Peoplecare's Anita Mulrooney shares four tips for customer success

The member-owned, not for profit health insurer was restricted to only providing services to employees of the Port Kembla steel works.

The small team of two dozen employees served a customer base half the size of the organisation's customer base today.

Read more: Sea changers shun the Illawarra in favour of Far South Coast, Hunter

In 2006, however, the fund decided to open up its services to the general population.

Also in that year, Anita Mulrooney joined the organisation

Now, PeopleCare employs over 200 staff and provides health insurance to customers around Australia.

Having reached the title of Head of Customer Service and Marketing, Ms Mulrooney is retiring this year and leaves the organisation with a national reputation for leading customer service.

Despite this significant change in the nature of the organisation, Ms Mulrooney says staying true to the values the organisation originally held has contributed to PeopleCare's reputation.

"We've always been really focused on our customer," she said.

Unlike most other health funds, being member-owned means that PeopleCare's customers are its shareholders, making customer satisfaction core to the business's sense of success.

"I have a very strong belief that we're only here because of our customers," said Ms Mulrooney.

This ability to singularly focus on the customer ties into Ms Mulrooney's focus on making things simple for the end user.

"We're the experts in health insurance," she said.

"The health system is incredibly complicated and when we deal with our customers, they're often not in a good space, it can be really stressful and confusing.

"So what we do is try and strip out all of the complexity for them, advise what their options are and we can give them lists of questions to ask their doctor or other health professional."

These efforts have brought the business recognition in the form of local and national awards, including a 2016 gong for best health fund for customer service.

Driving these achievements has been the Wollongong-based customer service team.

"We honestly think our people are at the heart of everything we do," said Ms Mulrooney. "The only reason we think we can be so successful is because we hire people that share these values."

Reflecting on these achievements, Ms Mulrooney said that for a business like PeopleCare to be successful in customer service, there are four key reminders.

First, for staff and the organisation to put themselves in the shoes of their customers.

Second, to keep it simple.

Third, to remember everything is for the customer - particularly being a not for profit.

Finally, to have fun along the way.

"There's no reason why you can't run a complex business like insurance and have fun while you're doing it," she said.

And what's next? Ms Mulrooney will be focusing on her abstract art business Art-a-Krack, running from a studio in Port Kembla.

The Illawarra Mercury newsroom is funded by our readers. You can subscribe to support our journalism here.