Excelling at one communication channel is no longer enough. Modern insurance customers use a variety of channels to get quotes, check policy details, make claims and ask questions, and they expect a seamless omnichannel insurance experience as they switch from channel to channel. Ask yourself – are you delivering?

There’s No One-Size-Fits-All 

If you’re trying to pinpoint an insurance customer’s favorite communication channel, you’re going to run into some complications. Customers aren’t a monolith. They have access to more communication channels than ever before in history, and their preferences have become highly variable as a result.

HubSpot conducted a survey and found that 45% of consumers like to message a human company representative when they need to reach out online, while 19% prefer to connect with a bot and 24% prefer a mix of bots and humans. In addition to individual differences, the purpose of the interaction can impact which method is preferred; for simple tasks, up to 41% of consumers prefer automated options. 

All of the variables exist within online communications, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Another HubSpot survey found that 69% of consumers prefer to use phone to contact customer service, compared to only 24% who cite chat as their preferred method.

This still doesn’t account for generational differences. YouGov found 49% of people aged 18 to 24 cite texting as their communication method of choice, while only 19% cite mobile phone. Among people aged 55 and older, only 35% name texting as their preferred option, and an equal number name mobile phone. Although this survey focuses on personal communications, the large generational divide should interest businesses.  

The takeaway is clear. It’s impossible to please everyone with just one communication channel. In fact, you might not be able to please anyone since a single individual may have different preferences depending on the task at hand. To keep customers satisfied, insurance companies need to adopt an omnichannel strategy. 

How Omnichannel Is Different than Multichannel 

If you’ve heard of multichannel experiences, you might think that omnichannel is just another term for the same thing. Not quite. According to Sprout Social, the key difference is that each channel operates as a silo in a multichannel strategy, whereas channels are fully integrated in an omnichannel approach.

For customers, this is huge. It’s easy to offer a chat option, an email option, and a phone option, but what happens when a customer wants to switch from one channel to another? Consider the following scenario:

An insurance customer has a question about their coverage needs. They use the chat option to get assistance, but their situation is confusing, and they’re having a hard time typing out everything clearly on their mobile phone. They decide to call for assistance instead. 

What happens next? Are they able to switch channels easily? Does the conversation pick up where it left off with a seamless experience, or is it almost like they’re dealing with a completely different company? 

Poor Omnichannel Experiences Are Worse Than No Omnichannel Experiences

McKinsey & Company warns that haphazard omni-channel adoption can destroy value. The article focuses on retailers that are rushing to provide omnichannel and often missing the mark in their haste, but the same warnings can apply to insurance providers, as well. 

The point of progress is not to adopt technology for technology’s sake. Instead, the goal is to improve customer experiences while controlling overhead costs. To determine whether you’re meeting this goal, look at your offerings from the point of view of the customer.

• Are the channel options clear? Adding channel options should make it easier for customers to select the methods that fit their preferences, but if the options aren’t clear and easy to navigate, you might be fostering confusion, instead. 
• Do customers receive stellar customer service? Common customer service complaints include long wait times, multiple transfers, and having to repeat oneself.  
• Do customers receive a seamless experience? Disjointed experiences can detract from the overall experience. Customers should receive the same high level of support as they switch from one channel to another.

Taking the Next Step

Customers are ready for superior insurance experiences. If you can’t deliver, you risk losing customers to your competitors.

Liberate can help. Our Voice AI and Omnichannel FNOL technology integrates with your other systems to deliver high-quality, seamless omnichannel customer experiences with 24/7 availability. Insurers can onboard and train our friendly Voice AI agents quickly, and at a lower cost than hiring an employee, so there’s no reason to wait. Learn more. 

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