There is a story behind every number. In this monthly section, “Numbers that count”, we focus on a single figure that says something about pensions, APG, or the world around us. In 2024, for example, the Client Contact Center (CCC) handled a total of 492,614 contacts with participants in the eight pension funds for which APG is responsible. When do participants call, and what kind of questions do they ask? What expertise does this require from CCC employees? We asked Stefan Ochse, manager of the CCC.
492,614 customer contact moments in one year – what does that number tell us?
“That number represents almost half a million personal moments. People don’t call us for no reason – they call us when something changes in their lives. For example, they reach retirement age, there’s been a death in the family, or they decide to move in with a partner. These are often emotional or impactful events. People want to know: How will this affect my pension?
What is striking is that people often already have information or have looked it up themselves before making a call. That makes the conversations more substantive. Participants appreciate having someone on the line who genuinely knows what they are talking about. Our customer satisfaction score averages around 8.5. That is high, especially in a context where people cannot ‘shop around’ for another service provider. We are the designated point of contact – so we must get it right.”
How has client contact changed over the past ten years?
“Ten years ago, there were more contact moments, but they were much simpler in nature. For example, people would call about payment dates or ask questions that are now easily accessible on the website. By making targeted adjustments to our communication—such as clear letters, proactive information provision, and easier-to-find online content—we can prevent many of these types of questions.
What remains are the more complex questions. These often concern personal situations or changes in the pension system. This means that our conversations are more substantive, take longer, and demand more from our employees. They must not only be well-trained in the subject matter but also skilled in conversation techniques and able to quickly assess what kind of explanation someone needs. We provide intensive training in this area. We also work for several pension funds, and a contact specialist now serves a maximum of three funds per day because the pension schemes of these eight funds vary in complexity. In the renewed pension system, pension schemes will become more uniform. Once all funds have switched to the renewed system, our specialists will be more versatile, and we will be able to work more efficiently. This will increase our flexibility.”
What role will technology play in client contact in the future? And how can you maintain the human touch?
“Technology is playing an increasingly important role in our services, and rightly so. AI is rapidly becoming the norm. People now use ChatGPT or Copilot for everything from planning vacations to summarizing texts. Therefore, it’s not surprising that they also expect their pension provider to utilize technology in this manner. If you want to be taken seriously as an organization, you have to take that step.
For example, we have started developing ChatAPG, an AI-driven tool based on an extensive knowledge base that combines all internal information sources. This digital assistant helps our employees find answers quickly, without having to trawl through different systems. We aim to have this fully operational by the end of 2025. Implementing this has not been easy. We have been working on it for a year and a half, including risk analyses, checks, source references, and human control. But the effect is significant: employees are better supported and participants receive faster and more accurate answers.
That does not mean we’re using AI to replace people. On the contrary, we make a conscious distinction: we use AI for simple or repetitive questions, such as the status of an application. However, when empathy is crucial, such as in the event of a death or divorce, personal contact remains indispensable. The human touch remains paramount.
Looking to the future, we also see opportunities in advanced voicebots, which may be able to take over part of the conversation. But here too, quality and safety come first. We don’t want participants to be confronted with technology at a time when they need human contact.”
What do all these developments—from AI to interaction—mean for the pension funds APG works for?
“AI and digitization are changing not only how we interact with clients, but also why. We expect that interaction with participants will soon become not only more intensive but also more substantive. The renewed pension system will give participants more insight into their personal pension accrual and encourage them to ask questions sooner, for example, about asset development or the geopolitical impact on their benefits. This will lead to more conversations.
This also presents a major opportunity for pension funds. More interaction means more insight into what is going on with participants. By monitoring client behavior and questions, funds can better assess whether policies are effective, whether communication is getting through, and whether participants have concerns. You can make adjustments quickly, which makes client contact strategically relevant. We therefore increasingly see the CCC as a source of information for funds, not just as a service channel.”