New Eastbridge research shows growth in call center services

Voluntary carriers expand capabilities to offer new administrative services

AVON, Conn., Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Online chat and return call scheduling are two of the newest and fastest-growing capabilities voluntary benefit carriers are offering through their customer call centers, according to a new report from Eastbridge Consulting Group.

Eastbridge's "Administrative Practices of Voluntary Carriers" Spotlight™ Report shows the number of carriers offering online chat has increased significantly in the past few years, from just three carriers (9%) in 2022 to 12 (39%) this year. Return call scheduling also is much more prevalent, up from just one (3%) in 2022 to 11 (35%) in this year's survey.

Adding capabilities to call centers are just one of the constant changes many carriers are making to their administrative practices and systems, according to Ginger Bates, Eastbridge director of research.

"Nearly half the carriers we surveyed plan to make major upgrades or improvements within the next five years, including several that plan to install a completely new system," Bates said. "Carriers are planning these improvements even though half of those surveyed say they've changed their voluntary policyholder administration system in the last three years."

Eastbridge's "Administrative Practices of Voluntary Carriers" Spotlight™ Report compiles detailed information on key benefits administration practices collected from 31 voluntary carriers in June and July 2025. It covers topics including administration structure and capabilities; policy issue; service capabilities for administrators, employers and employees; call center functions and time standards; and current and future trends. Carriers can use this information to compare their own voluntary administration practices with others active in the market and determine changes needed to be competitive with key service and administration trends.

Other key findings in the report include:

• Two-thirds of carriers surveyed say they outsource at least some administrative functions or for some of their products. About one-quarter of these carriers use offshore rather than U.S.-based outsource partners.
• About half the carriers surveyed offer performance guarantees, most often upon request, by case or on a limited basis.
• Most carriers conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys to stay connected to brokers, employers and employees. Surveys with employees are usually conducted after each transaction, while broker and employer surveys are more likely to happen on a regular schedule.

Read more about the "Administrative Practices of Voluntary Carriers" Spotlight™ Report and how to obtain a copy on Eastbridge's website or email [email protected].

About Eastbridge Consulting Group

Eastbridge Consulting Group, part of NMG Consulting,  specializes in research, consulting and insights for companies in the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/eastbridge-consulting-group. NMG is a consulting firm providing strategic insights and analytics across insurance, wealth management and asset management. It operates internationally offering expertise in business strategy, performance benchmarking and distribution strategies.

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SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group