Sarah answered the phone and heard what she thought was a familiar voice.
As a customer experience specialist in the Participant Contact Center, Sarah may field 50 calls a day from people participating in a retirement plan who trust their retirement savings to Principal. She handles an array of issues, from a simple question about an account balance to more complex rollovers and transfers.
This familiar voice happened to be a customer Sarah had helped a couple weeks before with a hardship withdrawal to cover emergency medical expenses. The woman was feeling better, and Sarah remembered to ask about her newly adopted kitten.
The customer wept with joy, telling Sarah she was so happy her retirement provider had such good specialists to support her.
“You really feel like you’re making a difference for people,” Sarah says.
Those interested in the role of a customer experience specialist can work on the front lines of the core purpose of Principal: offer access to financial security for increasingly more people.
“We want to be more of an education center than just a call center,” says Vikki, a learning and development analyst with more than 20 years of experience with the Participant Contact Center. “We want to help them prepare for retirement and enjoy life when they’re done working.
The Participant Contact Center is just one example of numerous engagement centers at Principal, all of them emphasizing the value of quality service for various customer segments. This center also hires bilingual (English-Spanish) specialists to help serve a broader customer set.
Employees themselves benefit from the financial education they extend to customers: The job empowers you to learn the nuances of retirement savings and other cornerstones of everyday finances. You can pursue professional licensing.
You start with about three months of paid training, including seven weeks of focused instruction to learn the fundamentals of Principal products and services. That’s followed by live coaching sessions with customer calls.
Customer experience specialists also learn empathy and patience. Some callers may reach out when they’re sad or angry because of their financial stress.
“How do you feel when somebody is taking out their frustrations on you?” may be an interview question you face as a job candidate. But taking ownership of a tough situation and helping a customer regain some financial confidence also can instill a strong sense of accomplishment.
“Those types of calls are the ones that make me feel really good,” says Nahla, another specialist.
Collaborative problem-solvers may thrive in these roles. Specialists never feel alone when working with customers; they can rely on backup. They often crowdsource answers with teammates in a group chat, or ask a more experienced colleague to join the call to help explore possible solutions.
“We’re there to help each other,” Vikki says. “We’re a support system so we can see everybody succeed.”
While this work is rooted to a desk (at home or office) and a steady stream of inbound calls, specialists can bid on shifts that better suit their schedule within the 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST hours of operation. For instance, some opt for four 10-hour days. There also is incentive pay for certain hours that tend to be less convenient for employees.
These may be some of the most customer-centric jobs at Principal, as specialists support people from so many different backgrounds, cultures, and communities.
“I feel very connected to the people we serve,” Nahla says. “Every day I hear what people need in terms of financial education and which challenges they face.”
She also loves congratulating people for their milestones—a small but meaningful sign that she really does care:
“Congratulations on your retirement! I can’t wait to be you one day!”
Descriptions of 3 key Principal engagement centers
1. Participant Contact Center: Provides education and assistance to 401(k) participants by answering questions about their retirement accounts and helping them to prepare for retirement. Calls range from specific questions on retirement plans to access of funds and how to add to accounts.
2. Dental Contact Center: Helps customers with their dental insurance plans, including providing an effective date on an account and explaining dental benefits.
3. Annuities: Fields questions from agents, customers, and those receiving a payment from their annuity contract. This team focuses on customers who purchased a product individually and customers receiving a benefit through an employer or plan sponsor.
