Is it just a happy accident that America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) has achieved nearly national distribution? Nope. And our Customer Support Team is the real foundation behind that growth. So we sat down with four members of the APHW family (Kellie, Alan, Mike, and Beth) to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes our team special and how we give homeowners the best home warranty experience.
Our Family is Here for Your Family
When Customer Experience Manager Kellie joined APHW, she saw how our growing company still held a small company atmosphere. “We’re very family oriented and close-knit,” she said.
Dewitt Operations Manager Alan holds the same sentiment. “I’ve been here through most of the growth, and what has surprised me most is the consistent care from the top management,” he said. “Though some might expect it to fade quickly, it has been ongoing for us—not just as employees, or even as people, but as individuals. When we say, ‘It’s a family,’ we mean it. APHW definitely has a family atmosphere.”
The company continues to grow, but its foundation of hard work and compassion is steadfast. “It is a great company to work for, and Randy is a great owner who cares about his employees,” Alan said. “That care trickles down, and people feel that.”
Trained to Take Your Call
“Customer service for me is always in my heart. How we treat customers and what we do is everything,” said Vice President of Operations Mike. And in the rare instances our CSRs aren’t certain of how to proceed, management is always available to help.
“There were a couple CSRs who were really intimidated by potentially stressful calls,” Alan said, adding that he shared techniques he had learned to make sure the customer is heard, showing them how to “set a positive tone for the remainder of the call.”
When it comes to handling claims, Alan said that our CSRs go into every claim looking for a way to approve it. “Our sincere intent is to help our homeowners; it is definitely a benefit,” he said. For those who love to save, he adds, “You can literally recoup the annual expense of a warranty in one claim. You can make that money back repeatedly.”
“Knowledge of the warranty gives you a way of looking at a claim differently than you may have otherwise,” said Corporate Training Manager Beth. “While we won’t always be able to assist with everything, there are a lot of things that we can do to help offset the cost of owning your home—there are nuances that you can apply to get the homeowner a higher covered amount and help with things that may break down unexpectedly.”
No matter how much the approval is for, homeowners should always leave calls fully informed about their coverage. “I love being able to provide information to customers,” Kellie stated. “Sometimes, all they’re looking for is a more detailed explanation.”
Coverage in a Crisis
When homeowners experience a crisis, our goal is to help get their lives back to normal as quickly and smoothly as possible, according to Mike. “No one calls when their house is great. They call when they need help,” he said, noting that we don’t take serious situations lightly.
Mike shared a story about a customer who was going through a “very traumatic” period in her life. Her husband had passed away as they closed on their new home, leaving her and their small child to grieve as they began what was now a bittersweet new chapter. When gas leaks were discovered in the new home, and their old home had already been sold, they were stuck.
“I helped her file the claim and get the gas leaks fixed,” Mike said, adding that he also made sure any loose ends were tied up. “It’s surprising how many situations we get that are very similar to that. It’s a scary experience for a first-time homebuyer to have something go wrong, and it’s always great to be able to have the training and understanding to go above and beyond for them.”
Happy To Help
Our Customer Support Team is working hard 24/7/365, ready and available to go the extra mile for you, Mike added, noting that we want everyone to know our Customer Support Team is not only prepared to help you with your claim, but excited to help you as well.
“Employees here love their job and what they’re doing, and we’re really dedicated to helping our customers,” Kellie said. “My mission is to review things that maybe my team hadn’t considered for coverage, to get the homeowner the best bang for their buck. We’re customer-centric—they’re the reason we’re in business, so it’s our goal to help our customers as much as possible.”
Ultimately, we want all homeowners who call us to feel heard, helped, and understood. “Customer service is a very difficult job. There’s a lot of learning that goes into it, but it is one of only two departments that has direct access to our customers,” Beth said. “We work hard to make a good impression and to help keep the homeowners satisfied.”
Call 888.351.3681 or visit APHW.COM for more information on how you can cover your home and access our complimentary award-winning customer service today.
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