Reducing Support Volume by Fixing the Root Cause

How participant education improved service outcomes and saved time

High-volume support issues are often treated like a cost of doing business. But what if you could prevent the most common questions before they ever arise?

In this post, I’ll walk through how analyzing participant support data led to meaningful improvements in communication, participant confidence, and team efficiency.

The Problem: A Support System Under Pressure

During peak enrollment periods, our Customer Service team faced overwhelming volume:

  • 1,300+ participant emails per week

  • 200+ calls per employer per day

Despite a fully staffed support center, we couldn’t keep up. Repetition was the norm—questions like:

  • “What’s covered under my benefit card?”

  • “Why can’t I use funds for my spouse’s appointment?”

  • “I didn’t know I had to submit a receipt—now what?”

These weren’t one-off issues. They were patterns.

The Analysis: Digging Into the Data

Using Excel and case logs, I categorized support requests by:

  • Topic (eligibility, documentation, deadlines, etc.)

  • Plan type (FSA, HSA, Commuter, etc.)

  • Escalation tier

  • Time of year

From this, several patterns emerged

Top Confusion Points:

  • Eligibility rules (who counts as a dependent)

  • Expense eligibility (why some things are reimbursed and others aren’t)

  • Terminology mismatch (e.g., “prepaid benefit card” vs “debit card”)

  • Submission timing and documentation requirements

Impact:

  • Higher repeat calls

  • Participant frustration

  • Support team burnout

  • Misuse or underuse of benefits

The Solution: Targeted, Ongoing Education

Armed with data, I pitched a proactive education strategy to senior leadership. My proposal included:

  • Internal Training: Regular education meetings for our Customer Service team focused on top confusion areas identified in the data.

  • Resource Development: Clear, friendly templates for common participant questions.

  • Participant Campaigns: Pre- open enrollment emails and portal messages with visuals and plain-language tips, targeting the most misunderstood plan rules.

I also implemented ongoing ticket analysis to keep refining our messaging as participant behavior evolved.

The Results: Real, Measurable Impact

After implementing the education plan:

Fewer Repeat Inquiries

  • 30% drop in duplicate questions within a single online enrollment cycle.

Improved Participant Confidence

  • Survey feedback reflected clearer understanding of plan use, especially regarding card usage and dependent eligibility.

Better Internal Support

  • Fewer escalations meant more time for complex cases.
  • Less burnout for internal teams.

Final Thought: Education Is a Compliance Strategy

Clear communication is a risk mitigation tool. Preventable confusion wastes time, increases liability, and erodes trust.

By using data to guide support content, we didn’t just reduce volume. We helped people use their benefits better.

That’s good for participants, business, and compliance.


To identify root causes in your business problems, contact me now.

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