2 Contents
Dear Customer EXPERIENCE
4 Champion
Welcome to a brand new and exciting journey at Sagicor – designed to solidify our lead in the market by ushering a new era of remarkable customer experience and Extreme Customer Focus!
In this never-ending journey to dominate the market and be the provider of choice in the territories in which we operate, our customer experience needs to be so noticeable, so refreshing and so consistent that everyone – our team members, our customers and even our competitors will have no choice but to sit up and take notice!
Our aim is for our customer experience to stand head and shoulders above our competitors and be a main differentiating factor for our brand –helping convert casual and curious consumers into raving (and paying) fans of our brand.
Just how will we meet this goal? Glad you asked! We will meet this goal by living and breathing what we refer to as “The SAGE Way” – an easy-tounderstand, easy-to- follow roadmap that all of our customer experience champions can follow that makes our customers go “wow!”.
Champion(CX)
As we embark on this journey, we want to thank you so much for choosing to be a part of the Sagicor team and for your commitment to helping Sagicor meet our customer service and business goals! How do we know you’re committed? We know that you’re committed because you’re reading this resource that outlines Sagicor’s Customer Experience Guidelines! In this document, you will find the guidance and tools that you need to have to be able to consistently give remarkable
service to our customers – no matter in which country you work or in which department you operate.
If you have any queries about any of the material contained in this booklet, please feel free to reach out to Tracey Knight-Lloyd, our Vice President, Customer Experience for Sagicor Southern Caribbean at 1(246)431-2888 or Tracey_Knight-Lloyd@sagicor.com
Sincerely Your Sagicor CX Champions Team Lead
“S.A.G.E” Introducing THE
We get it, we get it! Delivering a remarkable customer experience can sometimes be tricky!
Instead of publishing an encyclopedia of restrictive rules for Sagicorians to follow, we want to make things simple for you! “The SAGE Way” -- provides principles that you can apply to just about any customer experience scenario that you encounter. In this resource document, we are also providing clarity and guidance on our core customer experience guidelines for you to reference from time to time.
Each letter in the acronym “SAGE” stands for a core customer experience principle that we prioritize here at Sagicor.
These principles are:
In the pages that follow, we will do a “deep dive” into each of these principles, so put on your swim trunks, goggles and scuba gear as we provide you with practical guidelines for delivering consistent, exceptional service, scripts to inspire new ways of improving customer experiences and tools to help you make the most of every customer interaction.
Now, of course this is not the final word on customer experience, but it’s more than enough to get you thinking about the little (and not-so-little) ways that we can all improve our customer experience here at Sagicor. 6
S.A.G.E” Way
Here’s how to make the most of this resource:
1 2 3
Read it thoroughly: Take a moment to go through the entire document and get familiar with our customer experience principles.
Keep it accessible: Save it on your desktop or in an easy-to-find folder on your desktop or laptop – or whatever else you need to do to keep it just a few clicks away.
Put it into action: Start incorporating these principles into your daily routine – you’ll soon see the difference they make in the lives of our customers!
This is your Customer Experience Success Roadmap for the journey ahead! Buckle up and start your engines! We’re about to go on an exciting Customer Experience expedition that will reshape the very way we interact with our customers!
P.S. We recognize that it would be impossible to put every conceivable tip or principle into this document, and we encourage you to look for your own ways to show your Extreme Customer Focus in the workplace. If you think that your ideas can be used companywide as a standard, please feel free to speak with your manager about possible next steps to integrate your customer experience ideas into our culture.
Customer
EXPERIENCE Intent Statement
Our team will be knowledgeable, dependable, and swift to act. We will tackle client queries with speed and care, delivering an experience packed with empathy, creativity and enthusiasm. Every interaction will leave our clients feeling valued at every turn, and in the process, earn their trust and loyalty!
10 MEANS Customer Focus” WHAT EXTREME
The SAGE Way is all about developing a culture of Extreme Customer Focus. This means going beyond expectations to create unforgettable experiences for our customers. It means vigorously and enthusiastically looking for ways to go the extra mile for the customer.
Whether it means remembering dates and events that are special to customers (for example, their birthdays and their children’s birthdays or walking a customer to their car with an umbrella when it rains), when we say “Extreme Customer Focus” we mean “Extreme”!
Here’s what Extreme Customer Focus looks like:
• Putting Customers at the Heart of Everything
Position our customers as the centre of our operations. They are not just part of our success—they are vital to it. By aligning their satisfaction with our goals, we secure their loyalty and contribute to our own growth and financial well-being.
• Fostering Genuine Connections
Customers can tell when you’re faking it! Strive for meaningful, interactive exchanges with our customers. A genuine connection builds trust, strengthens relationships, and ensures every customer feels valued.
• Creating an Exclusive Club Experience
Treat our customers like members of an exclusive club. They deserve to feel special, valued, and deserving of the superior service that sets Sagicor apart.
• Exceeding Expectations—Every Time
Deliver service that consistently surpasses expectations. At Sagicor, good service isn’t enough. We aim to be on point and on time every single time for excellence that leaves a lasting impression!
• Mastering the Little Things
Do sweat the small stuff! Quite often, small details matter the most to customers and can have an oversized impact in impressing our clients. Every effort counts when it comes to going the extra mile to ensure our customers leave happy.
• Going the extra mile
Don’t just deliver on what our customers expect. Go the extra mile to surprise and delight them!
A CRASH COURSE in Customer EXPERIENCE
• If you didn’t know, now you know!
Customer Experience (CX) is more than just a buzzword; it’s the heart of every interaction a customer has with Sagicor – from the very first touchpoint to the lasting relationships we nurture over time. Delivering remarkable experience is important to our organization because remarkable experiences directly impact customer satisfaction, leading to high levels
of brand loyalty. Remarkable customer experience can lead to repeat business, greater customer spend and valuable (and free) word-of-mouth buzz, while poor customer experience can result in lost customers and a damaged company reputation. In today’s competitive market, delivering remarkable customer experience often means the difference between organizational success and failure.
At Sagicor, we take the guesswork out of the customer experience equation. But when we use the word “remarkable” to describe the type of customer experience, it brings much-needed clarity to evaluating the level of experience delivered. If a customer remarks positively about the service they’ve received, then clearly, the service was remarkable. If the customer doesn’t have anything positive to say about their experience, then it simply wasn’t remarkable, and we know that we need to improve our customer experience delivery.
• More than just a smile
Delivering remarkable customer experience isn’t just about being cordial and friendly, or smiling when speaking to our customers. Yes, of course, these things are important, but delivering remarkable customer experience is so much more.
Remarkable customer experience is also about solving customer problems and creating a seamless, personalized, and meaningful journey that resonates with our customers at every stage of their interactions with us. Remarkable customer experience is about making customers feel valued, heard, and understood—whether they are engaging with our brand in-person, virtually or over the phone.
• When we say “Extreme”, we mean “Extreme”
To develop a culture of Extreme Customer Focus, each of our brand touchpoints, whether in-person or virtually, must be continually considered, evaluated and improved upon at every chance we get. Every department and every one of our team members – from the most junior or recently hired employee to the most senior and experienced, also has an impact on our overall customer experience delivery.
In order for Sagicor to deliver unrivaled customer experience in the markets in which we operate, every team member needs to be fully prepared to act as confident, informed and highly-engaged brand ambassadors!
Sagicor’s vision is “To be a great company committed to improving the lives of the people in the communities in which we operate”. The name Sagicor is a combination of two words, “Sage” meaning wise and “Cor” for heart or judgement. For us, Sagicor is not just
14 Be SAGE Out there!
a name, but a way of life. A big part of that way of life is our commitment to delivering consistently remarkable service within each and every department in our offices and across all of the territories in which we operate.
there!
SAGE: Speed, Accuracy, Growth, Ease
That’s why we developed “The SAGE Way” – a simple, easy-to-remember set of principles that all team members can use as a guide to deliver remarkable customer experience. The word “SAGE” as we noted, means “wise” and is the
root of our organization’s name. Now, it’s also an acronym, with each letter standing for one of four principles (Speed, Accuracy, Growth and Ease) that act as a foundation for our customer experience delivery across the entire organization.
Here’s a snapshot of why each ingredient in “The Sage Way” is important.
• Speedy solutions build trust Time is valuable, and customers notice when we respect it. By anticipating their needs and responding promptly, we demonstrate our commitment to efficiency. Whether resolving an issue or delivering a service, speed sets the tone for satisfaction and reliability.
• Accuracy Inspires Confidence
Customers need to trust that we’ll get it right the first time. By ensuring our information is precise, our products meet expectations, and our services are error-free, we establish Sagicor as a company that values excellence.
• Growth-oriented interactions empower customers
Every experience should help customers move forward—whether it’s introducing them to new offerings, helping them achieve personal goals, or supporting their journey. By aligning with their aspirations and evolving to meet their needs, we foster meaningful growth for them and for us.
• Ease creates loyalty
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. By making every interaction effortless—whether it’s navigating our website, accessing services, or resolving concerns—we build a frictionless experience that encourages loyalty and inspires recommendations.
• Why the SAGE Way matters
The SAGE Way isn’t just a framework; it’s a promise. It ensures that every customer interaction reflects our commitment to wisdom, care, and excellence. By consistently delivering service that is focused on Speed, Accuracy, Growth, and Ease, we cement our reputation for remarkable customer experiences—ones that customers will not only remember but eagerly share with others.
• Join the Movement
When we work together to deliver service that’s guided by The SAGE Way, we don’t just meet customer expectations— we exceed them. Each of us, no matter our role, contributes to creating an experience that customers rave about and return for.
• So, let’s commit to The SAGE Way.
Let’s approach every challenge as an opportunity, every interaction as a chance to shine, and every customer as someone whose day we can brighten. Together, we’re not just delivering service; we’re making an impact—remarkable, unforgettable, and uniquely Sagicor.
•
Ready to Lead the Way?
The SAGE Way starts with you. From the first hello to the final handshake, every action we take reflects our commitment to creating moments that matter. Let’s show the world what it means to be Sagicor: wise, heartfelt, and driven to deliver the remarkable.
to
journey. WELCOME TO THE SAGE WAY!
The following sections of this booklet provide comprehensive definitions of each pillar of The SAGE Way, complete with practical recommendations and tips on how you can integrate each of these pillars into the workplace. Some of these recommendations and tips may relate to more than one pillar.
This overlap should not be seen as a redundancy, but evidence of alignment between each of the four pillars.
1Pillar 1: Speed
“Speed”, in the context of the Sagicor workplace refers to the delivery of prompt, efficient, and seamless service to both internal and external customers. In our industry, being “speedy” in the workplace is critical as it directly impacts customer satisfaction. Companies that are agile and respond quickly to customer requests greatly increase their chances of impressing and winning that customer compared to companies that take longer to respond. Providing prompt service to our customers conveys a sense of reliability and efficiency, reinforcing their confidence in our products and services and, in our ability as a company to manage their accounts effectively. Efficient handling of claims, swift policy issuance, and rapid resolution of inquiries can help differentiate Sagicor from our competitors, leading to greater potential for increased customer loyalty and market share. Speedy service delivery also helps mitigate potential issues before they escalate, reducing the risk of customer frustration and negative experiences. By making speed a part of our corporate DNA, we can ensure that we meet the growing demands of our customers and maintain a reputation for consistently remarkable service delivery.
“Speedy” HOW TO BE IN THE WORKPLACE
Being speedy in the workplace doesn’t happen by chance. Being able to be speedy calls for lots of thought, preparation and organization. Here are some “behind the scenes” tips on how to prepare yourself for being speedy.
• Be Prepared/Be Ready To Serve
Always be prepared to deliver remarkable customer experience at the very beginning of the work day, because our customers are ready to conduct business as soon as the clock strikes “go” on our opening hours. Not ten minutes after we open, not five minutes after we open, and not even one minute after we open – but as soon as we open. The best way to be prepared to do work
as soon as we open is to be early for work, be logged into your system, have the necessary software programs open and be ready to engage the customer as soon as we are open for business. If you are still logging on while we are already open for business means that we are late, and that we are not being speedy.
• Be Proactive
Being proactive means anticipating potential issues or questions from customers and co-workers and addressing them upfront. Being proactive calls for being aware of customer trends, knowing our customers’ habits, and relying on our collective experience to always be “one step ahead”.
• Declutter
Decluttering your desk and keeping it organized can make it easier and faster for you to find what you need and can help cut down on unproductive time looking for the items you need. Likewise, decluttering your digital workspace can help you to be more agile. Organize your computer/laptop files in folders in an orderly fashion that makes it easier to find those files when you need them. Also, take the time to declutter your inbox. Consider using “spam” or “clutter” folders and direct non-essential emails to those folders. If your email systems allow, flag urgent emails as urgent so they stand out visually in your inbox, or pin them to the top of your inbox so they will be the first thing you see when you open your inbox.
• Use Templates
Consider using templates that can be edited/adapted for repetitive tasks like. For instance, you can write and save a series of templates such as:
• standard introductory emails to customers
• standard reminder emails to customers
• responses to frequently asked customer queries
• emails to accompany quotations, invoices etc.
• pre-populated forms
These templates can then be adapted, edited or otherwise customized to the recipient of the email. Also, be sure to have your checklists and playbooks at hand to help ensure consistency in customer interactions. For a list of existing templates, please reach out to a member of the Customer Experience team.
• Communicate clearly
Unclear communication can cause uncertainty, misunderstandings, confusion, delays, inefficiencies and errors which, in turn, can lead to missed deadlines, longer resolution times and costly rework. Clear and concise communication is absolutely essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals. When speaking with customers, skip the industry jargon. If you must use it, break it down in simple terms. And, if there’s any chance they didn’t fully grasp the conversation, send a follow-up email to recap and clarify. A little extra effort in communication goes a long way in delivering a seamless customer experience!
• Prioritize effectively
Prioritizing tasks effectively is one of the best ways to make the best use of your time and be speedy in the workplace. Prioritizing tasks involves identifying and focusing on activities that have the highest impact on achieving your daily goals. It can help to list all of your tasks
for the day and identify the ones that are most important and those with the most urgent deadlines. Once you’ve done this, focus on high-impact tasks first to ensure critical work is completed promptly.
• Collaborate efficiently
By collaborating with your teammates, you can benefit from a pool of diverse skillsets, knowledge, and experience leading to more innovative solutions and faster problem-solving. Chances are that, many times, to complete a task, you’ll have to collaborate with one or more of your colleagues. For instance, some tasks may require customer-facing team members to collaborate with claims adjusters, underwriters, and team members from
other departments. Wherever possible, alert your team members in advance of tasks or projects that you will be sending their way. If necessary, be your team members’ accountability partner. Remind them of the timelines/deadlines for the project and check in with them often to ensure that they are on track.
• Use technology wisely
Being sufficiently tech-savvy can help you to be speedy in the workplace. Consider using appropriate (and management-approved) tech solutions to automate repetitive tasks. For instance, you can use apps to create “to do” lists and to set alerts and alarms to remind you when to reach out to customers.
Being proactive means anticipating potential issues or questions from customers and co-workers and addressing them upfront. Being proactive calls for being aware of customer trends, knowing our customers’ habits, and relying on our collective experience to always be “one step ahead”.
302 Accuracy Pillar 2:
Accuracy means getting it right the first time— every time! It’s about providing correct, precise, and error-free information to both clients and team members at every touchpoint. Whether it’s financial transactions, policy details, or claims processing, accuracy builds trust and ensures smooth operations. Handling sensitive client data requires extra care. Mistakes can lead to incorrect coverage, delayed claims, and even legal risks. That’s why accuracy and speed must go hand in hand—never sacrifice one for the other. The information we provide helps customers and colleagues make crucial, often life-changing decisions. Getting it wrong isn’t just a small mistake—it can have serious consequences. So, double-check, stay precise, and always make accuracy a priority!
“Accurate” HOW TO BE IN THE WORKPLACE
Many of the tips that can help you to be speedy in the workplace can also apply to being accurate. Feel free to use those tips in combination with the below recommendations on how to be accurate in the workplace.
• Stay up-to-date
A big part of being accurate in the workplace starts with becoming intimately familiar with our policies, procedures, guidelines and product offerings and staying up-to-date with any changes or updates that may occur. This helps ensure that we can provide accurate responses and give appropriate advice to customers and co-workers. Always follow company policies and guidelines for handling claims, processing applications, taking information from customers, and other tasks. Giving inaccurate advice or instruction that deviates from company policy can lead to significant
consequences – including legal action. If you are uncertain about a particular company policy or guideline, be sure to ask your supervisor for direction before proceeding.
• Banish ambiguity
Ambiguity is the enemy of accuracy! If you want to be accurate in the workplace, you need to do everything you can to banish ambiguity and pursue clarity relentlessly. Always remember, you can only accurately complete a task or request, or solve a problem or challenge when you are crystal clear about what is required of you. If there is any ambiguity in a customer’s or team member’s request, ask for clarification before proceeding.
• Seek Confirmation
Even when you think that you have full clarity, it’s always a great idea to seek confirmation before beginning your
task. A great way to do this is to send a quick email recapping your conversation and outlining your understanding of what is required, and ask the customer or co-worker to verify that you have correctly interpreted what is required of you.
• Be detail-oriented
As the saying goes, “the devil is in the details”. Whoever first spoke these words must have worked in the insurance industry! Insurance documents are legally binding, and even the slightest oversight, mistake or error could have significant legal consequences. For instance, even an incorrectly placed comma or period on an insurance quote or policy can inadvertently change the value of the policy and could lead to a customer being under-insured or make the organization liable for a higher amount than was intended. If you want to be accurate in the workplace, always pay attention to even the smallest of details.
• Double-check your work
Eliminate ambiguity, confirm details and double-check you work to ensure accuracy before sending off to clients and coworkers.
• Avoid distractions
Avoiding distractions is key to staying focused, productive, and accurate. In today’s fast-paced digital world, distractions are everywhere— constant emails, messages, social media notifications, and even chatty coworkers. To stay on track, be
proactive about creating a workspace that supports focus and efficiency. Simple changes can make a big difference! Here’s how:
- setting your personal devices to “Do Not Disturb” mode or temporarily disabling digital notifications
- proactively scheduling set times to check emails in batches rather than checking your email whenever a new email drops into your inbox.
- establishing clear boundaries with your co-workers by notifying them when you are in “Do Not Disturb” mode.
- using noise-canceling headphones if the office environment is particularly noisy and is causing you to be distracted.
- setting time limits for personal phone usage and designating breaks throughout the day to address personal matters.
• Take wellness breaks
Working nonstop can drain your focus, leading to fatigue, brain fog, and costly mistakes. Short, regular breaks help you recharge—mentally and physically—so you stay sharp, focused, and accurate. Stepping away for a few minutes, stretching, or taking a quick walk can lower stress, boost problem-solving, and improve work quality. And don’t worry— taking the right breaks isn’t at odds with being speedy. In fact, recharging helps you work faster and more efficiently in the long run!
34 3Pillar 3: Growth
Growth in a business context refers to the process of improving, expanding, and evolving by continually learning new and improved ways of doing things. As Arie de Geus is often quoted as saying, “The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable advantage.” If we want to outperform our competitors, we simply must learn faster than they do –in all areas of the business.
That’s why The SAGE Way champions personal and professional growth. When our team members grow, our entire organization rises. While our organization provides many opportunities for development, true growth comes from being proactive— seeking out new skills, knowledge, and experiences.
Growth
But living The SAGE Way means growth for more than just our team members and our organization. Living The SAGE Way means growth for our customers, co-workers, the community we operate in and any other individual, group or stakeholder that interacts with the Sagicor brand. Having a growth mindset means identifying and acting on every opportunity and interaction to benefit anyone we consider to be a part of the Sagicor family.
HOW TO DEVELOP (AND
MAINTAIN)
A GROWTH Mindset
In order to live The SAGE Way, you need to develop and maintain a growth mindset. This means being constantly “switched on” and looking for every possible opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Again, a rising tide lifts all boats! As you grow personally and professionally, our organization will automatically and organically grow as well. Here are a few tips you can use to sharpen your growth mindset.
• Stay curious!
“Curiosity killed the cat.” Luckily, we’re not cats! In the workplace, curiosity is a powerful driver of growth. Curious individuals explore new ideas, embrace innovation, ask insightful questions, and challenge the status quo—all essential traits for continuous improvement. At Sagicor, curiosity fuels problem-solving, innovation, and progress. When we stay curious, we open doors to better solutions, smarter processes, and fresh opportunities. That’s The SAGE Way in action!
• Commit to continuous improvement
One way to achieve continuous improvement is to consume as much information as you can that is related to your role (or that is related to the role you want to play in the organization in the future). You can read books, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, watch webinars or enroll in educational courses that can help you to improve your knowledge base and sharpen your skillsets. Even achieving relatively small improvements in performance every single day can add up! For instance, if you improve your performance at your job by just 1% each day, within one year, you would have improved your performance by 37.78% in a year! Now that’s growth!
• Nurture relationships (KYC) Always remember the acronym “KYC” (Know Your Customers). By carefully listening to our customers’ needs and concerns and getting to know our
customers in a non-intrusive way, you can offer solutions to problems and challenges that they may not even know existed. For instance, if the customer has a policy for their vehicle, and they mention that they have a boat and enjoy fishing, you can remind them that insuring their vessel is a great way to protect their maritime investment. When you build genuine relationships with customers and when they trust your advice and recommendations, you can do a better job of cross-selling and upselling our insurance solutions in a way that benefits our customers. Nurturing relationships by knowing your customer enhances customer satisfaction (which is what The SAGE Way is all about) and also fosters loyalty, encouraging our clients to stay with us and even refer their friends, family members and colleagues to us. When we proactively seek out feedback—from both customers and colleagues—we gain valuable insights into what we do well as an organization and what areas we need to improve on. And when we take action on that feedback in a way that improves critical areas of our operations, the organization will experience the organic growth that we need to thrive in the workplace.
• Take a (free) course – or two or three
If you want to brush up on your on-thejob skills, we have great news! Sagicor provides all team members with access to free courses in a range of disciplines. To access these free courses, reach out to HR to find out what training courses are available and how you can access
it. You can also look out for emails sent out by our HR department letting our team members know what’s available for the month.
• Find reliable mentors
A great mentor can provide you with valuable guidance, support, perspective and valuable insights from their own experiences, helping you to navigate challenges and make informed decisions in the areas in which you want to grow. Choosing the right mentor is critically important. Make sure to find a mentor who is genuinely enthusiastic about mentoring you, who is interested in your growth and whose values align with yours. Your ideal mentor should be someone who possesses experience, knowledge and skills in the areas you seek to develop and who can also offer diverse perspectives, constructive feedback and fresh insights that help broaden your personal and professional outlook.
• Become a mentor
If you have the experience and skills to guide new team members at Sagicor, consider becoming a mentor. Mentorship can significantly inspire growth by fostering a culture of learning and development. It also strengthens your own expertise and helps you to grow in the process.
HOW TO HELP GROW OUR Business
Now that you have a growth mindset, it’s time to put that mindset to good use by unleashing your talents and skills to help grow the business.
• Be remarkable
The very first way that you can help us to grow our business is to be remarkable at your job. When you excel at your assigned responsibilities, you help the organization on a whole to be more effective and more efficient and, in the process, help us to be more competitive in the market.
• Upsell Appropriately
Always remember that you are the expert when it comes to providing insurance solutions and the customer is the one who needs your expert advice. If a customer comes to you for, say, home insurance, remind them it is in their best interest to also get their home’s contents valued and adequately. If a customer requires vehicle insurance, gently probe to find out whether there are other types of insurance solutions they can benefit from. However, while we want to grow the business, we need to grow it ethically. Never pressure a customer to purchase insurance solutions they don’t need.
• Ask for Referrals
Whenever appropriate, encourage satisfied customers to refer friends, family, or colleagues. Don’t be shy about it. Remember that our insurance solutions are designed to help improve people’s lives. If you’ve done a good job helping your customers improve their lives, they will be happy to refer you to others they care about so you can help them improve their lives as well. If a happy customer gives you a referral to someone who can benefit from our insurance solutions, be sure to ask permission to use your customer’s name as the referrer during the first interaction with the referee. Remember, when people refer you to others, they are potentially putting their reputations on the line for you and need to be convinced that whoever they refer you to will receive a top-of-the-line experience
• Request Testimonials
If you are a customer-facing team member and you are confident that you’ve done a remarkable job of handling your customers’ needs, feel free to ask your customers for testimonials. If you are on LinkedIn, ask them to write a testimonial directly to
your LinkedIn page so that it shows up when people view your page. If you are on other social media platforms that don’t have a testimonials feature, ask them to post their experience with you on these social media pages. This can go a long way in helping you to boost your personal brand and the corporate brand of our organization.
• Tap into your networks
An easy way to help grow the business is for you to tap into your personal and professional networks. Your family members, friends, former schoolmates and people you interact with in sports teams and other social activities are all potential customers – they simply may be unaware of the range of insurance solutions that could benefit them or, for some reason, may have never have thought of approaching Sagicor for the insurance solutions that they are aware of. That can easily change if you open up a conversation about the benefits of insurance with them. Even if your role at Sagicor isn’t a customer-facing one, you can simply put them in contact with one of our advisors who will capably work with them to ensure that they are appropriately insured.
• Be a problem-solver
Growing the business isn’t only about writing more insurance policies. It’s about streamlining our operations to continually become more effective and more efficient. If you find an approved process in our organization that could become more effective with changes, talk to your immediate supervisor or the appropriate member of the senior management team so we can look into
it and evaluate whether we need to change our processes.
• Be a vocal brand ambassador Look for ways to make our brand more visible. Wear our uniforms and other branded items proudly. Engage with our social media posts through likes, comments and reshares. Answer questions anyone has about our brand enthusiastically and explain the benefits of choosing our insurance solutions. Building a strong brand is not only the responsibility of our marketing team, but also the responsibility of each of our team members.
• Be on the lookout for great talent
At Sagicor, we are always on the lookout for talented individuals who can help us to grow and fortify our business. If you know someone who would be a great fit for our team, encourage them to apply for a position with us. You don’t even have to wait for a job opportunity to be posted to sell the benefits of working at Sagicor! Simply recommend that they submit their application to the company. Our HR department keeps resumes and CVs on file and refers to them during periods where we are looking for great talent. Anyone who applies to our organization even if there isn’t a publicly posted job opportunity isn’t applying at the wrong time – they are simply placing themselves at the front of the line for consideration when a job opportunity opens up! So, what are you waiting for? Be a “talent magnet” and help us add talented individuals to our team!
Pillar 4: Ease
“Ease” in the workplace is all about creating seamless, frictionless and simple experiences for everyone that comes into contact with our brand – especially our team members and customers. Think about your favourite apps or services – what makes them amazing? Usually, it’s how effortlessly everything works. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for with The SAGE Way. When things are easy, magic happens!
4
For our customers, ease means:
• Finding what they need without playing hide-and-seek
• Getting things done quickly (hello, “Speed” in SAGE!)
• Getting answers without jumping through hoops
• Solving problems without battling red tape
Whether someone’s getting a quote, filing a claim, or just asking a question, it should feel as smooth as butter. No stress, no confusion, just pure simplicity at every touchpoint. Ease isn’t just for customers! It’s just as important for our team
members. Think about it: When our workplace runs smoothly, everyone wins! It means:
• Clear, straightforward processes
• No unnecessary busy work
• More time for what really matters
• Confident, empowered team members
The bottom line? When we make things easy for our team, they can focus on what they do best –creating those amazing experiences that keep our customers coming back for more. That’s what we call Extreme Customer Focus in action!
At the core of the SAGE Way is our commitment to continuously improving the ease of doing business with us. In order to enhance “ease” in the workplace, we must collectively prioritize simplicity, efficiency, and clarity in every interaction – whether it’s with our customers or our co-workers. Below is a list of recommendations and tips on developing a culture of Ease in the workplace.
• Communicate clearly Clear, concise and accurate communication (whether verbal, written or electronic) is an absolute must for enabling ease in the workplace. Communications that are unclear or ambiguous can lead to misunderstandings, uncertainty and errors, and can complicate even the simplest of tasks. When communicating (especially with customers), use plain language, avoid industry jargon that customers may not understand, and ensure all instructions are straightforward. Wherever possible and feasible, document your communications
42 Workplace ENABLING “EASE” IN THE
(for example, by sending emails recapping discussions or instructions). Documentation of information can help ensure that our communications are clear and that it is easy to do business with us.
• Be proactive
Being proactive and anticipating the needs, questions and concerns of your customers and colleagues before they arise can greatly enhance the ease of doing business in the workplace. You can be proactive with customers by offering relevant information upfront (e.g., coverage options or claims process details) and by following up with customers after important interactions (e.g., policy renewal, claims) to ensure they have all the information they need. You can be proactive with your colleagues by anticipating what your team members may need to do their jobs efficiently and by providing all of the necessary data, information or resources in advance.
Make it a habit to solicit feedback from customers and employees related to the ease of doing business with our organization. Don’t be discouraged if
they identify pain points. This kind of feedback is exactly what we need to continually make improvements to our structures, policies and procedures to enhance ease in the workplace! Be sure to pass this feedback along to the appropriate supervisor or manager so the organization can benefit from the feedback you’ve gathered.
• Streamline processes and eliminate redundancies is essentially providing the same information. Wherever possible, simplify workflows to make tasks more efficient. Always keep your eyes open for opportunities to streamline processes in ways that make your life, your colleagues’ lives and the lives of our customers easier. If you do not have the authority to change a particular process, speak with your supervisor about your thoughts and ideas on how our processes can be streamlined.
• Eliminate redundancies
If you identify any repetitious or redundant tasks in your workflow that, if eliminated, could bring ease to your customers or your colleagues, bring it to the attention of your supervisor or manager so they can evaluate the seriousness of the redundancy and determine whether the organization needs to make a change in our policies and procedures.
• Use technology responsibly Take advantage of approved technological solutions to automate repetitive tasks and increase efficiency. There are several technological solutions and productivity apps that can help you to personally become more efficient and increase your personal ease of
performing your role. If you come across a technology solution that can be used across the organization, we encourage you to speak with your supervisor or manager so that the proposed solution can be evaluated for suitability within our technology ecosystem.
• Go the extra mile
Always remember that we want to maintain a culture of Extreme Customer Focus where customers are surprised and delighted about the level of service that we provide. Going the extra mile for the customer means listening intently to everything the customer says and coming up with creative solutions and scenarios that the customer never even expected. When you go the extra mile for the customer, you are truly living The SAGE Way!
• Have each other’s backs
The first way you can have your colleagues’ backs is to do a remarkable job at the tasks you’ve been assigned, especially when there is a “dependency” involved i.e., when team members have to depend on you for information, data or updates in order for them to complete their own tasks. When you do a remarkable job at your own tasks and assignments, you automatically help optimize the workplace for ease. Support your team when you have completed your tasks by checking in, holding them accountable and helping where needed to get the job done. If you see a team member struggling with a task that you’re proficient in, offer to assist, train, coach or mentor that team member. Having each other’s backs helps to ensure that collectively, we can live all of the pillars of The SAGE Way.
“The Sage Way” was developed specifically to help our team members deliver consistently remarkable customer experiences. Working in the insurance industry puts us in contact with a wide range of customers and an even wider range of circumstances where customers can use our insurance solutions. During the course of our work, we may, for example, come into contact with optimistic parents putting aside money for their children’s college funds, drivers who require coverage for their vehicles, businesspeople who want to insure their property and machinery, upset customers who undervalued their assets and are demanding amounts not agreed-upon in their policies, grieving customers who are receiving a payout from a recently-passed relative’s policy and many other complex situations. This range of customers and scenarios requires that we deliver a personalized customer experience to each and every
46 Experiences PERSONALIZING CUSTOMER
one of our customers based on the circumstances that they are facing.
This calls for us to pay attention to each customer’s tone, personality and particular circumstances. At Sagicor, we trust you to show emotional intelligence in each and every customer interaction and respond in an appropriate manner. For instance, it is perfectly fine to share in a customer’s excitement of having a new car, business, home or other asset. But it will also be necessary to show empathy and patience with a customer who has recently lost a loved one and is grieving.
It may help to think of yourself as a builder of client relations and “The SAGE Way” as the tools that you use to build these relationships. “The SAGE Way” can be applied to virtually all circumstances you may encounter on the job.
Personalizing Customer Experiences with Empathy
What is Empathy in CX?
Empathy is feeling what your customer feels—stepping into their shoes, hearing their frustration, and showing you care. It’s not just “I hear you”… it’s “I understand you.”
Why It Matters
Empathy turns service into connection. It transforms a “meh” moment into a memorable one. Clients don’t just want answers, they want to feel seen, heard, and valued.
How to Show Empathy Like a Pro: Listen fully before jumping to solve.
Say things like: “I can imagine how that must feel.” “Thank you for your patience. I understand how frustrating this may be.”
Match their tone with calm and care, especially when they’re upset.
Avoid robotic responses. Personalize it:
Use their name. Reference their situation. For example, if the client lost a relative or loved one, before starting to assist them offer sincere condolences.
HOW WE INTERACT WITH OUR customers virtually
In today’s digital age, the use of technology can play a critical role in enhancing Sagicor’s customer experience delivery. Tools such as messaging platforms, virtual meeting apps, and other communication technologies offer efficient and seamless ways to engage with customers, provide timely support, and deliver personalized service. However, it is important that all team members follow company guidelines to ensure that technology is used appropriately, ethically, and within legal boundaries. Additionally, certain types of technology, while widely used in personal and business contexts, may not be permitted for customer interactions due to legal, privacy, and
security concerns. These restrictions are in place to protect both our customers and employees and the overall integrity of the business. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy and take note of the rules, regulations and guidelines that you must adhere to, whether interacting with our customers in-person or virtually.
This section of the document provides the necessary guidelines for Sagicor employees to use technology effectively and responsibly in their customer interactions. By adhering to these rules, we can maintain a high standard of customer experience while safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
Technology Options
At Sagicor, we understand that many of our customers are highly tech-savvy and prefer to interact with us virtually rather than in person. The appropriate use of technology can help make employee/ customer interactions more convenient, save valuable time and improve our standing in the market – especially when we apply “The Sage Way” to the use of technology. Below is a list of some of the main technology tools currently being used by our organization.
Live Chat
As part of our commitment to delivering fast, easy, and personal service, clients and prospects can now connect with us in real time through our Live Chat feature on the Sagicor website. Clients can initiate a chat by clicking the Live Chat button or the Support tab located on the bottom right corner of the Sagicor website. Chats are answered directly by our dedicated Contact Centre team members, providing clients with accurate, personalized responses. Clients use Live Chat to:
- Ask questions about their policy or requests updates
- Get help with website navigation
- Learn more about our products and services
This is a quick and convenient way for clients to reach us, and a great opportunity to create meaningful, positive interactions. Be ready to let them know about it!
Appointment Booking Tool
Sagicor has made it easy for customers to engage with our customerfacing team members by using our appointment booking tool (www.sagicor.com/en-BB/Client-Care/ Book-An-Appointment ). Customers who wish to speak with a Sagicor team member virtually to enquire about our insurance solutions can visit our website, click on our booking tool, choose a time slot that is convenient for them and engage with our team virtually at their preferred time. These services are available for most lines of businesses in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (except from Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).
Zoom
Our appointment booking tool is linked directly to our Zoom account. Zoom, in sync with our booking tool, is used extensively across the Sagicor business landscape as a approved communications channel. If clients wish to be contacted virtually, your first option should be the companyapproved Zoom channel. When using Zoom, all of Sagicor’s in-person customer experience expectations remain in place for virtual meetings.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is one of the most widely used enterprise-level communications tools used by businesses, and is the preferred tool used by many of our customers. If you encounter a customer who prefers to use Microsoft Teams rather than using Zoom, you are advised to use our booking tool to set up a Teams meeting for the customer.
LinkedIn is, without a doubt, the world’s leading business-focused social media platform and can be a prospecting treasure trove for finding individuals and businesses who can benefit from our insurance solutions. Using LinkedIn, you can post articles, photos and videos, identify and reach out to potential clients (especially if you use LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator feature), send them information about our policies and set up virtual meetings. If you choose to use LinkedIn to prospect or communicate with current or potential customers, the same principles of professionalism that
you would follow for in-person meetings apply. For guidelines on how to use LinkedIn for business, please contact our Marketing Department.
Sagicor has its own WhatsApp Business number which customers are encouraged to use to contact us for queries and comments on our service and also to let us know how we can do a better job of providing for our clients’ needs. Our official WhatsApp number is manned by members of our contact center, who do an excellent job of leveraging the power of this messaging app to service our customers. If customers (or potential customers) ask whether they can contact Sagicor via WhatsApp, you can confidently say “yes” and provide them with our WhatsApp number.
While Sagicor encourages the use of WhatsApp by members of our contact center, we discourage the use of the app by our team members who are not a part of the contact center and who do not have a company-issued cell phone. This is primarily due to legal, privacy and security concerns.
We understand that customers may have very legitimate reasons for preferring WhatsApp as a communications tool. However, in this case, legal, privacy and security concerns take priority. If a customer asks you to contact them via WhatsApp and you are not a member of the contact center or you do not have a company-issued cell phone, you
are advised to politely redirect your conversations with the client to a company-approved communications channel such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. If a customer initiates communication with you via your personal WhatsApp, you are advised to switch to an approved communications channel. If the customer insists that they prefer to be contacted via WhatsApp, please speak with your supervisor to determine whether you can have access to Sagicor’s official WhatsApp channel to communicate with customers.
Customer Experience Guidelines: Video Conferencing Platforms
Customers should receive the same level of customer experience across the Sagicor landscape, no matter what “brand touchpoint” we use to engage with our customers. However, there are a number of “best practices” that you should always follow when engaging with customers virtually. Some of these best practices are listed below:
• Be Early: Log in to the meeting platform at least ten minutes before the scheduled meeting time to ensure that your technical set-up is functioning properly. Logging on (at least) ten minutes before the meeting starts gives you a reasonable amount of time to address any unexpected technical challenges like automatic program updates, the need to restart your laptop/desktop etc.
• Strong Internet Connectivity: Test your internet connection before the meeting starts to ensure it is stable.
If possible, use a wired (rather than wireless) connection for a more reliable experience.
• Test Your Audio and Video: Before the meeting begins, ensure that your microphone and camera are working correctly. Make sure your audio is clear, that your camera lens is clean and that your video is stable. Be sure your camera is positioned so your face is centered in the frame, and that the camera angle is appropriate.
• Dress Professionally: Be sure to dress appropriately for your meeting – just as you would for an in-person meeting.
• Mute Yourself While Waiting: Always mute your microphone before the meeting starts and while waiting for the customer to log on. This eliminates background noise and ensures a smooth start to the meeting.
• Ensure Proper Lighting: Position yourself in a well-lit area, facing natural light or a soft, indirect light source.
Avoid backlighting (for example sitting with your back to a window) as it can negatively affect your appearance on camera.
• Professional Background: If you choose to use a virtual background, be sure that it is appropriate, professional and aligns with Sagicor’s brand. If you want to use a Sagicor-branded
virtual background, speak with your immediate supervisor and request a virtual background that is consistent with our brand.
• Minimize Distractions: Choose a quiet, private space for the meeting. Close any unnecessary apps or tabs, and silence your phone or other devices to prevent interruptions.
• Be Aware of Your Body Language: Sit up straight and maintain an open, engaged posture. Avoid fidgeting or distracting movements, which can take attention away from the conversation.
• Share Relevant Documents or Screens: If you need to share a document, presentation or other file using the “screen share” feature of Microsoft Teams or Zoom, do so in an organized manner. Ensure that only relevant information is visible to the customer. Customers should not accidentally be exposed to other people’s information when screen sharing. Close all other unnecessary files, windows or tabs in advance of the meeting. Some virtual communication tools allow you to share only one window or only one document rather than sharing your entire screen. Use this feature if available to help reduce the likelihood of unintentionally sharing unnecessary information.
• Avoid Multitasking: Focus entirely on the customer during the
meeting. Avoid checking emails or browsing other websites while the meeting is in progress – especially if sharing your screen!
• Use the Mute Button When Necessary: If background noise or other interruptions occur, mute yourself immediately. If the interruptions are visual, turn off your camera as well. Remember to unmute when you need to speak.
• Record Meetings Only When Permitted: If recording the meeting is necessary (for note-taking, accuracy or quality control), ask for the customer’s consent before starting the recording. If the customer is not comfortable being recorded, under no circumstances should you record the meeting.
• Turn Off Notifications: Turn off pop-up notifications from messaging apps, emails, and other sources to minimize distractions during the meeting. By following these guidelines, you can help create a smooth, professional, and positive virtual experience for your customers. Virtual interactions offer the opportunity to build stronger relationships, but it’s essential that these interactions are conducted with the same level of care and professionalism as in-person engagements.
• Use of Social Media Sagicor maintains a social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook,
WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter). Sagicor team members are encouraged to follow us on these platforms and to engage with our accounts appropriately – for example, by liking, sharing, reposting or commenting on our posts. From time to time, social media users may post queries or comments related to their policies, their coverage or related topics. Some social media users may even use our social media pages to lodge complaints or express dissatisfaction.
Each post made on our page whether in a positive or negative tone is an opportunity for Sagicor to demonstrate our responsiveness
to questions and queries, our eagerness to solve customer challenges and deliver remarkable customer experience.
Sagicor has a social media team in place to respond to such posts from users. Our social media team has very specific guidelines on how to respond to comments, queries and complaints. If you are not pre-approved by Sagicor to reply to such comments and queries, you are advised to refrain from responding and let our social media team handle the matter. If you are aware of any comments from on our pages that have gone unanswered, please notify our social media team immediately so they can respond.
HOW WE INTERACT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IN THE office
It begins with the greeting When you approach the customer you will be interacting with, you should warmly greet them with a hearty welcome – something along the lines of “Good Day, Mrs. Best, I am Amanda and I am happy to be of assistance.”
Remember, you can change the order in which you say this standard greeting. However, ensure you greet the customer by name, as it helps to make that special connection and places them in a relaxed, receptive mindset – setting the tone for a positive experience. This
greeting should be accompanied by a warm smile, inviting body language and you may seal the deal with a firm handshake. Be sure to offer the client a beverage before you commence the transaction.
Pay attention to how customers refer to themselves and use the language that they use. For instance, some customers prefer to be referred to casually, by using their first name. Others may prefer to be referred to by academic titles, such as “Dr.” or “Professor”.
Paying attention to the way customers refer to themselves also helps reduce the likeliness of misgendering customers or otherwise unintentionally offending them. If you unintentionally misgender someone or refer to them in a way that is not aligned with the way they refer to themselves, offer a genuine apology and ask how they would prefer to be addressed.
It’s all about the customer
After the customer is comfortably seated, you should begin your interaction by asking “How are you doing today?”. You can also ask about current affairs or if you are familiar with them, ask about something they are interested in. The customer will become more comfortable as you build a rapport with them. Then you can politely ask the customer, “How may I help you today?”
During the transaction, be sure to give the customer your undivided attention, this makes them feel important and helps you to listen better; allowing you to spot opportunities and
solutions faster. While responding to your customer it is best to make eye contact and avoid nodding; this is not appropriate. If your phone rings during an interaction with a customer, politely ask your customer to be excused; answer the telephone, courteously notify the caller that you are with a client and will return their call shortly.
At the end of the transaction be sure to ask the customer, “Is there anything else I may help you with today?”. There are many ways of closing your transaction, here are two examples: “Thank you for choosing Sagicor, it was a pleasure serving you!” or “It’s my pleasure to officially welcome you to our Sagicor family.”
It’s more important than you think Appearance is everything, keeping your workspace tidy and clutter free speaks volumes about your capabilities. It gives the impression that you have it under control and creates the right professional image.
HOW WE COMMUNICATE ON THE
The Salutation
On answering the telephone, the initial greeting should be:
“Good Day! Thank you for calling Sagicor General/Sagicor Life. This is Elmina speaking, how may I help you?”
(Remember to always identify yourself by name! You can use the standard greeting, but you can change up the order in which you say it)
As soon as the phone rings, smile! – Smile as though the person on the phone had just walked into your reception area. When you smile, you send a signal to your brain and you will speak and react in a friendlier way. Get in the right frame of mind before answering the phone.
Keep it professional – Always give the customer your undivided attention. For example, if you are writing an email for example – stop! Remember that the customer can easily hear you clicking away at the computer keyboard or shuffling papers. Besides, when you multitask, you run the risk of missing important information when the customer is speaking. Remember to speak slowly and clearly so that the customer can understand what you are saying.
Listen carefully and focus on the conversation – Try not to get distracted by people around you. If someone tries to interrupt you while you are on a call, politely remind them that you are on a customer call and will be with them as soon as possible.
Be prepared – Always have a notepad or digital workspace tool like Microsoft word or another appropriate app to record all the information given. If in doubt, ask the customer to spell his/ her name and ensure that you have the correct pronunciation of the person’s name. If you need to record the customer’s phone number, mailing address, email address or other important information, repeat the information to the customer so they can verify that the information is correct.
Remember the customer’s name, and address him/her professionally –E.g. Mr. Smith/Dr. Brown/Sir or Lady Williams. Try to refer to the customer by name at least once during your conversation with them.
Confirm customer satisfaction
Always close off customer interactions by confirming their satisfaction. Make it a habit to close off customer interactions by asking customers if their expectations have been met and whether there is anything else you can assist them with. Remember to thank the customer for calling and for choosing Sagicor for their insurance needs.
Using the Sagicor Telephone System
The telephone is widely used for both internal and external client interactions. At Sagicor, whether working remotely or the office we must ensure that we are logged in to our telephone system and accessible to our peers and clients each day. For team members working remotely, it is especially important for us to remember to sign in each morning
as the system may automatically log out upon shutting down your computers.
When a client calls us and they are unsuccessful in reaching us, they may experience frustration, anxiety, disappointment, rejection and a variety of other emotions which usually adversely affects their Sagicor experience. To mitigate the impact of this happening, there are several behaviours we can practice to ensure our clients are always able to connect with us:
• We forward our phones to another team member in the department when we are out of office
• We ask another team member to pick up our extension if we need to step away from our desk or out of our office
• We update our voicemail with an out of office notification advising our clients who they may contact in the interim.
• We return all calls within a few minutes of identifying the missed call(s) or within 24 hours.
• We use a call tree to ensure the calls move around in the department if it’s not answered by the intended team member.
• Checking your voicemails is also very important.
HOW WE COMMUNICATE VIA Email
Be clear and specific! We often have way too many emails and too little time in the day to read and respond to them. Keeping our emails short and to the point will help maximize the chance they are read (to the end of the message) and minimize the reader’s urge to press “delete” before reading it.
Be prompt and respond to important emails.
By responding the same day an email is sent shows you care about the message and the sender. Even if you are not able to attend to the customer’s query right away, informing the client you have received it and when you will attend to it shows professionalism and attentiveness.
Use a clear subject line to name/clarify what your email is about. Since most of us receive a huge amount of email, we need an easy way to know whether to open an email immediately, where to file it and which ones need action. The subject line is a helpful tool for this.
Add important directional words to the subject line when an email needs special attention. Words like “response needed” or “urgent” are helpful in knowing what is expected and when i.e., “New Business Policy – Confirming Registration Number – Response Needed” or “Travel Quotation – Urgent –Response Needed by Friday”.
Minimize the use of industry jargon. For example, telling a customer that “their loss of use is for 7 days” may cause some confusion for the customer if they do not understand. Instead advise the customer that their policy is inclusive of a hired car for 7 days in the event of a claim.
Include one topic per email. You may have numerous things to ask/ say, however it is best to limit your requests or important news to one per email. In this way your subject line can reflect your message and your reader will know where to file it and how to address it (at a glance).
Decide carefully who should be “cc-ed” on an email. Although you may be sending an email as part of group mailing, you should not feel the need to hit “Reply All”. Try not to send emails to customers with too many team members copied in, keep it restricted to key team members involved. It’s preferred to forward the email to the other team mates afterwards. Often sending a response to the sender is enough and it helps minimize clutter for others.
Compress!
Use a zipped folder for your large attachments
If you need to clarify or resolve a conflict or a misunderstanding, pick up the phone. Although an automatic reaction, especially if someone has misunderstood something in your email, may be to send a quick email back, this is not advisable. Email is the worst type of conflict resolution and can exacerbate it.
Minimize your use of BLOCK or bold to highlight words. Some of us (especially highly visual people) love playing with visual cues, however they can be misunderstood by others (especially if they don’t use visual clues). In order to minimize sounding “loud” (often associated with BLOCK) or annoyed (often associated with bold), just use regular font styles – it’s safer.
Include an email signature. It is helpful to have all of one’s contact information clearly and easily accessible. It’s very frustrating if someone wants to phone someone or pass on an organization’s web address, and finds only a name in the signature. Fortunately, our signatures are automatically generated for us. If you realize that your email signature does not have in the requisite information, please alert our IT team.
Ethical
CONSIDERATIONS IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
It is absolutely necessary that, while delivering remarkable customer experience, each Sagicor team member maintains the highest level of ethical behavior. For Sagicor to continue to be viewed as a reputable and ethical organization, we must maintain trust, integrity, and transparency in all interactions with customers, colleagues, and stakeholders. Here are some key ethical principles to keep mind while living “The SAGE Way”:
• Prioritize Customer Interests: Avoid recommending products or services that may benefit you and the company financially but are
not suitable for the customer, as this will surely put your personal reputation and the company’s standing in the market at risk. Our insurance solutions should be sold based on the needs of the customer, not on inappropriate tactics that result in customers buying policies that do not meet their needs. Never use deceptive sales tactics, such as making promises that cannot be kept, implying that a policy will cover something that it doesn’t or withholding critical information about the policies they are considering. While upselling can
be a useful sales practice to open up conversations about insurance policies that the customer may not have considered, it is important to ensure that customers are not over-insured or sold unnecessary coverage. Only recommend policies that make sense based on their needs and financial capability.
• Be Transparent
Insurance solutions, policies and products can be, by their very nature complex. In essence, insurance policies are legallybinding documents and, as such, they are often framed in what some may consider to be “industry jargon”, In reality, the language used in our policies is not designed to confuse or frustrate customers, but is actually legal
language designed to ensure that both the organization and the customer are legally bound to the conditions of the policies that we issue. It is crucial that, as we live “The SAGE Way”, we provide our customers with accurate and easy to understand information and explanations about what is covered by their policies, exclusions to their policies, as well as definitions of terms like “premiums”, “deductibles”, and any other relevant details. Always ensure that customers understand the terms of their policy, including important aspects like renewal processes, cancellation procedures, and how claims will be handled. Concealing important details is always a bad idea and can lead to a tarnished reputation and legal consequences.
• Protect Customer Information: As insurers, we have access to a large amount of our customer’s personal, financial, and health-related data. Protecting this information is not just a legal requirement but an ethical obligation. Always take steps to ensure that our customer’s data is kept confidential and secure, with access restricted to only those who need it for legitimate, workrelated purposes. Additionally, you should never disclose information about one customer to another customer without written consent. Even if, for instance, a customer asked about the policies of a family member, you are not permitted to disclose such information. For more information on how you can protect customer information, please review our privacy policies.
• Take Responsibility for Mistakes: If an error occurs at any time during the customer journey it is important to acknowledge and correct the mistake, rather than trying to sweep the mistakes under the rug. Customers can often sense when something is not quite right, and failing to acknowledge mistakes and errors can damage our company’s reputation in the eyes of the customer.
• Treat everyone fairly Always treat all customers fairly and equally, regardless of their race, gender, age, socioeconomic background and other factors which could cause a bias. When issuing policies, assessing claims or when delivering financial advice, decisions should be based on objective criteria and not influenced by personal biases or prejudices.
• Report Suspicious Claims: Unfortunately, insurance fraud can occur in our industry. Encouraging, tolerating, or failing to report suspicious or openly fraudulent claims can cause our company to pay claims that we are not responsible for. If you think that a customer is intentionally overinflating claims or misrepresenting facts for financial gain, it is your responsibility to report these incidences to your supervisor for a closer look.
Living “The SAGE Way” and providing remarkable customer experience prioritizes ethical conduct in everything we do. By adhering to ethical practices, you can help build trust with customers, employees, and the broader community. By prioritizing honesty, transparency, fairness, and integrity, we can foster strong, ethical relationships that contribute to the long-term success of the company and the well-being of our customers.
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The best advertising you can have is a loyal customer spreading the word about how incredible your business is.
˜Shep Hyken˜
Customer Advocacy (Complaints Resolution)
When speaking about customer complaints we prefer to use the term “customer advocacy” as this carries a more positive and proactive tone. When a client advocates for themself, we can frame this feedback as an opportunity for growth, and view it as customers being invested in helping the business improve.
According to Zig Ziglar - author, salesman, and motivational speaker, “Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.”
How to view a complaint in a more positive light:
Stroke of Luck
We should consider customer advocacy a stroke of luck since most customers tend to walk away or share their story of bad service with many other
people. Seymour Fine, the author of “The Marketing of Ideas and Social Issues,” believes that when a customer complains, he is doing us a special favor by giving us another chance to serve him to his satisfaction. This is our cue.
By giving us a chance to make things right, by either rectifying or explaining the situation which led to this complaint, we should appreciate the situation and take the opportunity to show the customer’s alternative option of this opportunity, considering our competitors. We can therefore grasp the opportunity to do some introspection, see where we are failing our clients, and where our processes can be faster, more concise, and clear.
Golden Opportunities
When customer advocacy is handled correctly, it gives us the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with our customers. This affords us the chance to learn who our customers are as we
complete our investigation. Therefore, we need to adopt a new mindset towards advocacy/complaints and see them as positive feedback which can ultimately improve our standards. To effectively handle customer complaints:
• Apologize and show empathy
• Listen and understand our customers
• Carefully investigate and document the matter
• Find and action a solution
• Continuously follow up with the customer
Simply put, customer advocacy can be very profitable if handled correctly!
Sagicor places a high value on its relationship with its customers, brokers, advisors and agents. We remain committed to handling all customer advocacy situations in an effective and timely manner.
Please refer to the customer advocacy policy when handling advocacy/ complaints.
Problems carry potential.
Customers who complain and are subsequently satisfied are up to 8% more loyal than if they never had a problem.
68 Tips
for Managing Challenging Customer Interactions
Every customer interaction won ‘t be smooth sailing, it’s how we choose to manage and recover that makes or breaks the customers’ feeling about our brand. Here are some useful tips to help you glide through these challenging situations like a pro:
1. Don’t Take It Personally (Even When It Feels Personal)
Why it matters: Angry customers aren’t mad at you, they’re frustrated with a situation.
What to do: Take a deep breath, stay calm, and remind yourself: “I’m here to help, not absorb the heat.”
2. Let Them Vent (Yes, Just Let Them)
Why it matters: Sometimes people just need to be heard.
What to do: Avoid interrupting. Use phrases like:
“I can understand why that would be frustrating.”
Letting them talk it out defuses tension and builds trust.
3. Acknowledge and Apologize
Why it matters: A sincere apology can go a long way even if you didn’t cause the issue.
What to say: “I’m really sorry this happened to you.”
“I can hear how frustrating this must be, and I truly apologize.”
Apologizing is about empathy, not blame.
4. Mirror What You Hear
Why it matters: Repeating key points shows you’re listening, paying attention and care.
What to say: “So, the delay caused you to miss your appointment, right?”
“So what I’m hearing is that the delay really impacted your schedule, am I right?” It helps them feel heard and understood.
4. Stay in Control (of Your Tone and Pace)
Why it matters: If you get worked up too, things escalate fast. What to do: Slow your speech. Keep your tone calm and confident. Think: “I’m the thermostat, not the thermometer.”
5. Be Solution-Oriented
Why it matters: People calm down when they see you’re moving them toward resolution.
What to say: “Here’s what I can do right now...”
“Let’s get this sorted together.”
“I assure you we will work quickly to resolve this for you”. Show them the path forward.
6. Use the Customer’s Name
Why it matters: Personalizing the conversation humanizes it. What to do: Once or twice in the conversation, say their name. It builds connection fast.
7. Know When to Escalate
Why it matters: Some issues need more muscle or authority.
What to do: If you’ve tried everything and it’s still going nowhere, escalate with care. Say:
“I want to make sure we get this fully resolved. Let me connect you with someone who can help further.”
8. Recover Like a Pro
Why it matters: Turning a bad moment into a good one creates customer loyalty. What to say: “I really appreciate your patience with this. Thank you.”
“I’ll personally follow up to make sure this is taken care of.”
A part of recovering is taking a few minutes to “woo sah”! After the situation has been resolved and the customer is on their way, it’s helpful for you to take your own “time out”. Even if you’ve handled the situation in the most professional way possible, it’s still a stressful experience. Rather than let the stress linger inside you, take a short walk, treat yourself to a snack or find someone to talk to who makes you laugh. Then you’ll be ready to once again engage with your customers.
Bonus Tip: Smile Through the Phone
Even if they can’t see you, customers can hear your energy. Smiling helps you stay grounded, even in tough calls. However, not all moments warrant a smile. E.g. If a client mentions they lost a loved one and hasn’t received an update on the death claim, they definitely will not want to hear your smile through the phone, but your sympathy, empathy and apology will go a long way; with a caring tone, of course!
Customer Advocacy Communication Channels
If a client wishes to raise a concern or share feedback, they can do so through a variety of convenient channels, including:
• Telephone
• Website
• Social Media
• Physical Mail
• Face-to-Face at all Sagicor Offices
Team members can also share a concern on behalf of a client via email or using the online form on our website.
TELEPHONE:
Sagicor Life
Aruba: 1-297-588-5042
Barbados: 1-246-467-7707
Belize: 1-501-223-3147
Eastern Caribbean: 1-800-744-7707
Antigua: 1-268-484-5600
St. Lucia: 1-758-456-1799
Trinidad & Tobago: 800-SAGE (7243)
EMAIL: Sagicor Life servicequality@sagicor.com
Sagicor General sgi-info@sagicorgeneral.com
WEBSITE: Sagicor.com/feedback
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Live Chat: www.sagicor.com
WhatsApp: 1- 246-467-7243
Sagicor General
Barbados: 1-246-431-2800
Antigua: 1 268 480 5555
St. Lucia: 1 758 452 0994
Dominica: 1 767 448 2181
OR 1 767-440-2562
Trinidad & Tobago: 1 868 623 4744
(Support Tab or icon on bottom right of screen)
What we do not say to our customers!
The words we use can have a significant impact on the way we treat our customers and our team members. Below are a few examples of words and phrases we should eliminate from our vocabulary to help improve our customer experience.
“Employees”
Most people do not want to be seen as “just an employee”. Use “team member” instead to convey that every member of the Sagicor team is valued and appreciated.
“They”
Customers tend to notice when team members say “they” instead of “we” when talking about Sagicor. Try saying “we” more often because it communicates that you are a committed member of the Sagicor team.
“I don’t know”
“Sorry, that’s not my job!”
“I don’t know” is a no-no. If you don’t know the answer to a customer’s query, try to find out! Try saying “That’s a great question! I’ll find out for you.”
“Difficult Customer”
Customers just want their problems solved. It doesn’t matter who solves it – customers want to know that you’ve taken action to solve their problem. Instead of saying “that’s not my job” or “that’s not my responsibility”, say “Just a moment - one of my team members is better equipped to help you.” or “Give me a moment and I’ll find someone who can help you!”
We will essentially treat our customers how we perceive them and part of that perception is formed by how we label our customers. Don’t think of any customers as difficult. Think of every complaint as a wonderful opportunity to learn and improve our customer experience.
“Calm down”
“Listen to me...”
This one phrase fuels more anger than almost any other. Instead of saying “calm down”, let the customer vent. Show empathy with phrases like “I see,” and “I understand why you feel this way.” Eventually, they’ll calm down on their own. However, remember that empathy is not enough. You also need to take the next step to solve that customer’s problem.
Ordering angry customers to ‘be quiet and listen’ will come across as condescending, and may make the situation worse. Allow the customer to vent their feelings, and empathize with them before offering a solution.
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t know who would tell you that...”
Customers can often be wrong, but we shouldn’t point it out. Calmly help them with their issue and move forward –no matter how much you’d like to do otherwise.
“That’s not so bad...”
Starting a narrative in this way makes the customer less likely to be receptive of any corrections. This statement can undermine the brand and your team members – taking away from a positive customer experience.
If your customers are upset with something, you want to empathize as much as possible. Letting them know that the issue matters to you as it is important to them, this is what matters. Be careful not to make any statement that downplays the customer’s feelings or frustration over the situation.
“Wet dogs” or “Wet bears”
We should never refer to our customers in this manner as it tends to set the tone for the way we interact with them.
“Let me try to do that and get back to you as soon as possible...”
Try? That may give the impression that your customers may not get their issues resolved, and you are unsure about whether or not you can help the customer. Avoid sounding unsure about whether or not you can help the customer and be as specific as you can about your followup.
“The department or team member who needs to assist with your query is not answering”
Clients do not need to know what is happening internally. This only creates frustration and unveils any organizational inefficiencies.
“That is Sagicor’s fault” or “That is {name of team member’s} fault.
Never throw the company or any team or team member under the bus. Instead, take ownership and assure the client that the issue will be resolved.
“It brings me no joy that the hole is on your side of the boat.”
We don’t ‘throw each other under the bus’. The truth is, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is, we’re in this together. We should approach each interaction with our customers with this in mind.
74 CONFIDENTIALITY
Respect the Confidentiality of Information
In our industry, we collect confidential information daily with regards to our clients; this personal information may include an individual’s finances, medical history, telephone numbers, addresses and national identification numbers. When speaking with our clients, we need to be aware of our work environment and of any other clients or passers-by who may be within earshot. Always make sure that confidential conversations cannot be overheard. We should also ensure that the information collected is held in the strictest confidence and secured at all times, especially after hours.
Security Questions
In an effort to ensure that our client’s policy information is not jeopardized, by any one falsely making inquiries on their policy as well as the growing concern of identity theft; the implementation of security questions is imperative. It is mandatory that we execute the following security questions before sharing any private personal information with customers and their authorized agents over the telephone:-
• Policy Number
• Date of Birth
• National Registration Number
• Additional Insured
• Risk Address
• Registration Number
Carefully Handle Sensitive Information
The disclosure of sensitive information to anyone other than the client or their authorized agent is prohibited. This includes information such as account balances, arrears, medical history, contact information, excess payments and any other sensitive information.
When sharing this information with our clients it should always be done politely. If the client is unavailable, you should leave a basic voice message, withholding the private personal information until you speak directly to the client. Remember that persons other than the client may have access to the client’s voicemail. Also, if the client is unavailable and someone is taking a message on behalf of the client, never leave sensitive information with the person taking the message – even if that person is a spouse or a family member. Additionally, clients’ confidential information should not be openly discussed in public or on any social media platform.
Client Information Misuse
Remember, accessing clients’ private personal information for any purpose that is inconsistent with your professional responsibilities is prohibited. This includes your own, a family member’s, close associate or any other person’s information. Clients’ information should not be used for any other purposes other than what it was initially collected. It should not be used for the personal advantage or benefit of any employee or other third party.
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to provide remarkable customer experience within a culture of Extreme Customer Focus, all team members must be able to respond authoritatively to questions that our customers ask. Sagicor has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and published them on our website for all parties to see and review. If you are asked a question by a customer that you do not know the answer, our list of FAQs can be viewed at this site: https://www.sagicor.com/en-BB/Client-Care/ Frequently-Asked-Questions
If you are aware of any questions that customers ask, and they are not already listed on our site, please reach out to our Customer Experience Department so that they can have the list updated.
