Process Guide: Handling Solicitation (Calls & Emails)

Description: "Best practices, security insights, and workflows for managing inbound solicitation via phone and email. This guide ensures agents maintain professionalism while protecting internal data and accurately documenting non-support interactions."

The "Why": Insights on Solicitation Strategy

Solicitation (cold calls, vendor pitches, data mining emails) disrupts our ability to serve legitimate members. As a support agent, your priority is keeping our channels open for member care.

• The "Member-First" Stance: Every minute spent on a sales pitch or reading spam is a minute a legitimate member waits for help.

• Security & Privacy:

  • Calls: Often "Social Engineering" attempts to gather names.

  • Emails: Replying to spam (even to say "stop") validates your email address, leading to more spam.

• The "Shield": Use "Company Policy" as your professional boundary. It signals that you do not have the authority to bypass the rule.

Part 1: Handling Phone Solicitation

Goal: Professional refusal and immediate termination of the call.

Guidelines:

• DO be polite but firm.

• DO NOT transfer to managers (this validates their list).

• DO NOT confirm if specific people work here.

Approved Verbal Scripts:

Scenario 1: The Standard Sales Pitch

"I apologize for the interruption, but I need to stop you there. This line is strictly dedicated to Member Support and patient care. We do not accept vendor solicitations through this channel. Please remove this number from your list. Thank you." (Disconnect)

Scenario 2: The "Who handles your...?" (Data Mining)

"Thank you for the inquiry; however, strict company security policies prevent me from disclosing internal directory information or confirming employee roles. We are unable to assist with this request." (Disconnect)

Scenario 3: The "I need to speak to a Manager"

"Our leadership team does not accept unscheduled calls transferred from the support line. All vendor proposals must be submitted through our public-facing corporate website. I am unable to transfer you or prolong this call further." (Disconnect)

Part 2: Handling Email Solicitation

Goal: Identify, categorize, and close without engagement.

Guidelines:

• DO NOT Reply: Replying to solicitation emails—even to say "unsubscribe"—confirms that your email address is active and monitored. This often results in being sold to more spam lists.

• DO NOT Click Links: Never click "unsubscribe" links in suspicious emails; simply mark them as spam/solicitation within our ticketing system.

Action: If you receive a sales email or vendor inquiry in the support queue:

1. Read: Quickly scan to ensure it is not a legitimate member or client.

2. No Response: Do not type a reply. Proceed immediately to the System Workflow below to close the ticket administratively.

Part 3: System Workflow & Ticket Closure

Applies to both Calls and Emails.

Since these interactions do not require member follow-up, they must be closed immediately to maintain accurate metrics and prevent automated surveys from triggering.

Step 1: End the Interaction

• Calls: Disconnect the line immediately after your script.

• Emails: Do not draft a reply.

Step 2: Apply the Macro In the ticket interface, apply the "No Reply" macro.

• Note: This command solves the ticket internally without sending an email notification to the solicitor.

Step 3: Select the "No Support Reason" Categorize the ticket based on the nature of the solicitation:

• Select "Business or Employment Inquiry": Use this for legitimate-looking sales pitches, vendor requests, or job application inquiries.

• Select "Spam": Use this for obvious junk mail, robocalls, heavy static, or aggressive/malicious telemarketing.