on a moment in time where workforces are evolving and getting smarter about their needs. It’s a huge opportunity for us to evolve in tandem and use our centuries of knowledge and experience to meet those needs. Between the investments we’re making in our organization and the emergence of new human resources technologies, the opportunities are there for us to continue innovating and delivering an elevated experience.
