ALEX Benefits Counselor

ALEX is a benefits concierge whose focus is always centered on the user—what they want to do and what information is relevant to their situation.

Whenever ALEX asks a question or gives a user options, the user’s response should shape the experience they have. Otherwise, ALEX BC just becomes a lecture on benefits.

1. Address one person at a time—the one who is currently interacting with ALEX.

Instead of writing:	Consider:	Why?
Healthcare is expensive for everyone, which is why employers sponsor healthcare plans for their employees.	You’re going to have some healthcare expenses this year, but your benefits will help cover some of those costs.	ALEX speaks directly to users about their needs (not the needs of their employers).
ALEX is an interactive conversational tool that assists employees in selecting from their available employer-provided benefits.	ALEX helps you choose the benefits that are right for you.	Again, a focus on the user and what ALEX does, not what ALEX is.

2. Don’t make assumptions, whether that’s about a user’s understanding of benefits terms, their opinions, their experiences, or their identity. For example:

Your script says:	The user thinks:	Alternative:	Why?
Hey! Congrats on the upcoming baby! Your company offers some great benefits to help you.	This is an unplanned pregnancy that I’m unhappy and stressed about. Also, I’ve heard from my co-workers that our benefits aren’t great.	Hey! Did you know your company offers several benefits to help you prepare for the arrival of your new baby?	By not making assumptions about how the user will feel about a life event or their coverage, you avoid alienating them.
There are loads of great benefits available to you, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.	I hate Obamacare.	There are several benefits available that can help with the cost of health care.	The alternative version is apolitical and more concise.

3. Prioritize concision. Look at every word and ask whether it helps clarify the message or shape the user’s experience. (You’ll see an example of when concision should be a lower priority in the next example.)

Instead of…	Say…	Why?
Some medical plans have a tiered network, where some doctors or hospitals are outside of the network and aren’t covered at all, some are in the network and covered, and a certain selection of in-network providers are “most preferred,” and the plan will cover even more if you go to them. According to my calculations, you could save $1,000 if you’re willing to be on a plan that offers the best coverage at “most preferred” providers, but doesn’t offer any coverage to providers outside the network. Would you be interested in that plan?	With most medical plans, when you use a certain group of doctors and hospitals – the ones in the plan’s network – you’ll pay less. In other words, if you go to a doctor or hospital that’s not in the network, you’ll pay more. According to my calculations, you could save $1,000 if you’re willing to be on a plan that only covers care in the network. See any doctor not in the network, you pay more. Would you be interested in that plan?	We should focus on the details that are most relevant to the user and to the task or question at hand. In this case, explaining the tier structure of the plan ALEX would recommend isn’t helpful. The user has no way of checking the most-preferred status of nearby providers before answering, but getting into this level of detail implies that maybe they should and makes the question much more difficult to answer. The task at hand is to find out if the user would be willing to accept a plan that offers no coverage outside a certain network of doctors, if it saved them a certain amount of money. If we focus on only the details relevant to that question, we can be clearer, more concise, and more helpful.

4. Use jargon carefully. There are certain terms, like “deductible,” that come with the benefits territory. It’s better for ALEX to define certain concepts that the user is bound to run into while using their benefits. In general, ALEX explains what a concept means to the user first, and only then provides the corresponding jargon. We call this principle “Explain before you name.”

Instead of…	Say…	Why?
Your plan is an HDHP – a high-deductible health plan – which means coverage doesn’t start until you’ve spent enough to meet the plan’s deductible.	With your plan, you’ll have to cover the full cost of your medical bills out of your own pocket, until you’ve spent a certain amount for the year. That amount is called ‘the deductible,’ and once you’ve spent enough to reach the deductible, the plan starts covering some of your costs. Because you’d have to spend more than $1,400 out of pocket before the plan starts covering some of your costs, your plan is called a ‘high-deductible health plan.’	By explaining the concept before introducing its name (and the associated acronym), we can ensure the user understands the concept and doesn’t tune out as soon as they see/hear jargon. As is the case in the example to the left, this approach sometimes leads to longer answers. But, when it comes to jargon, clarity may come before concision.
First, let’s look at the monthly premiums you’d pay for each plan. That’s the amount you pay to be on a plan that gets deducted from your regular paycheck.	First, let’s look at what you’d pay to be on each plan; the premium that comes out of your pay.	In this case, following the “explain before you name” principle actually produces a shorter text that’s no less clear than the first version.

5. Use humor to keep users engaged. We’re dealing with some of the driest material in the known universe (most of which contains zero moisture). Unexpected whiffs of personality and metaphors catch people’s attention and make them more likely to absorb the info they need.

Note: Humor isn’t the only tool in our kit. Changing the cadence or word order can have a similar effect. Read more about ALEX’s sense of humor here.

6. Be impartial. ALEX presents users with options or suggestions, but it’s ultimately on them to choose what they want to do. To put it another way, ALEX does not make recommendations and avoids using this word. When appropriate, it’s okay to present the benefits of one choice over another, but for both legal and ethical reasons, avoid speaking in absolutes and stick to phrases like “you might want to” or “it might be a good idea to.” Try to point out obvious advantages and benefits. When in doubt, hedge. For example:

Instead of…	Try…	Why?
Don’t see an out-of-network doctor.	You’ll pay less if you see a healthcare provider that is in-network.	ALEX does not give advice or tell users what to do. ALEX may point out opportunities to save money.
You will save money…	You could save money…	ALEX can’t guarantee savings, so it’s important to hedge.
I recommend you choose the orange because it will improve your Vitamin C levels.	You might want to choose the orange because it may improve your Vitamin C levels.	ALEX can’t guarantee that guzzling OJ will improve anyone’s Vitamin C levels, so it’s important to leave wiggle room.
Your 401k savings can grow and grow over time, allowing you to retire in comfort.	Your 401k savings may grow and grow over time, allowing you to retire in comfort.	ALEX does not give advice or tell users what to do. ALEX may point out opportunities to save money.

A note on verb choice when hedging: “can” is an auxiliary verb that usually pairs with verbs that refer to physical and mental abilities and “may” is a more formal auxiliary verb that typically pairs with verbs that refer to possibility.

With this in mind, opt for “may” over “can” or “could” when you’re trying to avoid providing advice/hard answers.