by Troy Stewart, President & Chief Operating Officer, Brush Claims

When it comes to customer experiences, the insurance industry heavily relies on a foundation of trust. Particularly in times of catastrophe, policyholders need to know that they have a dependable team and seamless systems in place from beginning to end of a claim. Filing an insurance claim is already an event that can bring about unwanted stress and uncertainty. As insurance professionals, it is our mission to ensure customers can trust and depend on our services. While building this trust may not be an easy task, it is a critical one.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the ways in which insurance companies and professionals can work to establish and maintain trust with policyholders.

Before Technology is Enabled, Organizations Must Adopt Customer-Centric Cultures

Technology should serve as a means to enhance and supplement customer interactions, but it shouldn’t be the central dependency of your customer service department. The core of any organization should revolve around its people – individuals who appreciate the company’s vision and are motivated to create exceptional customer experiences. According to a Zendesk survey, 81% of consumers believe that having access to human support is crucial for maintaining trust in a brand.

With this in mind, a consumer-centric approach must be integrated into an insurance organization’s overall strategy, so that human connection stays at the forefront of every touchpoint with the policyholder. When technology and meaningful customer experiences go hand-in-hand, success is inevitable.

Create Streamlined Processes and Measure Results

Whenever a process overhaul occurs, whether it involves protocol enhancement or the implementation of new technological solutions, the employees must understand and buy into the rationale behind the process improvement and see the value in the expected outcome. One of the key measurements of the new process’s success must be feedback from end-users and those affected by the workflow improvement. While the end consumer is essential, it’s equally important to assess the impact on employees, vendors, and other stakeholders as any missteps here can cause poor efficiency gains and hinder process adoption, causing frustration.

Empower People and Process with Enhanced Technology Solutions

Technology implementation and improvements can yield amazing results for your people. However, a common misstep is not conveying the ‘why’ or expanding upon the bigger picture to promote buy-in to the new enhancement. Employees who can get behind tech initiatives can thrive in a well-planned strategy because the focus can then be placed on areas where ROI is much greater, such as time spent with policyholders.

This is why partnering with a trusted insurtech solutions provider is essential, as it allows insurance leaders to feel confident in knowing their team is using proven technology for their enhanced productivity and, ultimately, the customer’s benefit.

Make Communication Personalized and Routine

Communication can be a make or break in a successful customer journey and is the number one driver in promoting trust. Problems will arise in the claims process from time to time and it’s critical to address these openly, honestly and swiftly with a detailed communication plan. Partnering with a team that is dedicated to providing customer service in the insurance industry is ideal, as it serves as the bridge covering any communication gaps between the policyholder and claims adjuster. That team can then support the critical touch points throughout the claim process and serve as the routine contact every step along the way to provide continuous updates and insight into the progress of their claims.

When insurance customers feel valued, heard, and are provided with insight into “what’s to come” for their claim, they develop trust and loyalty in their provider. This trust is built through excellent claims handling, and ultimately, is what ties a customer to their insurer.

Continue to Measure Success and Learn of Opportunities

Expectations are ever-changing, so your strategy must be to meet the consumer where they are. How do you know if you are hitting the mark? The short answer is – don’t be afraid to ask! Seek concise, specific, and quantifiable constructive feedback from your customers.

In conclusion, customer trust in the insurance industry must be built from the ground up. It hinges on developing a customer-centric culture as a foundation, concentrating on an efficient and quantifiable process, empowering internal processes with advanced insurtech, customizing communication through frequent touchpoints and last but certainly not least, continuously pursuing constructive feedback that drives the overall success forward and upward.

At Brush Claims, helping insurance companies build customer trust through our reliable third-party claims adjusters and cutting-edge insurtech solutions is our top priority. By delivering on our promises of using innovative proprietary technology and industry-leading processes to deliver a full claims solution with excellent customer service, we make it easy for insurance companies to build customer trust, particularly when it comes to the most critical part of a policyholder’s journey: claims processing.

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