The customer journey begins the moment a consumer first visits an agency’s website and grows as touchpoints are made throughout the relationship. Customer success is the process of using these touchpoints to keep customers happy and engaged.
Today’s hard market is causing insurance premiums to rise, leading more and more customers to shop around for new policies. This is why it's more important than ever for agencies to focus on the role customer success plays in retention.
Sounds easy enough, but where to start?
See also: The Key to Preventing Insurance Agent Burnout
Use the Right Tools
The easiest way to make an insured happy is to provide the best coverage for their needs. Agents typically need to manually submit quotes individually through each carrier’s portal, which is a time-consuming and tedious process. It limits the number of quotes an agent can provide their client, which means the client may not get the best possible coverage option.
The good news is that there are solutions out there to help! Agencies should consider adopting technologies that streamline the quoting process. Single-entry quoting solutions, for example, allow agents to enter a client’s information once and receive quotes from multiple carriers. Agents can even quote multiple lines of business at the same time. Expanding distribution channels in this manner is an easy way to give clients better coverage options and set them up for success. As a bonus, agents save a significant amount of time, freeing them for higher-value tasks that further contribute to enhancing their customers’ experience.
Embedded insurance solutions are another valuable tool agencies can employ in their customer success efforts. In today’s increasingly digital world, consumers expect an Amazon-like experience -- from access to products and services at the best price to meeting customers where they are -- which is online and at whatever time is convenient for them. Unfortunately, agents cannot be available 24 hours a day. This is where embedded quoting tools come into play. Embedding quoting tools into an agency’s website allows buyers to get multiple, real-time quotes wherever and whenever is most convenient for them. There’s no need to delay getting quotes if the client’s and agent’s schedules don’t align; plus, the clients have time to weigh options before speaking with their agent.
Foster Relationships
Now that the agency has streamlined its quoting process to find the best possible coverage for the client, and the client is happy, what comes next in the customer success process? Fostering and maintaining a positive relationship.
It’s important to maintain an open line of communication with clients. Agents are in a unique position to serve as trusted advisers as clients navigate new risks and claims. Checking in regularly gives agents a chance to answer questions, assess new risks and provide strategic advice when needed. It also allows the agent and client to develop a comfortable rapport, making the client more likely to stay with the agency.
Integrating an organized CRM system can make this easier. Throughout the customer lifecycle, agents can log calls with the customer and leave notes. This allows the agent to refer back to past conversations. They can also set reminders to reach out to the customers at various touchpoints to ensure no customer gets left behind. These little actions pay off in a big way by strengthening relationships with clients.
See also: Retaining the Millennial Insurance Agent
Increase Retention
Customer success efforts look different at every company, but the goal remains the same: develop strong relationships and help customers be successful and satisfied with both the service and the company as a whole.
Many things go into making a customer happy, but providing the best service possible and having strong relationships are the best ways to increase retention and contract renewals for the agency.
