WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 10 September 2007 � Five core lines of business for the U.S. Consumer business of Marsh Inc. have been recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program.SM This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment from Marsh Inc.�s call center operations to provide �An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.�
�Across the organization, Marsh�s dedication to providing high-quality customer service is clear, as several of their business service call centers have received certification in 2007,� said Jonathan Brookner, director of the call center certification program at J.D. Power and Associates. �Customers expressed especially high satisfaction levels with the courtesy, knowledge, care and concern they received from Marsh�s representatives. Customers were also particularly impressed with the timeliness with which any issues or concerns they had were resolved.�
In particular, the following services received certification recognition under Marsh U.S. Consumer:
- Life & Health Affinity Services
- Voluntary Benefit Services
- Professional Liability Insurance Services
- Auto & Home Choice Services
- Program & Franchise Insurance Services
To become certified, the call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of their recruiting, training, employee incentives, management roles and responsibilities, and quality assurance capabilities. In addition, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a random survey of Marsh Inc. customers who recently contacted its call centers, which handle more than 5 million telephone, e-mail and fax inquiries from customers per year.
For certification status, a call center must also perform within the top 20 percent of customer service scores, which is based on benchmarks established in J.D. Power and Associates� cross-industry customer satisfaction research. The criteria used include evaluation of: courtesy; knowledge; concern for the customer; usefulness of the information provided; convenience of operating hours; ease of reaching a representative; and timely resolution.
�We�re honored to be recognized for our service quality by such a trusted and respected authority,� said Brian Storms, chairman and CEO of Marsh Inc. �We will continue to invest in our people and focus our resources on enhancing service delivery, efficiency, and quality to the benefit of clients throughout the U.S. and around the world.�
The Call Center Certification Program was launched by J.D. Power and Associates in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with call centers and to help call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing best practices for handling service calls.
There are more than 75,000 call centers in North America and an estimated 125,000 worldwide that help customers with product and service questions across a multitude of industries, ranging from credit cards, financial services, investment services, utilities, service warranty and insurance to telecommunications, healthcare and office products.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm�s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor�s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.