In this edition of CenterStage, JA Benefits’ Lead Solutions Advocate, Mary Fisher, promotes the awareness of C.A.R.E as a strategic tool for uplifting a work environment starting at its foundation — its people.

More and more, organizations are coming to the realization that adopting the Golden Rule is good for business. Treating others how you would like to be treated is the foundational philosophy of the JA Benefits Solutions team, said Lead JA Solutions Advocate, Mary Fisher.

JA formed its solutions team three years ago to provide a more personalized form of assistance to clients. The mission of the team is to alleviate the concerns of clients and provide them with the tools and answers needed to maintain their focus on the day-to-day operations of their business.

It's All About C.A.R.E.

The Solutions team lives by the acronym C.A.R.E., which stands for compassion, active listening, respect and return and empathy.

Having compassion in difficult situations for clients is of the utmost importance to the team. Mary noted a time when a client’s employee lost her husband and the carrier initially denied the life claim due to an error. The Solutions Team at JA got the issue corrected as quickly as possible and made sure the life claim was paid.

“That was a huge help to her. She was able to pay for the funeral expenses, and it was one less worry for her out of an already stressful situation.”

Active listening is also a significant part of the C.A.R.E. approach, because sometimes that’s all it takes to put an employee’s mind at ease during a difficult situation. Mary pointed to a time where an employee who had been recently diagnosed with a major medical issue stopped in, so he could talk through the next steps and how he would handle the expenses.

“He just wanted somebody to go through everything with,” Mary said. “There wasn’t anything we could do for him at the moment, but we were there to listen to him, and I feel like it made him feel better to know that when bills start coming through we’ll be here for him and we’ll be able to support him and direct him where to go.”

Respect & Return

Respect and return, perhaps better than anything else, embodies the Solutions Team’s philosophy. It’s all about treating others how you would want to be treated.

This is a concept that doesn’t just apply to high-ranking executives, but across the entire employee base.

“At JA, we want everybody to have the best client service experience they’ve ever had,” Mary said. “We want to get their issue resolved as soon as possible, but if it’s necessary to take some extra time to get it done right, that’s what we’ll do.”

Mary said the Solutions Team has been meticulously constructed of empathetic souls who are dedicated to guiding clients through difficult times in their lives.

“We just try to be as courteous and sympathetic to them as we can possibly be,” she said. “We try to put ourselves in their shoes and understand what they’re going through.”

JA Can Help

The Solutions Team at JA is a key part of our culture and overall organizational philosophy. We put our client’s needs first and utilize the C.A.R.E. principal when dealing with unfortunate incidents that might occur in their lives.

Mary enjoys helping clients resolve their concerns and strives to make sure they are assisted in a timely and efficient manner.

“It’s not just about how we treat the employers, we treat each other that way as well, and I think that’s why we’ve grown,” Mary said. “We’ll handle your employees with the utmost respect, and if you don’t want us to be super hands on, we don’t have to be, but just know that we’re there for them if they need us.”

For further information or questions, please contact Mary Fisher at 812.329.6041 or mary.fisher@jabenefits.com.

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