How to Cultivate Trust Between Insurance Companies and Customers

Posted on

March 2nd, 2021

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In the not-to-distant past, purchasing insurance products was a frustrating and challenging task for most customers. They didn’t understand the minutiae of various policies and often had to rely on industry experts to help them decide. This confusion bred distrust, which led to lower customer engagement compared to other industries.

As the internet boomed, businesses began moving their services and products online. It didn’t take long for customers to develop a preference for digital channels of communication. The insurance sector created web portals to keep pace with the competition, but this approach resulted in little innovation. Insurance companies had websites, but they failed to live up to customers’ expectations or meet their needs.

What Customers Want

To fix the problem, insurers need to know what customers expect on their websites. The following are some of the biggest influences on customer satisfaction and trust:

  • Ease of use. Customers don’t like filling out confusing forms. While paperwork is an unavoidable element of filing a claim or inquiring about a product, it should be a simple, easy-to-understand process.
  • Remove uncertainty. Customers hate not knowing what to expect regarding their claims or inquiries. They want to know when someone will contact them or what they can do in the interim to expedite the process.
  • Targeted advice. Customers want access to all the relevant information before making an insurance purchase. While they prefer self-service options, they want relevant information to help guide their choice as well. They also want quick and easy access to a representative to ask questions about their policy or claim. Implementing a text or chat service can help achieve this goal.

Customers want several communication channels to engage with their insurance provider. Some may prefer speaking over the phone, while others may prefer digital channels. However, email and web portals are often too slow for urgent questions. Giving customers the option to text or chat with their insurance provider can provide timely answers, address concerns, and improve customers’ trust. To learn more about text and chat services, contact the experts at Actec.