Blog
The latest insights and thought leadership for independent insurance agents.
The rise of technology has created a more competitive environment for insurance agencies. Customers can quickly and easily find another agency if their current one does not serve their needs. However, companies can also harness technology to help themselves stand out from the competition by creating a better customer experience.
How your customers experience your services will have a major impact on your business. A better experience improves retention and referral rates, some of the most powerful drivers of sales and profit.
An agency’s ease of use and superior service will affect whether prospects will decide to become customers or not. In fact, 57% of consumers choose to do business with a company because of their customer service.
Your customer experience strategy helps you stand out from the competition and keep loyal customers that will happily refer others to you. Here are some ways to build the right system to help develop your business both now and in the future.
Agents can no longer sit and wait for customers to contact them with their needs and concerns. Customers have come to expect personalized service across all platforms and a unified experience with an agency.
Personalize offers, messaging, pricing, and recommendations to prospects and customers across the web, mobile, office, and phone. Proactively reach out to customers with relevant information, such as recommendations that might help them. Offer cross-selling and upselling opportunities that are relevant to their needs.
Keep a record of every interaction across all mediums, including phone, email, webchat, and in-person visits. By recording and referring to this information, you won’t have to rely on your memory to have a personalized conversation with a client. Plus, clients will not have to repeat the information they have stated elsewhere. If you work as a team, this record will also ensure that everyone can quickly and easily help each customer.
Self-service provides a level of convenience that can’t be matched. The time when clients were forced to come into the office or send documents through the mail is over. Whenever possible, self-service options enable customers to use your services when it is best for them.
Digital solutions and automation enable customers the autonomy that improves their overall customer experience. Allow customers to set or confirm appointments online, purchase and renew policies through a convenient app, or answer routine questions through chatbots.
These opportunities for self-service will make simple tasks faster and more efficient, which will, in turn, improve the customer experience.
Research shows that customers prefer the personal touch of insurance agents. That is why, despite increasing technology, agents continue to generate 81.7% of premiums.
This desire for an agent, though, doesn’t mean that customers are willing to let go of the 24/7 access to information that they have grown accustomed to with technology. Agents can provide the best of both worlds to offer superior customer service.
In one survey, 79% of consumers stated that they will use a digital channel over the next few years for insurance interactions.
Beyond self-service options, an agency’s web presence should include giving customers access to their coverage information, claims status, and first notice of loss capability. The more information that prospects and customers can find through your information channels, the better their experience. They will continue to look to you as a source of accurate and convenient information.
Agencies can maintain their customer-centric service by providing clear contact information so that clients have the option of asking questions over the phone or through email.
In one survey of over 2,000 companies, the ones that attempted to reach a lead in under an hour of being contacted by them were seven times more likely to have a meaningful conversation with a decision-maker than the companies that waited even an hour. Speed counts when it comes to providing the kind of customer experience that will lead to happy and loyal clients.
Chatbots on your app or web page are an effective way to answer simple questions quickly. They can also direct more complicated problems to you for a swift response. Customers do not have to wait until office hours to hear back from you, and you are not pressured to answer questions coming in all hours of the day.
Make sure that any lead forms funnel to you automatically. This way, there is no lag between when prospects request information and when you can answer them. Any way you can cut down on your customers and prospects going unanswered will only increase their satisfaction with your service.
Trust is an invaluable part of the customer-agent relationship. Once that trust has been broken, it’s incredibly challenging to recover.
Customers are also increasingly uneasy about risking their personal information. In fact, 85% of customers are concerned with the risks of privacy and security breaches when sharing their data.
Data is also essential to creating the personalized and omnichannel experience that most people want. To avoid compromising customer trust and information, agencies need to assure their clients. Explaining what the information is used to do, for example, will help them be more open to sharing their data. In one study, 77% of customers said they were willing to provide data in exchange for insurance coverage recommendations.
The data you have is only as good as it is accurate. Keeping the right tools will ensure that your data is useable and safe. Create a single source of data that allows you to view all of it. You can then use the information more easily and detect any gaps in the data. Sorting and classifying data will also enable you to keep it safe and reduce any mishandling.
The easier the process is to become a customer will result in a better customer experience. Cutting down on repetitive forms and creating a seamless process will result in better sales for you. That is why prospects are 20% more likely to purchase a life insurance policy if the application and underwriting process is closer to real-time.
Enable auto-population for fields to make filling out the information simple and less frustrating for customers. Enable electronic signatures, as well as online policy delivery and proof of insurance, so that customers have everything they need at their fingertips.
Remove any barriers to your customer journey to improve their experience. Use technology to make the process consistent, whether they are in the office or using an app.
Your customer experience is foundational for attracting customers, gaining their loyalty, and earning their referrals. Harness technology to improve their experience and grow your business as a result.
Clients expect a proactive and personalized service from their insurance agency. That’s why Agentero uses smart algorithms to streamline renewals, scan for coverage gaps, and customize policy recommendations so you can provide a superior customer experience to your clients.
Independent insurance agents use Agentero to boost their revenue, save time, and deliver a superior customer experience. We integrate with your current technology to modernize your operations and position you for growth. Check out our website to learn more.
