Vertical Helps Insurance Agency Streamline Operations and Enhance Employee Experience

Crest Insurance Group

Background

Crest Insurance Group, founded in 2010, provides its clients with great insurance and benefits options. As they grow across the southwest, they’re still dedicated to offering face-to-face service and staying involved in the local communities they serve. However, with more and more offices and limited in-house IT support, they needed to modernize their outdated communications system. “With the number of offices we were acquiring, most of them were smaller businesses. We wanted a quicker way to onboard those offices,” says Jeff Scott, CTO.

Already familiar with 8×8, Jeff reached out to Vertical, his long-time strategic partner, to explore similar options. He was delighted to find that Vertical not only has installed hundreds of 8×8 cloud phone systems, but also is able to offer its unique Vertical Difference experience—expert design, installation, and support—to all of its 8×8 customers as well. 

The Only Way to Go: 8×8 Cloud Communications

For Crest, 8×8 was the easy choice. The robust feature set could handle its growing number of offices and the infrastructure being hosted on the cloud meant that the install and onboarding process was incredibly streamlined and smooth. Moreover, 8×8’s top-notch desktop and mobile apps freed up employees from relying on clunky desktop phones, which resulted in significant cost savings—about $18,000—on phone expenses. Their outdated PBX system couldn’t keep up.

What I like most about vertical is just the communication. I can call anybody and they never give me another number to call. They find the answer and get back to me.

Jeff Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Crest

8×8 Means You’re No Longer Tied to the Office

According to Jeff, “A lot changed when COVID happened—so we were looking for a more mobile solution for our users. 8×8 hit everything that we were looking for.” 8×8 XCaaS allowed Jeff to give each employee a business number they can use on any device for texts, calls, or even video meetings. No more forwarding calls to cell phones! All in all, it’s a robust solution for any time Crest employees work remotely.

Technology That’s as Simple as It Is Advanced

Jeff loves how easy 8×8 is—especially for users to set up voicemail and reroute calls themselves. Additionally, electronic faxing is much easier for his team to manage.

In the future, they plan to explore additional 8×8 features like auto attendants and sales ring groups. The goal is for callers to be able to reach the right person with just one phone call and automate their claims department for a faster and smoother customer experience.

Vertical and 8×8 Are the Best of Both Worlds

Jeff puts it simply. “What I like most about Vertical is just the communication.” Whenever he needs assistance, Vertical is there to quickly resolve any issues. The close relationship between the Crest and Vertical teams allows for open discussions and collaboration on new ideas and effective solutions.

Jeff is happy to have Vertical as a trusted expert in cloud communications, cloud contact center solutions, and emerging customer experience technologies. That expertise, combined with our exceptional support, and the 8×8 product, make for a lasting and beneficial partnership.