Customer retention is a huge part of the financial stability equation for insurance providers. It costs significantly more money to acquire new customers than it does to retain existing accounts, but many insurers struggle to identify what is important to their current clients as well as pain points that influence them to find a new insurer.
What Do Policyholders Want?
Not much has changed on the playing field regarding what policyholders want from their providers, which leaves many insurers flummoxed on what needs modifying. However, customer expectations are significantly higher than in previous years due to a massive increase in technology. Researching rates, typical settlements, and more are easier than ever. Online reviews and mobile apps also play a critical role in how individuals choose their insurance providers.
However, the single most pivotal influencing factor on a customer’s loyalty is their claims experience. This explains why 30% of customers report they’re considering changing insurance companies in the coming year despite 93% describing themselves as satisfied with their current provider. What’s even more telling is that customers who filed a claim in the preceding two years reported they are twice as likely to switch providers. What’s intriguing is the claim outcome, good or bad, doesn’t play a role in their decision.
6 Key Claim Factors That Cause Customers to Defect
Because customers with positive claims outcomes are still more likely to switch insurance providers, insurers need to know what aspects of the claims process is driving the change. While the perceived fairness of the settlement will always top customers’ lists, insurers need to focus on the following to guarantee customer satisfaction during the claims process:
- Speed of settlement
- Transparency of the claims process and explanation of the next steps
- Ease of communication with the insurer to receive an update at any time
- Regular, timely updates without the customer reaching out first
- Empathetic insurance representatives
- Multiple communication methods to discuss the claim including phone, email, mobile app, etc.
The biggest takeaway is that the final outcome of the claim isn’t always what matters to customers. Even if they receive a settlement that makes them happy, customers will start shopping for new providers is the experience of the claims process is lacking.
If your insurance company is struggling with an outmoded claims process, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our full-cycle claim and incident reporting solutions.