Case story

How PFA Pension and Advisory Manager Kate Steenfeldt lifted customer experience

Goal

Self-service solutions are increasingly widespread and a popular way for customers to solve less complex tasks themselves – also at PFA. However, in a world where customers can serve themselves to a greater extent, the demands for the personal meeting and advice have increased significantly in recent years. The desire was therefore to be at the forefront of development and create more value in the meeting with the customers

We wanted to be at the forefront of digitalisation. In the future, it must be especially valuable to get in touch with a PFA advisor and we must be able to challenge customers in a good way.”

Kate Steenfeldt, PFA Pension Advisory Manager

That’s why Kate and the PFA were looking for a partner who could inspire them to try new paths in advice and lift customer experiences.

Solution

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

There is a big difference between what advisers have to master depending on the solutions involved and the roles they have. Therefore, the goal was not for all advisors to advise and sell the same, but it was to find the approach, methods and tools that suited the individual type of advice.

“The goal was not for everyone to do everything the same, but to find the approach that best suit the different types of advice”– Advisory Manager, Kate Steenfeldt

We found the right way to train for the different types of advisors and then the right way to train most effectively in this particular type of advice.

Choosing the right methods and tools made it very practical, manageable and accessible for us to train the right thing with most impact.”

Kate Steenfeldt, PFA Pension Advisory Manager

From knowledge to new behavior in the job

In addition to short intense training sessions for the advisors, the process also included virtual sessions and training groups to ensure that training and development became a natural part of the daily job – and which over time created new habits and competencies in the advisor role.

”It doesn’t just help to talk about theories and tools – you have to practice and do it yourself – otherwise you think you can. But without training you can’t” says Kate Steenfeldt, Advisory Manager.

The managers therefore learned to facilitate training so that they can drive change in everyday life on their own. According to Kate, the key has been training, which is very much adapted to the daily lives of the advisors.

A common language with simple tools – easy to remember and use

Creating a common language may be the most fluffy you’ve read in a long time. Nevertheless, creating a common language – i.e. a common understanding – about advice and sales is what the very best performing organizations succeed with. In the case of the PFA, Kate also highlights that training in simple tools has helped create a common language across teams, making it easier to be a leader while ensuring better advice for the customers.

“All of a sudden, things we do on a daily basis get a label, and we know exactly how to give each other feedback to get better – it also makes it easier for us to train the right things faster.”

At the same time, the common tools have helped them internally learn more from each other across teams.

“We now have the opportunity to make effective co-visits across teams and this has created good cohesion because we can speak from a common language when we give feedback” says Kate Steenfeldt.

Results

One of the most important keys to lifting quality of advice, lifting customer experience and sales to the next level is to shift managers’ skills in driving development and training so it become a natural part of daily life.

Kate finds that the process has made it much easier for managers to develop the advisors, and at the same time it is clear that the advisors have become sharper in the dialogue and meeting with customers.

The advisers have individually become more skilled which clearly shows in their meetings”.

Kate Steenfeldt, PFA Pension Advisory Manager

The feedback from the advisors is also that they feel a greater satisfaction in knowing how to improve and what to prepare for meetings with customers – and it is obvious that the find it important to get better all the time.

In a world of advisors characterized by high professionalism in the economic field, the process has created more focus on sales and communication. 

“We have created a clear picture of how we should communicate with customers and give each other feedback on how we improve across the entire area related to B-T-C” says Kate Steenfeldt.

Finally, it has been a fun and interesting journey “we have enjoyed ourselves and had fun together, gotten to know each other across the organization. It’s pretty cool, too.”

All in all, Kate believes they now have the tools to improve the customers’ experience and know how to keep training in the future.

Kate concludes: “I would definitely recommend Intenz – in the PFA we are very ambitious which Intenz matches in all aspects.”

Next step is yours

You want results. But will you also do what it takes to reach them? We don’t create sustainable changes with a two-hour workshop – but it can be a good start. Are you ready to take the next step towards becoming an organization worth investing in?