Sales optimization through service excellence at Gothaer

How insurance companies can meet their clients face-to-face while still being available by phone

In the insurance sector, exclusive sales organizations [AO] are facing many challenges. One major factor is that demographic shifts have led to a diminishing pool of potential new agents who can take on one-on-one communication with customers. At the same time, the service needs of existing customers are expanding, as their expectations include individualized and proficient sales consulting. To close this gap, GoBV needed to put in place more effective, higher-quality telephony solutions in sales to assist with both customer acquisition and customer retention. 

In order to maximize agents’ time for direct customer interactions, the exclusive sales organization [AO] relies on support from GoBV. Agencies can select from various GoBV service packages, or they can sign up for additional lead nurturing. The difference lies mainly in the service hours covered. GoBV’s back office telephony employees can process all calls going to an agency ⁠– not only conversations with customers but also interactions with prospects, personal callers, third-party services, and corporate sales teams. In the best case scenario, GoBV representatives convert the customer inquiries they handle for the AO into sales. GoBV also provides outbound calling services for the AO. 

GoBV’s previous software solution for back-office telephony provided little flexibility and was not scalable in terms of technology and industry specifics. Technically, the old solution offered tailored process details for each agency, which worked with fewer agencies but became unsustainable as more firms came on board. The growing number of agencies soon caused the system to reach its functional limits, and the separate peripheral systems led to data silos and complex operations that made processes difficult. Moreover, agents underwent training solely through on-the-job experience, with minimal system guidance for employees. Consequently, GoBV needed a technical solution capable of meeting the varied needs of each agency, one that was not only adaptable and scalable but also ensured superior process quality and security. 

Scalable service experiences: flexible configurability, purposeful user guidance, and compelling industry specifics

By selecting the BSI Customer Suite and the GoBOT App, GoBV decided to install a state-of-the-art, flexible solution that centers on customer experience and sustainable sales consulting. To implement the new solution, BSI joined forces with BearingPoint and Gothaer Solutions GmbH, the in-house IT service provider. In addition to the needs analysis and rep training and support, this approach aimed to identify sales strengths, to ensure that the processes would be designed accordingly. The smooth rollout was a result of both the phased implementation and the collaborative approach between the partners, built on years of cooperation. This allowed BearingPoint to offer solid assistance in the crucial period before launching the app, through planning its release and finalizing the outstanding concepts and configurations. 

The BSI Customer Suite’s flexible and modular architecture enabled the team to adapt it to Gothaer’s specific requirements and goals, thereby generating instant added value for GoBV and all agencies.  

We've been working closely with BarmeniaGothaer for 14 years now, and time and again, I'm inspired by the innovative, appreciative, and truly value-creating collaboration we share. It's a partnership that continues to set new standards.

Sven Gerhardus , Partner at BearingPoint

BearingPoint used its broad experience in the insurance sector and its knowledge of modern CRM solutions to support GoBV in the digital transformation of its service and sales processes. GoSys’ expertise, as well as Gothaer Solutions’ technical knowledge in BSI compliant architecture, system logic, and CTI integration also played a pivotal role in the fruitful execution of the project. 

Several processes were redesigned and reconfigured to serve both sales and service purposes. These changes highlighted numerous process improvements and interdependencies, resulting in more focused and consistent procedures. Given that assisting a customer might entail a vast array of options, leading to as many as 500 transactions happening at once, it was crucial for the GoBV system to offer efficient and orderly handling of current and prospective customer inquiries. System users are constantly informed about the most important aspects, including protocols for answering the phone, handling current or potential customer enquiries, accessible processes for running the agency and important details about the agency. The advisor only sees what is currently functional and accessible to them. 

^{*GoBV is a 100% subsidiary of Gothaer. The project was conducted prior to the merger to BarmeniaGothaer.} 

Embracing flexibility, efficiency, and scalability with new web-based application

With the BSI Customer Suite and the bot application – called GoBOT – GoBV now has a modern and flexible solution in place that prioritizes customer experience and sustainable consulting. The web-based application allows processes to be designed and managed individually for each agency. Customers are provided with the best possible support through suitable products and services, while all the necessary steps are carried out in the background.  The BSI Customer Suite integrates seamlessly with GoBV’s existing IT landscape and uses existing data from peripheral systems. A key feature for GoBV was the intuitive and configurable user interface, which simplifies operation and increases user adherence. A sensitive approval logic, coupled with effective automation of text creation, significantly supports case processing.  

Gothaer’s GoBV stands as the technological market leader in service and telephone-based insurance consulting, and ranks among the largest inbound/outbound sales units—distinguished by its excellence in assisting customers with their insurance inquiries.

Jacob Claussen, Senior Manager at BearingPoint

GoBV’s project transitioned its staff towards autonomous work practices, enabling process setup without IT support or coding knowledge, by embracing a low-code/no-code approach over dependence on Gothaer Solutions GmbH for IT services. To date, more than 90% of changes have been made by configuration, providing virtually unlimited scalability. This is also supported by a wizard interface with clearly named fields and tiles, along with helpful tooltips for process management. Service quality substantially improved through faster processing times post-rollout, affording agents up to 38% more time for customer interaction and sales opportunities. Additionally, the BSI solution allows handling of multiple inquiries from a single call, which boosts productivity and efficiency. The system also generates automatic emails summarizing the discussions with the agencies based on previous user input and sends notifications when either action is required or a matter is resolved. By displaying the approved items only, the system enables higher process security and also ensures GoBV staff offer EPO customers excellent support. 

The Gothaer Group

The Gothaer Group, one of Germany’s largest insurance groups and mutual insurance companies, is now part of the BarmeniaGothaer group following their merger in October 2024. With around 4 million members and premium income of 4.9 billion euros, the Gothaer Group offers all lines of insurance. Gothaer focuses on high-quality personal and digital advice and support for its customers.

Gothaer Beratungs- & Vertriebsservice (GoBV) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gothaer Versicherung, based in Cologne, Germany. It acts as a cross-channel service provider for customers, brokers, sales representatives, and EPOs.