Siebel Gets Credit for Horizon Healthcare Success

Horizon Healthcare Services Inc. Leverages Siebel Healthcare to Earn Number One Ranking for Member Experience

However, after having read the entire press release, I have to admit to being favorably impressed. (Yes, I really do read press releases; it's my job. And yes, I do have a real life, it's just that reading press releases is part of it.)

Horizon implemented Siebel Healthcare in 2002 and since then has achieved year-over-year improvements in ranking by Synovate, a research company that evaluates customer experience for members of health plans. Horizon also outperformed all other health plans in its market in 32 out of 35 performance categories.

Horizon's customer service organization handles 12 million calls a year and provides self-service for members and providers via online portals. Patrick Geraghty, Senior Vice President of Service at Horizon, says that the organization "is committed to making health care less complicated for our members, and we do that by setting the bar very high for customer service."

Evidently, Siebel's solution has assisted Horizon in making that happen. Today's release describes the results as follows:

"In the past three years, Siebel Healthcare has enabled Horizon to improve member experiences, even as Horizon’s customer base grew by more than 25 percent. With Siebel Healthcare, Horizon has achieved an 86 percent or higher customer satisfaction rating and reduced average call wait times by 20 percent and cost per call by 25 percent, while improving first call resolution of inquiries by 20 percent. Horizon has achieved these metrics without adding employees, an important part of keeping healthcare costs down, and instead has automated and streamlined provider and member-facing processes with Siebel Healthcare."

In the research program cited in Siebel's release, research firm Synovate evaluated 62 markets and ranked Horizon number one for member experience: "Horizon’s performance advantage over its New Jersey competitors was the widest margin of any plan in Synovate’s national market research," says today's statement.

Garaghty says, “Working with Siebel Systems, we have been able to deliver superior service and support to our members."

Having received my share of crappy service from healthcare systems, I appreciate hearing about an organization that actually cares about the quality of its customers' experience. Does Siebel truly deserve so much of the credit for that? Probably so, up to a certain point. However, I've maintained for years that CRM is not so much about technology as it is about customer relationships on a human level. Unless a company truly cares about the quality of its customer experience, tossing together a lot of expensive technology will not bring salvation.

AB -- 5/16/05