Thread regarding State Farm Insurance layoffs

Pick up the phone! Service the customer! No Customers! No Job!

@ULXb9ed-khmw....what a sweet little lamb you are for posting this info for us...but you could maybe post some more call avoidance info. Since we are a bunch of lazy f---ing id--ts, maybe you should just post everything for us...that you honey bunch, much appreciated.

Someone here really loves MT ramming them from behind on a daily basis.

Since you are a bunch of lazy f---ing id--ts.....here is the first entry from the call avoidance doc that anyone can find. Unlike Bigfoot, this doc does exist and again if any of you f---ing id--ts need to be told to not do these things you are a piece of sh-- to begin with.

Metric

Target

Tactic

How it is Performed

Impact

How it is Detected

Available Time

High

"Ski-Jumping" - Toggling between call states and quick logouts

Rep quickly toggles between unproductive call states to remain at the bottom of the call queue. This would include logging out and back in quickly to remain at the bottom of the queue. Therefore, the rep remains available more frequently than peers.

Negatively affects service levels and forecasting.

Other reps receive a higher volume of calls.

Review Exony HT - Agent Team Not Ready Daily report:

A review of the % Available and Available time may reflect higher availability to receive calls because the rep is repeatedly going to the bottom of the queue without taking a call as peers are taking calls

@ULXb9ed-klsf I told you how to find it....now stop being a lazy dumb--s.

@ULXb9ed-jwtv...Why such a nasty post?

Why should we even have to ask our TM's about this? hummm???? Don't you think they should have directed every single person that is on the phone to read this Call Avoidance thing behavior thing?

They should have and they haven't, because there isn't actually any such thing...just like the above @ULXb9ed-2zsx said there was a 3 page policy on call avoidance where at least 15 techniques are described in detail, but they never said it was on the homepage, they said we should ask our TM's...so I'm confused, which is it? So they are making it up as they go along.

This thread makes me laugh.

No it doesn't. Although it does make you post nonsense.

This thread makes me laugh. So you need to be told not to lie, cheat and steal? The classic Constanza defense, "had someone told me not to have s-x with the cleaning lady on my desk....." Call avoidance is not subject to your manager's discretion, it is clearly defined with examples of said behaviors. All of which, anyone with any work ethic, would recognize is a dishonest behavior and would not need to be told it is wrong Since you id--ts are too lazy to ask your TMs here is the way you can find it....in the SF Homepage search, type in call avoidance....3-5 entries down is the one from SF University that applies to claims, click the link then ask someone who can read to help you with it.

gotta love all the FAKE NEWS on this site....State Farm STRONG baby

Really sad to see what this once great company has become. A place that typically never fired people is now firing them in droves

What is clearly defined as Call avoidance is left up to manager discretion. Because they could cut thousands over the next few years, they are using this to terminate and avoid paying unemployment. It's very obvious to see. If they paid me a nice severance I'd happily take it.

Same. So glad I’m out of that hole. Where you were once considered a professional you are not just a drone. Can’t say I feel bad for management on the front line. They kept drinking the kool-aide and shoving it down our throats. Now with the early office closings I know they’ll get shafted out of something that they were counting on.

Glad I am out of this nightmare. Bad kidney infection (from reducing liquids and holding too long) should have been my wake up call ... I kept hanging in there and let them drive me into the ground. Just when I think I have let it go, I get angry over their lack of character and honesty and inhuman treatment. Now, I let it go again. I truly am lucky to be out and moving on with life. The recovery mentally and physically has taken months. The biggest issue was being mad at myself for letting others treat me this way. Good luck to all. Harder times ahead as they put even more of a squeeze on. Not much you can do about it, except hang in or leave.

Claims was always a call center. At least not tier 2, tier 3 and property complex.

It was demeaning to be forced into a role that was fully call centerized when it wasn’t before.

Food for thought.

My first piece of advice; Don't work in a call center.

My second piece of advice: Don't work in a call center.

Seriously.

@ULXb9ed-2qvo...3 page policy on call avoidance where at least 15 techniques are described in detail....why should i have to ask?

shouldn't this 3 page policy be something that all claims employees have access to? See first off I don't believe there is such a policy, 2nd if there is and it is something we need to ask for, tells me that SF doesn't want us claims employees to see it, so they can have reason to fire us for call avoidance when they feel like they have had enough of someone, what better reason can there be than some arbitrary "call avoidance" excuse?

Shouldn't we ALL know these 15 techniques for call avoidance so we don't do these techniques, shouldn't we?????

We should.

Again we should stop blaming the victim and start blaming the attacker..

@ULXb9ed-2zsx ask anyone in claims management to give you the 3 page policy on call avoidance where at least 15 techniques are described in detail, the consequence to the customer and how it inflates your results. Then come back to explain how your ignorance is an embarrassment and you promise not to post such stupid things in the future.

Dallas OC

I was reprimanded several times for taking to long on an initial contacts. The mismanagement is stunning. They care about the metrics a lot more than customer service. Future employees and customers beware.

See the thing is no one has an actual definition of what actual call avoidance is outside those reports. They are making it up as they go along, what the powers that be don't want to wrap their tiny brains around is that they have actual humans working for them, humans that do need to use the bathroom outside of breaks, and humans that just can't sit there and take call after call after call. Sorry we just can't, we aren't working in a factory, handling a claim shouldn't be about production because that is why there are so many outrageous mistakes in the claims, because we are trying to hurry.

We make these outrageous mistakes, we tick our policy holders off because we are a bunch of incompetent nincompoops, that's how they see us, and the leave hoping to find an insurance company that doesn't have incompetent nincompoops.

The policy holders don't understand nor do they really care how we are treated as a State Farm employee, they just want their claim handled competently, which isn't being done because of the metrics. Nor will their claims ever be handled competently because here you have someone that doesn't dare use the bathroom OR ELSE.

We are all thinking about this the wrong way, stop blaming the victim and blame the attacker..

2gqx is spot on. Sit with someone with a green dot and learn from what they say. Every customer has the same questions because every claim is alike. Once you memorized the canned responses like , “I’m not sure”, “you’ll need to call back”, and “I’m not handling that part of your claim” you’ll be on your way to success. Remember this is not about service it’s about metrics and a green dot. Good luck sears farm.

Ask your TM to schedule you time to sit with someone who is efficient to observe that person’s calls. It can be helpful in identifying things to implement in your own calls - more simple/shorter phrasing of notes, multitasking strategies, or a more efficient way of setting up your screens. Then, after a week or two, have that same associate sit with you to give you additional tips based on his/her observations of your work.

Best wishes to you!

All these metrics are nonsense.

I know this will sound off the wall, but it reminds me of what it was like a couple of years ago to go through the drive-through at a Wendy's burger joint. Apparently someone high up the food chain at Wendy's decided to track how long each car spent at the window, and to drive the point home to their employees, they had this annoying flashing light and beeping noise that would start going off inside the restaurant if a care sat at the window longer than 45 seconds.

So what did the employees do? They forced their customers to drive to the front of the building and "wait," even if there was no car behind them.

The moral of the story? Collecting metrics is fine. Making management decisions based on metrics is also fine. But attempting to drive the behavior of individual employees with metrics often has unintended consequences.

A lot of unwarranted complaints. Ever heard of diapers? If you put one and work through to lunch you dont need to use any break time, problem solved. Slide on a freshie at lunch and youre good for the day. This is my method for managing an endless stream of telephonic misery. And my boss says Im a “high 2/2” so its all been worth it.

Keep your dot green you’ll get more to do.

Op here.

Back in the “old model” i still had the expectation to take calls. But because there wasn’t any kind of metric used as it is now, I could properly handle my investigation, take the time I needed to do it right. I’d let peers know that I’m working on something that needs some time and it was fine. My files were great. Not perfect but very good. Was usually able to complete work queue for the day and not be stressed about the next. Bathroom breaks weren’t a huge deal.

But now if I do any of those things it comes up in my metrics and I need to be talked to. It’s asinine. I fix files, try to do the right thing and god forbid I get up to get some water or use the restroom really quick.

Yes I’ve heard of people who hung up calls and were swiftly fired but that’s not the case. The job in itself is easy since I know what I’m doing. The metrics are what is leading me to do a subpar job on every file which results in more poor handling downstream. Again, metrics just to see how you are doing on a given day I’m all for but only as a guide and for review purposes. But this monster that has been implemented is unreal. This isn’t a career anymore it’s a job at a sweatshop.

Hopefully you all are doing well but I just can’t see myself in a place like this for I dunno how long. Thank you all for your input.

OP, using the term call avoidance may not be the correct term unless you are actively avoiding calls using many of the techniques that have been identified: hanging up on customers, answering but staying silent until they hang up, putting yourself in and out of ready to keep dropping to the bottom of the line, having friends call you and then you call them to be not available to take inbound calls and some others....if you are doing any of these behaviors you should and will be fired. The policy on call avoidance leads to no other outcome. If you are simply not meeting your calls/hour or AHT/AWT that is another story. As the prior poster noted, being able to do your job as defined by the company is your responsibility to figure out. Your TM is a resource to try and help you succeed but management cannot care more about your success than you do. You have options, up to and including taking charge of your own career and finding your happy place with another company.

Too long by how much? Seconds or Minutes? It's fair to ask your TM to help identify phrases and actions to cut from your habits. Be sure to replace them with something else that adds value to the process. Try to find one thing to stop and one thing to start.

As far as bathroom breaks go, take a look at how often you use them on break times. If you are not going to the restroom at the start of your break you are making a choice to go at a later and maybe less convenient time.

Its a pain in the a-- to be metered like that, I know, but for now it's a choice that you have control of. If you have a health condition which requires more frequent use, you may need to ask HR what documentation is needed to allow for more frequent trips. Pretending you don't need accommodation for this kind of thing will only hurt you in the long run.

No one wants you to collapse from renal failure. And while the troll who suggested Depends was just a mean spirited tool, having something like that as a way to deal with your situation need only be between you and mail order supply.

If MAGS are good enough for NASA astronauts, they're good enough for you.

Invest time in typing faster. Buy Mavis Beacon or some other tutor software unless you type 80 wpm. Work at it untill you see better wrap time, and you are able to note key details as they data dump at the start of the call.

I sincerely hope this helps. I'm truly sorry you are feeling so powerless. Your TM is accountable for your performance. They are human too and they don't always know how to help you succeed.

It will mean a little extra work for your TM, but you may want to look at your #s for periods when you're making the numbers and line them up against when you aren't. Is there an adherence difference?

Don't go to the Bathroom in Wrap. You are double dinging yourself there. At least if you do it in unplanned it won't skew both AHT and Wrap down.

If you haven't been looking at other teams huddle boards, start. You may not have a good fit with your manager if you are feeling bullied, but there is one out there. Go look at the team at the top. Ask their manager what they have done to improve talk time and wrap time.

Its up to you. No one else is going to make it easier.

Judging by the one clown who has made multiple comments in this thread criticizing the OP (while pretending to be different people), I'd say this OP is spot on.

Claims is a great plave to start your career here. Understand the business. Interact with the customer. One of the most sought after jobs in the company

OP your only problem is having a weak bladder. Ever hear of Depends?

OP here. I am actively looking to get out but I think my question was misunderstood.

I’m not talking about hanging up calls. I’m talking about you doing your work the best that you can and in trying to do quality work management bullies you because you’re not taking enough calls by their definition. For example: wrap time is too long, call time taking too long, going to the bathroom while in after call instead of holding it in to take more calls or going into unplanned etc.

Then. Get. Out. Bye. Felicia.

OP-just leave. Life is too short to be miserable!

The only thing you can do is spend 20 minutes convincing the reluctant to give up their policy info so you can start a claim. If they hang up express will follow up. Otherwise the option you have is ratting out team mates for doing it.

If you think your work is being given more scrutiny than your peers start keeping a journal of it. Be your own advocate. Then, find out who on the team handles that type of call successfully and try their way. Role play it out.

That's if you're not engaging in call avoidance on purpose.

If you are being hounded about it, because you have been dodging calls, at some point, you'll be in a little room with a conference call to hr for your exit interview.

Maybe it's time to look for work elsewhere?

Everyone in AILR and probably Express have been flogged with that for years now.

That and cherry picking tasks.

Its a result that has significant consequences for State Farms compliance efforts. Perhaps the members of management teams are unwilling or lack the authority to address the drivers of these behaviors.

In sports teams work together to achieve a goal.

In Claims teams are made up of people who gotta go make those #'s. If some of them are avoiding calls to make the numbers it doesn't hurt the rest and makes the manager's #'s look better. The benefit only goes to those two. The rest of the team gets zero benefit.

And when has any TM, back when they still had time, that is, ever closely scrutinized the lead three producers? Seems like observing those people's habits would be the best way to prepare anyone struggling.

I've seen one.

Then. Leave