How the Gig Economy Can Help Insurance Contact Centers
In this article
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When disaster strikes, insurance companies face a unique type of pressure. Policyholders are calling in by the thousands — panicked, desperate and counting on you to come through.
In these high-stress moments, your contact center is the front line. It’s where first impressions are made. Customer trust is either strengthened or shattered.
During a high-volume event like a natural disaster, the margin for mistakes is razor-thin. When calls start flooding in, long wait times and robotic responses don’t just hurt your customers — they hurt your business.
One single disaster could decide the fate of your company. So how do you make sure you end up on the right side of history?
By leveraging the power of the gig economy.
Gig Agents — the Key to Resilient Contact Centers
You’ve already seen the rise of on-demand or “gig” work transform industries like transportation, hospitality and food delivery. The gig model went from fringe to mainstream in less than a decade.
Now, flexible workers account for more than a third of the U.S. workforce — and that number just keeps growing.
And for contact centers, they’ve been a game changer.
The gig model offers companies a sustainable way to scale customer service operations. It allows them to meet everyday demand while also being prepared for seasonal peaks and dips — and unexpected surges.
Fast, Flexible and Reliable
Some contact center managers might think embracing the gig model is too much of a hassle. Or maybe they worry gig workers are unskilled or unreliable. But these stereotypes have quickly become outdated. And insurance companies that prioritize flexibility and resilience are among the first to get on board.
To keep your contact center running smoothly through unexpected surges, you might have already considered staffing agencies and BPOs to support your core staff. But these options might not offer fully trained agents, or the culturally knowledgeable staff you need to optimize your disaster response. These traditional options can also be slow and expensive.
Here’s the reality: The pressure is growing for insurance companies to respond to high-volume events swiftly — and with empathy. So when traditional staffing solutions can’t keep up, you need to tap into the gig economy for a solution that can.
With a flexible staffing model, your contact center is more resilient and more cost-effective. You avoid hiring bottlenecks and backlogs. And you just get quick, efficient help when you need it most.
Ramp Up Quickly
Natural disasters hit without warning. Suddenly, you’re slammed with five times your normal call volume.
Your local contact center staff might be facing the same devastation as your policyholders. They may not be emotionally or physically able to handle the calls.
But with gig agents from unaffected areas, you can keep your contact center running smoothly even in a worst-case scenario. These highly skilled agents step in to deliver the empathy needed in the chaos. They support your overwhelmed policyholders and your core staff.
Be Ready for Anything
And it’s not just natural disasters that lead to a surge in call volume. A simple policy change or an unexpected corporate announcement can trigger a sudden flood of calls. Regardless of the season or reason, your ability to respond quickly in a high-volume event is everything.
With on-demand staffing, you just flip the switch and it’s all hands on deck. These gig agents aren’t seat fillers — they’re highly trained and have the soft and technical skills to handle the complex nature of insurance calls, whether it’s in the wake of a hurricane or a policy change.
Disaster-Proof Your Contact Center With On-Demand Staff
Sure, there's a storm and fire season, but knowing when and where natural disasters will actually hit is nearly impossible — even with modern forecasting. In a hurricane, all it takes is a minor tracking error to put entirely unprepared communities in the direct path of destruction.
In 2022, Hurricane Ian was expected to make landfall in Tampa, Florida. But at the last minute, this Category 4 beast wobbled and intensified to devastate unprepared communities 100 miles south.
This region has a history of unpredictable storms. And some do more than wobble — they also cause other extreme weather events after making landfall.
Recently, hurricane Milton spawned a tornado outbreak across Florida. Dozens of twisters caught residents by surprise and were a leading cause of death and damage from the hurricane.
Climate change will only continue to spur more rampant natural disasters. By embracing a gig-based staffing model, you mitigate the risk of leaving policyholders hanging in the aftermath of a crisis you weren’t expecting.
When the next storm rolls in, make sure the gig agents do, too.
ShyftOff: Your Secret Weapon in Crisis Response
Are you ready to leverage the gig model to support your contact center during the next high-volume event?
Enter ShyftOff.
ShyftOff’s gig-powered staffing solution helps insurance companies stay resilient and flexible to smoothly handle storm-related call surges.
- Ramp up quickly: ShyftOff offers flexibility, without long lead times or annoying red tape. Whether it’s a natural disaster or an unexpected policy change, ShyftOff provides the on-demand staff you need to handle the surge.
- Secure the best agents: Through a rigorous selection process, ShyftOff provides only the top U.S.-based talent for your contact center.
- Leave the training to us: Training and onboarding can take time. We handle all of it. We make sure your agents have the soft and technical skills needed to handle crisis calls with empathy and knowledge.
- Prepare for seasonal surges: ShyftOff makes it easy to be prepared for seasonal disasters. If there’s a high-volume event on the horizon, you’ll have the right number of agents, ready to step in as soon as the impending storm hits.
- Save 35% with ShyftOff: Traditional BPOs and staffing agencies come with heavy overhead and long-term commitments. ShyftOff’s flexible model aligns with your budget, letting you pay for what you need — when you need it.
Disasters and high-volume events are inevitable, but compromising on business continuity doesn’t have to be.
By partnering with ShyftOff, you’ll build a flexible, resilient operation — before the next disaster strikes.
You’ll also save 35% on contact center operations by minimizing shrinkage and only paying for agents’ productive time. And by supporting your core staff with our rapid response team, you’ll build policyholder trust in a crisis — instead of losing it.
Stay ahead of the storm with the power of the gig model. Schedule a live demo with ShyftOff today!
