7 tips to deliver a world-class customer experience

By Tara Kelly

The ability to deliver a great customer experience is everything for insurers, but a pair of 2022 J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys found that insurers who sell life and annuity products have a customer engagement problem. Another study the research firm released last year also said customer satisfaction with auto insurance providers has plateaued despite copious investments.

So where is the disconnect? For longer-term products, research suggests that satisfaction with the customer experience throughout the relationship is an issue. As one executive put it, “Insurers are struggling to maintain regular contact with customers and to reinforce a unique value proposition during the length of the relationship.”

Ensuring a top-notch customer experience over the entire lifecycle seems like a no-brainer and it’s the top priority for insurers. But it’s easy to focus on a high-stakes point along the policyholder journey, such as claims, and neglect other crucial stages. Here are seven tips that can help make sure your customers get a great experience from the initial quote through policy renewal using automated technology.

Start off strong with a fast response to quote requests and a timely welcome email: When a customer reaches out for a quote, respond quickly so that competitors don’t have a chance to out-hustle you. If you sell directly and close the deal, ensure a smooth onboarding process by following up with an automated welcome email that links to your secure portal or platform. This safe environment will allow new customers to easily access information and enable you to capture contact information and consent to use it, along with the customer’s preferences.

2. Thank customers for consenting to receive communication from your company: Once you receive contact information from new customers (or updates from current policyholders), make sure to have an automated message go out immediately to thank them and confirm the consent to communicate on the channels that the customer authorized. A great customer experience means it's important to close the loop on consent for communication to ensure the accuracy of the contact information and set customer expectations for future interactions.

3. Communicate frequently, but not too much: For most people, insurance is a grudge buy, so don’t assume they want to hear from you all the time just because they’ve shared contact details. Automated communication technology makes it easier than ever for insurers to keep in constant contact with their policyholders, but they need to remain mindful of the content and frequency. Reach out when you can provide information that’s relevant and valuable, such as tips on how customers can get the most out of their policy or on how to prepare for a coming weather event, but don’t overdo the outreach.

4. Don’t miss the key points on the policyholder journey: Related to the second point above, keep an eye on meaningful junctures over the course of the relationship where education and/or reminders can be beneficial, such as optimal times to increase the rate of contributions to an annuity policy or premium due date reminders. Also, ensure that communication between internal channels is coordinated to avoid overlap, wasted time and resources, and confusion on the policyholders’ end.

5. Make sure policyholders can move seamlessly across communication channels: We’ve all had bad experiences as customers where an issue couldn’t be resolved. It’s even more frustrating as a customer if you can’t get the help you need without jumping through more hoops or going to several different help pages. So make it easy for policyholders to transition seamlessly from text, phone, your platform, etc., as appropriate for the task they are trying to complete.

6. Give customers an easy way to give and take consent for communication: It’s important to recognize that customer needs and communication preferences change over time, so make it simple for them to give and take consent or specify new communication preferences for automated outreach. This will also ensure that you have the right permission and contact information to have meaningful conversations that keep you relevant in policyholders’ lives.

7. Find ways to add value and let your brand promise shine through: Insurance smooths the bumpy road of life, so find ways to be there even before policyholders need you. Consider notifications when potentially catastrophic weather events approach, including tips that can help keep lives and property safe, or consider outreach when insurance needs may have changed. By maintaining communication through automated technology, insurers have access to even more opportunities to show up when policyholders need them and deliver on their brand promise.

Consistently providing a great customer experience is the best way for insurers to compete effectively. When it comes to the policyholder experience, communication is everything. Make sure you've built that into your design and follow these tips to ensure you’re reaching out and proving value - not just when customers have a claim or are ready to receive disbursements, but at every point along the policyholder journey. That’s the way to deliver a world-class experience from start to finish.

Tara Kelly is the founder, president and CEO of SPLICE Software. She may be contacted at [email protected].