{"id":871942,"date":"2026-08-25T11:01:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T09:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=871942"},"modified":"2026-08-25T11:01:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T09:01:30","slug":"lessons-from-the-best-medical-aid-contact-centre-in-sa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/871942\/lessons-from-the-best-medical-aid-contact-centre-in-sa\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons from the best medical aid contact centre in SA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medihelp.co.za\/home?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=August+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Medihelp<\/a><\/strong> was named <strong>Best Medical Aid Client Care Contact Centre<\/strong> in the recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medihelp.co.za\/showcase\/blog\/ce-index-top?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=August+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Customer Experience Index<\/strong><\/a>, it was more than a trophy moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was public recognition of something far harder to build than a ranking: a service culture that holds steady when members are stressed, vulnerable, and looking for clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medihelp.co.za\/home?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=August+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Click here for more info about Medihelp<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Empathy meets competence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For a contact centre in the medical aid space, winning an award like this is very important. Healthcare interactions are rarely neutral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re often wrapped in urgency, fear, confusion, and financial pressure. In this environment, service excellence is not about scripting empathy. It\u2019s about building an operation where empathy and competence can coexist at a grand scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amanda Prinsloo, who has spent <strong>30 years<\/strong> in customer care and worked her way up to Contact Centre Manager, describes the award as the result of years of deliberate culture-building rather than a short-term campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt starts at the top,\u201d says Amanda. \u201cVarsha has really set the pace for this care culture within Medihelp.\u201d This leadership recognition is significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Since Varsha Vala <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insurancebiz.co.za\/news\/life-insurance\/varsha-vala-appointed-as-new-medihelp-principal-officer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>became Principal Officer on 1&nbsp;March 2024<\/strong><\/a><strong>, Medihelp has continued to position care, member experience, and human-centred thinking as strategic priorities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Scheme has described Vala\u2019s leadership approach as focused on member needs, agility, innovation, and outstanding client experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Care that reaches beyond slogans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At Medihelp, care is more than a value on a wall. It is embedded in the way leaders show up for their people every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This action includes: visible recognition, open-door leadership, regular check-ins, and systems designed to support employees who now work largely in hybrid or remote settings. Within Amanda\u2019s team, weekly meetings cover both operational priorities and personal check-ins. Monthly face-to-face sessions create space for one-on-one feedback, while monthly \u201cfamily meetings\u201d bring remote consultants together to share performance updates, celebrate birthdays, and recognise exceptional work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, culture is intentionally built through everyday actions rather than occasional initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why employee experience matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Medihelp frames its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medihelp.co.za\/showcase\/blog\/ce-index-top?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=August+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CE-Index recognition<\/strong><\/a> success around a simple idea: <strong>technology can improve service, but people create trust<\/strong>. This sentiment is especially true in a medical aid contact centre, where members are often navigating claims, chronic medication, treatment approvals, or unexpected costs \u2013 simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amanda believes exceptional member experiences begin long before a consultant answers the phone. She says the team is hand-picked through a rigorous recruitment process designed to find mature, empathetic individuals suited to a sensitive environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The average age in the call centre is currently around <strong>42 years<\/strong>, and the average tenure is <strong>more than 10 years<\/strong> \u2013 an unusually long period for contact centre environments, and one that brings depth, consistency, and emotional maturity to any member interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Systems behind the empathy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, a caring culture does not mean soft standards. In fact, Medihelp\u2019s model relies on pairing emotional intelligence with operational discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at the know-how that supports consultants on the floor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Comprehensive multiskilling from the start, which lasts for at least three months,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Buddy coaching before independent work,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A live coach line for support on tricky calls,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Silent monitoring to provide real-time guidance,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A shared knowledge base across the organisation,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing quality assurance feedback, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remote technical support for work-from-home consultants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Amanda describes it as a combined effort where \u201cteamwork makes the dream work\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a philosophy that aligns closely with Medihelp\u2019s broader brand positioning, including initiatives such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medihelp.co.za\/about\/partners\/compassionate-care-programme\/support-and-resources\/blog\/compassionate-care-programme?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=August+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CareTogether programme<\/strong><\/a>, which emphasises practical, emotional, and logistical support during life\u2019s toughest moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The leadership lesson behind the award<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Excellence in a medical aid contact centre is built when leaders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Model care visibly,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stay close to their teams,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognise progress, not only top performance,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equip people with training and tools,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Balance regulation with humanity, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep evolving with member expectations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As members&#8217; needs and service preferences continue to change, Medihelp remains focused on embracing innovation without losing the human connection that defines its service culture. Digital channels like WhatsApp and web chat continue to grow in importance, but meaningful human interaction remains at the heart of every member experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s non-negotiable,\u201d Amanda says of her team\u2019s customer service excellence. \u201cEmployees are our greatest asset, and the care we give them reflects on the broader Medihelp community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The award is a testament to over 120 years of Medihelp doing things the right way and proof of what sustained care can look like when leadership, systems, and people are truly aligned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Written for Medihelp by Vanessa Rogers<\/em><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Medihelp was named Best Medical Aid Client Care Contact Centre in the recent Customer Experience Index, it was more than a trophy moment. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":871944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"posted","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"2092175906173321653","_sma_facebook_post_id":"191437357620492_2186084742211925","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[12352],"class_list":["post-871942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-medihelp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=871942"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":871948,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871942\/revisions\/871948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/871944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=871942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=871942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=871942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}