Norwood, MA, 10 August, 2010
Mercer, a leading provider of consulting, outsourcing, and investment services, announced today that its Outsourcing business has seen a significant increase in the number of clients adopting its online chat capabilities: From two pilot clients at the beginning of 2009, to 11 in the first half of 2010. This has resulted in a 55% increase in chat sessions handled by Mercer contact center representatives in the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009. In addition, a number of clients plan to roll out the capability later this year.
Meanwhile, for the two pilot clients who offered the service in early 2009, Mercer has seen upticks in chat sessions of 48% and 10% respectively when comparing volumes for the first half of 2009 to the same time period in 2010.
“Online chat provides another convenient way – in addition to phone and e-mail – for employees to interact with our contact center representatives,” said John Conroy, Director of Contact Center Services for Mercer’s US Outsourcing business. “It gives retirement and health plan participants the opportunity to seamlessly seek help at the very point of transaction – while they are logged into their accounts. While a small percentage of our overall client base currently utilizes this functionality, it reflects a growing trend in employers utilizing cutting-edge technology to engage and assist their employees.”
The addition of online chat functionality a little over a year ago reflects Mercer’s commitment to remaining a leader in offering innovative technological solutions to its clients and its clients’ employees. Mercer has clients utilizing chat across all lines of business. In defined contribution plans, chat inquiries predominantly revolve around transactions, contributions, updating demographic data and taking distributions. For defined benefit plans, participants have been asking questions about plan details, updating demographic data and requesting disbursements. Health plan participants most commonly ask about plan design, providers and verifying life events or plan eligibility.
“We are encouraged that participants are utilizing chat for a wide range of inquiries, from plan design questions to requesting information on transactions,” said Mr. Conroy. “This is an important enhancement, one that acknowledges and supports the changing demographics of our participant base, many of whom are more comfortable ‘texting’ messages in real time rather than picking up the phone.”
Online chat joins Mercer's other, recently launched tools – including the MyViewTM retirement planning calculator (income gap analysis) and the Retirement Road Trip campaign (online, interactive learning module available at www.retirementroadtrip.com) – that engage participants, encourage them to become committed managers of their benefits and prompt them to take action.
Mercer provides benefits administration services to nearly 4 million participants in the US across defined contribution, defined benefit, health & benefits, and absence management.
About Mercer
Mercer is a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues, designing and helping manage health, retirement and other benefits. It is a leader in benefit outsourcing. Mercer’s investment services include investment consulting and multi-manager investment management. Mercer’s 18,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.mercer.com. The HR industry´s premier online community and resource for Human Resource professionals: HR, human resources, HR community, human resources community, HR best practices, best practices in human resources, online communities for HR, HR articles, HR news, human resources articles, human resources news, HR events, leadership, performance management, staffing and recruitment, benefits, compensation, staffing, recruitment, workforce acquisition, human capital management, HR management, human resources management, HR metrics and measurement, organizational development, executive coaching, HR law, employment law, labor relations, hiring employees, HR outsourcing, human resources outsourcing, training and development
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