With its “customer first” philosophy, Johnson Inc. has been revolutionizing personal service for more than a century.

Not so long ago you could pick up the phone and dial a business, and your call would be answered by a human being. Now you usually get a recorded “your call is important to us” and “please stay on the line.” A technological greeting has replaced the human touch at many companies, but not at Johnson Inc. 

A 127-year-old insurance firm based in St. John’s, Johnson has grown to 60 offices across the country. Its success is largely thanks to excellent customer service. And it is this “customer first” philosophy that has Johnson bucking the trend toward automated phone service. The first voice that Johnson customers hear isn’t automated, nor is it even a receptionist; it’s the sound of the insurance agent they know and trust. 

“In this industry,” says Johnson president Ken Bennett, “people are dealing with us in times of trauma.” A company has to be there for the customer when needed, and technology should make the interaction better, not impersonal. 

In April of 2003, Johnson introduced a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system to make getting in touch easier for customers. When someone phones Johnson, within milliseconds the call is routed through a computer that matches a phone number with the company database. The call is then sent straight to the customer’s insurance agent. VoIP helps Johnson answer almost 100% of incoming calls and has propelled the company to a 97% customer-satisfaction rate. 

Johnson adopted the VoIP technology early; in 2004 it ran the largest VoIP system in Canada. The $2 million investment has paid off. Besides lowering long-distance, maintenance, and advertising costs, VoIP helps Johnson retain a high number of customers: nine out of every 10 renew their policies each year. 

Technology could help process more callers, but processing callers is not the main result Bennett is seeking. Rather than processing, Johnson Inc. works at connecting.

Talking to another person allows customers to feel as though they have developed a relationship. People are less likely to approach the competition if, every time they phone, they speak to their own agent one on one. 

Since 1880, when Percie Johnson opened his insurance company doors on Water Street in downtown St. John’s, customer service has been a primary focus. Brought up with both a father and grandfather in the clergy, Percie was instilled with a great sense of concern for the well-being of others. It’s what inspired him to open Johnson and become known as “The Insurance Man.” 

More than a century later, Johnson has kept its founder’s values intact. Today the company creates relationships with more than 2.5 million customers. Each customer is assigned an agent who knows his or her client’s specific insurance needs, and all of Johnson’s specialized computer systems are developed internally. Software designers sit down with employees in workshops to determine what they need to better serve customers. 

Each year Johnson deals with millions of transactions. Each piece of technology the company adopts must help it remain strong and innovative—and there has to be tangible benefits for customers. “It makes me feel pretty good,” says Bennett, “that I can be a part of having people receive good customer service.”