Putting people first at Liberty and on the ground
Vincent S., Underwriting Specialist, Global Risk Solutions, United States
“The situation was intense. Crews on the ground were struggling to keep control of the forward line of the fire and needed air support to cool down the edge of the fire. As a Pilot and Company Commander in the Army National Guard, I was flying helicopter missions to dump water on the Dixie wildfire in California.
The ground crew radioed all six helicopters (a mix of military and civilian aircraft) in the area for support. Dropping water on a fire isn’t as easy as it may sound – location matters, timing is urgent and conditions change rapidly. We quickly formulated a plan and shared the details with the crew on the ground. We did one test run to ensure location, got the ground crew’s feedback, adjusted our plan and then, put it into action.
‘Good communication matters’
The success we had on that mission was due in large part to our ability to communicate clearly and concisely among a group of strangers in adverse conditions. I’ve found those skills to be essential in my role at Liberty as well. Whether it’s balancing my job at Liberty and my role in our Employee Resource Group, Valor@Liberty, with my National Guard responsibilities or creating a genuine partnership with our brokers, good communication matters. In my opinion, it’s also an essential ingredient to creating a good customer experience.
My customers at Liberty are twofold — I spend my day trying to provide a valuable product and service experience to our brokers, who, in turn, do the same for our policyholders. The clearer and more transparent I can be with the brokers, the better the service that our customer will receive. And it’s the same with my military work. When we’re planning a mission, whether humanitarian, wildfire, medical or combat, we need to be direct with those we are supporting on the ground about how we can help and what our capabilities are.
Putting people first
For me, being a good communicator isn’t about being articulate, a good listener or a great public speaker (although those skills help). To truly be an effective communicator, you must be able to put people first. That means treating everyone with respect and dignity. I assume that they are doing the best job they can and deserve the same from me in return. It’s important that we always put our best foot forward no matter the situation. Our customers, both internal and external, deserve it.
Whether it’s an external broker, senior leader or soldier in the field, I’ve found that if I stay focused on their needs, they will want to do the same for others. Suddenly, putting people first becomes contagious, and great customer experience abounds!”
The success we had on that mission was due in large part to our ability to communicate clearly and concisely among a group of strangers in adverse conditions. I’ve found those skills to be essential in my role at Liberty as well. Whether it’s balancing my job at Liberty and my role in our Employee Resource Group, Valor@Liberty, with my National Guard responsibilities or creating a genuine partnership with our brokers, good communication matters. In my opinion, it’s also an essential ingredient to creating a good customer experience.
My customers at Liberty are twofold — I spend my day trying to provide a valuable product and service experience to our brokers, who, in turn, do the same for our policyholders. The clearer and more transparent I can be with the brokers, the better the service that our customer will receive. And it’s the same with my military work. When we’re planning a mission, whether humanitarian, wildfire, medical or combat, we need to be direct with those we are supporting on the ground about how we can help and what our capabilities are.
Putting people first
For me, being a good communicator isn’t about being articulate, a good listener or a great public speaker (although those skills help). To truly be an effective communicator, you must be able to put people first. That means treating everyone with respect and dignity. I assume that they are doing the best job they can and deserve the same from me in return. It’s important that we always put our best foot forward no matter the situation. Our customers, both internal and external, deserve it.
Whether it’s an external broker, senior leader or soldier in the field, I’ve found that if I stay focused on their needs, they will want to do the same for others. Suddenly, putting people first becomes contagious, and great customer experience abounds!”
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