Like most startups looking to disrupt antiquated industries, Hippo Insurance Services planned to launch as a digital-first platform where users only engage with the company online.
Then Hippo’s Palo Alto office phone rang, just hours into its soft launch.
“We didn’t even have a published phone number,” said President Rick McCathron, who at the time was Hippo’s 11th employee.
On the line, a customer waited to speak with an agent to review their policy. As one of Hippo’s only licensed agents, McCathron took the call. He has more than 25 years of experience — including senior executive roles at previous insurance firms under his belt — but wasn't planning on becoming a one-person call center.
“When I hung up, I turned to our CEO Assaf Wand and said it’s time we have a customer call center,” McCathron said.
That was 2017. Today, in addition to offering home insurance in 34 states and an accessible customer support line, Hippo has nearly 300 employees who interact with customers daily, including a support team of more than 70 people.
“Insurtech is interesting because it’s thought of as a modern, digitized experience,” McCathron said. “At Hippo, we think it’s a well-balanced blend of personal assistance and insurance technology.”
Recognizing the need to meet customers where they want to be met has acted as a key differentiator for Hippo as it has grown in the insurtech arena.
Since its launch, the company has raised more than $700 million from investors. In 2020, Hippo reported 140 percent year-over-year growth, led by a 60 percent bump in customer enrollments during the second quarter. In 2021, the organization is likely to go public in a special purpose acquisition company deal that has set Hippo’s valuation at $5 billion.
That’s in addition to a new Austin office under construction at the intersection of East Fifth and Sabine streets, as well as hiring plans to grow Hippo from 500 to 750 employees across its Palo Alto, Austin and Dallas offices by the end of the year.
“We’re moving fast,” said Director of Customer Support Camille Rosales. “We’re like hippos on jet skis.”
And it seems these hippos, especially those in the customer-facing roles, show no signs of letting up on the throttle.
To learn how Hippo has invested in the human side of its insurtech platform and the opportunities that come for the employees within, Built In Austin spoke with McCathron, Rosales and Customer Support Manager Jeremy Johnson.
How has customer support been instrumental to Hippo’s growth?
Camille Rosales, Director of Customer Support: It’s at the center of everything we do. We regularly hold focus groups with our support team to understand what the customer is saying. From a digital perspective, what are customers requesting? What do they want more or less of? Then we take those findings to different parts of business. The core of our business is the customer, so their voice must be heard throughout the organization, and their voices are first heard by support.
Jeremy Johnson, Customer Support Manager: Our support team is the front line. They often receive customer feedback before leadership does. When our reps hear that our customers are struggling with something, they are the ones who relay that information to the people who can address it. For example, we had many customers request to have ACH as a payment option back when escrow and credit cards were our only payment methods. Support raised that issue with leadership, then leadership met with finance to provide this option to our customers. This was a significant update for both our customers and Hippo.
We only hire missionaries.”
What are the pillars of Hippo’s customer support team?
Rosales: When bringing people into our team, we look for attitude and aptitude. I can teach you insurance, but we’re looking for people who care about people and the experience. We want to make sure that they have the fundamentals and that they’re here to deliver on Hippo’s mission. In our team meetings, we always have Hippo’s mission and vision on display to remind our team of why we’re here because it keeps everyone moving in lockstep.
Rick McCathron, President: Some companies hire mercenaries; others hire missionaries. We only hire missionaries. We hire people who are here to try to help our customers. Every employee here has equity in the company, which creates ownership of the entire customer process among our teams. Our employees care about what’s happening in their own departments, as well as those outside. We hire missionaries who own the entire process.
As the company has grown, have you had to make any changes to the hiring process in order to fulfill your goals to only hire missionary-type customer service pros?
Rosales: Until recently, in order to join the support organization, incoming hires had to have their home insurance license. When I joined Hippo, I thought we should open this position up to people who love talking to people and solving problems. I introduced a tier-one position that doesn’t require a license but teaches them the fundamentals of our field. Then we give them an opportunity to work toward their licensing in a class that’s provided by Hippo to reach a tier-two level position. Bringing someone in and showing them a career path is a great way to improve employee retention. We’re showing an immediate investment in their career growth and they have a clear idea of that first move up.
How does Hippo foster an environment that encourages teammates to speak up regardless of experience?
McCathron: We’re a flat organization. There’s not a private office in the company, and our interactions co-mingle. When we’re in the office, we might have a customer support rep sitting beside a marketer, who is sitting next to an engineer. This leads to real-time, ongoing interactions between departments. We want input from everyone, regardless of background or interaction points, and we want to hear it and work collaboratively. We operate on meritocracy: Whatever idea has the most merits wins the day, and it doesn't matter who suggests them.
Johnson: As a leader, I try to reiterate to the team that there’s always something you could be doing in your current position to get to the next level. Providing feedback and ideas are part of that. It’s helped me in my own growth here. When I joined in 2019, I had the mindset that I would be a future leader at Hippo and tried to learn as much as I could in the process regarding the insurance industry, our customers, their feedback and more. I encourage my team to do the same and remind them that they’re always interviewing for their next position.
Ask and You Shall Receive
How is customer support a launchpad for other areas of Hippo’s business?
Rosales: We don’t have stipulations or parameters that you must be in your seat for x amount of time before you can move within the organization. We look at the value you bring and if you can bring that value to another area in Hippo. We’ve had reps who have been here for 180 days and have performed exceptionally well, who have caught the attention of their colleagues from other departments. When opportunities come up on those other teams, they think of that support rep and extend an invite to join them. As a leader, my 2021 mantra was to train people to help them get to where they want to be in the company and stay with Hippo.
We’ve had reps join retention, underwriting, HR and more. There’s not one specific path here. Instead, it’s about identifying people’s strengths and recognizing where their skills can best serve Hippo and our customers.
