Empyrean: Supporting Life’s Big Moments, One Call at a Time

Every year, millions of employees face a dizzying maze of healthcare and financial options. For Empyrean Benefits Solutions, the mission is clear: to help people make informed choices for themselves and their families during pivotal life moments—from a child’s birth to a new job to sudden medical needs. But behind the scenes, supporting every one of these moments is Empyrean’s contact center: a lifeline connecting anxious employees with the answers—and empathy—they need.

The Challenge of Scaling Service with Empathy

Three years ago, Empyrean was in a tough spot. With hundreds of thousands of calls pouring in every month, their team felt overwhelmed and reactive, lacking insight into why people called and what happened after they hung up the phone. "Honestly, we were just trying to keep our heads above water," Freddie recalls. Agents had to rely on incomplete data, patching together manual spreadsheets just to get a sense of what was happening on a mere 3% of calls. Sometimes people would call back again and again, frustrated because the information they received wasn’t quite right, or they fell through the cracks on compliance checks.

"You take in information, but you don’t always know why people are calling… or what’s really happening on those calls," - Freddie Berberena, VP, Member Experience & Service Innovation

Empyrean wanted something different. Instead of worrying about average handle time or chasing quotas, they envisioned putting the customer front and center. They wanted every caller to feel heard and helped in that exact moment, even if it meant spending a bit longer on the phone.

“We manually created a spreadsheet, wrote down the calls that we were QAing, and then entered them into a tool, which was very time-consuming” - Freddie Berberena, Service Center Lead.

Redefining Service with Level AI: How Empyrean Partnered with Level AI to Move Beyond Call Metrics

When Empyrean started searching for a solution, they didn’t want just another "point fix." They looked at half a dozen to eight different providers, but most were offering only a slice of what Empyrean needed, focusing on a single function or feature. The team met Level AI through a Five9 conference, and quickly realized that Level AI was thinking bigger: "How do you actually change the experience for both member and agent?"

"We went in knowing maybe 50% of everything we were going to do, and we figured out the other 50% as part of it with Level AI." Freddie notes.

Empyrean's comprehensive solution includes:

• Quality Assurance for Every Call: No more guesswork. Empyrean now listens to 100% of calls, checking empathy, accuracy, and compliance for every customer served. This moved them from a "glorified Excel spreadsheet" system to a tool that could score calls directly and identify dead air, saving significant time.
• Agent Assist: Rolled out to every agent and client in January after a successful beta during annual enrollment. It pulls up answers instantly and creates case notes, allowing agents to focus on listening, rather than frantically searching. Empyrean anticipates this will be "invaluable to a brand new hire as they get out onto the floor," significantly improving their quality scores early on.
• Screen Recording for Accountability: Agents’ tool usage is visible. Now, adoption is tied not only to quality scores, but also to bonuses and performance plans. As of October 1st, not utilizing Agent Assist and its prompts can result in a zero on a quality review, impacting employment. This "carrot and stick" approach has been crucial for driving adoption.
• AI Workers and Conversation Intelligence: Empowers managers to spot trends, coach agents, and respond proactively to emerging problems—no more waiting weeks for clues. Freddie describes AI Workers as "the coolest thing that you've launched yet," enabling them to pull out trends and data in just 30 seconds for client meetings.

Implementation wasn’t cookie-cutter—it was a true partnership, adapting on the fly and making sure Empyrean’s compliance standards were protected every step of the way. This included working through challenges around data passing and ensuring system compatibility.

“Level AI didn’t just show up with slides; their team was at the table twice a week, listening to feedback, adapting the platform, and working side-by-side with Empyrean through the unknowns of implementation.” says Freddie.

A Human Touch, Powered by AI: Results That Resonate with Members and Agents

Empyrean’s transformation started quietly—but the impact was powerful.

• First Call Resolution Improved: Initially, call handling times increased, which was unexpected. However, internal review revealed that agents were spending more time with callers—asking the extra question, catching hidden issues, and solving problems fully the first time, leading to a significant increase in First Call Resolution.
• Repeat Callers Declined: Thanks to real-time AI prompts and deeper listening, callers rarely needed to ring back, saving time and frustration for everyone. This was a key metric that justified the value of the tool.
• Time Saved on Every Call: Case notes are generated automatically, freeing up almost a minute per call—and saving thousands of hours each year. Empyrean is now working towards integrating this auto-documentation directly into their CRM system, further enhancing efficiency and creating "a lot of FTE savings."
• Adoption Soared: With screen recording and incentive programs, nearly all agents embraced the tools, raising their own quality scores along the way.
• Compliance and Security Strengthened: Calls are properly authenticated, sensitive information is protected, and legal risk for clients is minimized. The QA tool enables in-depth monitoring of compliance aspects, including proper greetings, authentication, tone, and call closure.
• Scalability with Confidence: Empyrean scaled up to 400 agents during busy periods, ensuring every member received the same level of support and compliance, even with 250 temporary CSRs during annual enrollment.

Instead of chasing handle times and quotas, Empyrean now focuses on what matters most: making every customer feel heard and supported, while empowering agents to do their best work.

"We’re not just a service center anymore. With Level AI, we’re proactive, we’re efficient, and above all—we’re compassionate," Freddie, VP, Member Experience & Service Innovation, concludes.

That’s the difference prospects feel when choosing Empyrean. And that’s what Level AI has helped make possible.