From an early age, Brian Molina knew the challenges language barriers presented. Now as a Policyowner Services supervisor for Mutual of Omaha, Molina and his team are making sure our Spanish-speaking customers feel like they’re talking to a familiar voice when they call us.
“When I was a kid, I was the translator in my family, so I often had to go with my parents to the bank or anywhere where they were conducting a business transaction,” he said. “Now when Spanish-speaking customers call, I want to help them just like I helped my parents.”
Molina’s team of bilingual customer care analysts has grown dramatically, from a handful a few years ago to close to 20 now. The team’s expansion underscores Mutual of Omaha’s commitment to better serving our growing Hispanic customer base.
The big win is the bilingual team is now able to greet customers in their own language. That means no more waiting for a Spanish-speaking customer to talk to a bilingual representative.
Associates on Molina's team put their heads together to develop a set of automated prompts to provide customers a seamless experience. Because there are some 20 Spanish-speaking countries, each with different dialects, his team, with the assistance of Metro Community College, compiled a list of more than 140 commonly used terms to create the prompts. Previously, determining the dialect of the customer was done on the fly — a stressful and very difficult task.
And to further enhance the team’s service, a formal training process was introduced. This helps new employees understand what to expect by listening to calls and observing how the bilingual customer care analysts interact with customers.
“It’s awesome to interact with our Spanish-speaking customers,” Molina said. “It feels like you’re talking to a family member, and I’ve learned so much more about the Hispanic community being part of this team.”