As someone who sells directly into the insurance industry, attends a lot of industry trade shows, and spends a lot of time researching and staying on top of what’s coming next for the insurance business, I was thinking how seldom we, as businesses, take a step back and reflect on just being an insurance customer.
Like most, I have insurance for my car, house, and even a business policy for my side DJ company. Also, like most, I don’t interact with the insurance companies I do business with very often; I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid needing to file a claim since having a fender bender in my mid-twenties. Usually I interact with my insurance company at the time of a policy renewal or some other type of billing event.
Reflecting back on these personal experiences with insurance companies, the most glaring area for improvement where my insurance company could have a better relationship with me, would be during welcome & onboarding. I believe this is a critical point where you (the insurance company) sets the foundation for all future dealings with your new business partner – your customer.
We’ve all heard the expression, “you never get a second chance at a first impression” and this is certainly the case in regards to the first impression given to a new policyholder who has decided to give you their business.
So, how does an insurance company start off right by leaving the best impression possible on a customer? Well, the first step is to know you customer. If your customers are like me, then target solutions to address new policy holders. If your customers feel the most pain in their dealings with you during the claims process, however, then you need to solve that step in their journey with you.
Regardless of where you reach customers who need an improved experience, you will want to make sure you keep in mind, these 3 customer-centric steps:
Effective onboarding and claims processing are foundational steps in providing a positive customer experience. By making insureds feel valued and understood - while learning how they prefer to be communicated with, insurers can set the stage for an exceptional customer experience that keeps customer connected with your brand – and less likely to leave.