Sometimes doing the right thing does not always seem like the smart business choice.
At Ametros, we specialize in post-settlement professional administration for injured individuals who have suffered a complex or catastrophic injury. Once their claim is settled, they are often at a loss as to how to move forward with their healthcare, finances, and life.
That’s where we come in – our team is there to help them pick up the pieces and navigate life post-settlement. Serving as the frontlines, our empathic customer support team takes the time to educate, guide, care, and listen.
That might sound counterproductive given the philosophy held by many customer support departments today: get people off the phone quickly and automate as much as possible. Many believe this is the most cost-effective approach; however, doing the right thing – the thing that may cost you more in the short term – will make for a far more successful business in the long term.
It’s important to understand what it means to do ‘right thing.’ Imagine you are someone who has suffered a very bad, traumatic workplace injury. Your entire life has been turned upside down, and you desperately want someone to listen, understand, and help. Like all of us, you would want to talk to a real person – an empathic person who does not rush you or treat you like you are just a number in the queue. The right thing means doing whatever it takes to make each injured individual feel safe, supported, and seen.
Nearly nine years ago, I joined the Ametros team. Since then, I have helped develop a team that is challenging what people believe customer support should look like in 2026. Here are my five key components for creating a customer support team that does the right thing, leading to a more successful business.
1. Pick Up the Phone
In a world of AI chatbots and waiting on hold for lengthy periods, people are craving quick connections to a live person more than ever. It is important to build a team that has the capacity to pick up the phone quickly.
At Ametros, we strive to pick up the phone in under a minute – every time. Less time waiting makes all the difference in how the call will go because the injured individual is not starting from a place of frustration. The customer support they receive leaves them pleasantly surprised, establishing positive expectations for what their experience will be like with Ametros moving forward.
2. Listen
As the chief operating officer – and the person ultimately responsible for the metrics of our customer support team – the cost-effective directive would be to challenge our agents to keep each call as short as possible. But we are not a support center for an internet service, credit card company, or online retailer. We are dealing with people’s lives – lives that have been turned upside down – and it is vital we respect that unique difference.
Most injured individuals just want someone to listen. Some of our calls last an hour or two; some even exceed three hours. While this is not the norm, we are dealing with the human condition, and instead of running from that, our agents embrace it.
One specific example is an agent who took a call that started out about medical bills and turned into a conversation about the injured individual struggling to find a food pantry. This individual was in such a state of depression that eating was not a priority.
While on the call together, our agent went out of her way to get this individual connected with a food pantry who could serve her. From that act, trust was established between the injured individual and the agent.
3. Encourage – and Value – Feedback from Injured Individuals
After every call, we send a survey to the injured individual to measure their experience. We take all this feedback and use it to better serve injured individuals.
We also use it for another purpose. This constant feedback loop allows us to create a sense of pride amongst our customer support team members. We use it to give out awards to our standout agents, instilling a sense of pride in them.
In turn, other team members want that same recognition. The standards are pushed higher by the team members themselves, not by leadership, and everyone is motivated to provide the best customer support possible.
4. Promote Your Most Empathic Customer Support Agents
The most empathic agents are also the ones who will go above and beyond for an injured individual. They get to know an injured individual’s unique situation, and they take ownership of it.
For example, if an injured individual needs a specific type of mattress and it has not arrived yet, they will be the one to stay late, make the extra calls, and ensure it is delivered, even if it is not their job. These individuals are capable of putting themselves in the shoes of the injured individual, and because of that, they will go above and beyond for them.
They are your future leaders – promote them. They have a dedication for injured individuals that will translate into success for their team and the entire company.
5. Build Trust
Everything we do is building to the most important element of all – trust.
To build trust with injured individuals, first we must build trust with each other. Because we foster this type of environment at Ametros, our customer support team acts like a family, collaborating fluidly, sharing knowledge generously, and stepping in for one another without hesitation. This culture directly translates into how we treat injured individuals.
Before an injured individual settles their case, they have a lot of people by their side, such as their insurance company, broker, and attorney. But once their case settles, the only people to catch them on the other side is us.
Once an injured individual joins Ametros, they become one of our members. The average membership lasts 20 years. During that time, members form connections with our agents. Trust is established, emotional walls break down, and ultimately, we can do so much more to ensure their success.
When we provide excellent customer support, we create a lasting impression. Each injured individual we serve is a potential advocate, someone who shares their experience and helps others feel confident in choosing Ametros. When members feel supported, secure, and like they are truly getting value, it allows us to grow our reach, not for the sake of business success, but so we can help even more injured individuals along their journey.
By doing the right thing on the front end, we have grown from a small team of entrepreneurs working out of a shared office into the national leader in professional administration. No matter how big we get, we will stay true to doing the right thing. For us, that means being an empathic partner to the injured individuals we serve – and that starts with our customer support team.
