Today’s insurance customers want a service which is convenient, quick and most importantly, personalised. It has long been a challenge for insurance companies to understand their customers on an individual level. But thanks to evolving technology, companies are able to overcome these challenges and fulfil this vital step in the insurance value chain. Nelson Camara, Go-to-market Executive at SilverBridge Holdings, explains how the hard lockdown conditions of last year have offered the opportunity to reimagine processes and take significant strides towards being a more digital-centric organisation, which has led to customers calling for a more tailored offering.
Personalising the insurance experience is not a new concept. In fact, insurers’ ability to understand their customers on an individual level has long been considered the panacea for the sector. Evolving technology, more sophisticated data analysis tools and the emergence of Artificial Intelligent and robotic process automation are contributing to an enabling environment to fulfil this vital step in the insurance value chain. After all, by having an improved awareness of their customers’ actions and behaviours, insurers can deliver more frequent and high-value engagements.
This is imperative if a satisfactory experience characterised by speed and convenience is to be delivered. Much of the current focus for insurers is on the importance of the customer experience and being able to deliver on their evolving expectations. By combining fast and efficient services with rapid issue resolution, an insurer has the strategic pillars on which a successful business in the digital era can be built. By integrating these components, an insurer can deliver a more bespoke customer experience, presenting it for opportunities to gain a much-needed competitive advantage. And for their part, insurers are aware of this potential and looking at ways to do this.
Embracing more channels to get this engagement going is becoming part of the agenda for insurers. But it is not only important to offer a variety of channels to choose from. After all, engagement is about more than just delivering different channels for customers to interact with. It centres on providing personalised recommendations based on an individual’s interest, life stage and behaviours.
But this level of personalisation is not something that can be considered a long way off. Thanks to how many other service sectors have embraced digitalisation, insurance customers also want a tailored offering. This is more so the case after the hard lockdown conditions of last year which have offered the opportunity to reimagine processes and take significant strides towards being a more digital-centric organisation. Fortunately, the wealth of customer data, analytical tools and marketing technology empower insurers to run multitudes of personalised campaigns. These, in turn, are used to improve acquisition, cross-selling and marketing return on investment.
Being different
The secret to success in this regard is clear. If insurers want to roll out something that resonates with consumers then they must do so through a differentiated customer service experience. This requires creating a frictionless experience. For example, claims can be processed in real-time using an app at the scene of an accident greatly reducing the complexity of a general cumbersome process.
Additionally, embracing an omnichannel approach is another critical area of focus. This brings together all the available insurance channels to maintain smooth communications with customers when they move through the different mediums. For instance, a query might start with a call to the contact centre, continue with the app and be resolved via a bot. This is where self-service becomes important as it can give consumers control of much of the experience as insurers introduce more digitally enabled customer touch points.
Data sense
Customers are willing to provide personal data to get this done. Evidence shows that a higher proportion of consumers are willing to share data collected on their smart watches and other similar wearables. In turn, insurers have relied on more detailed questions and medical records instead of in-person physical exams.
The shared value model driven by Discovery Group reflects a more engaged wellness ecosystem derived from product design, pricing and insights on customers. It reflects how much people are willing to give by way of information to have this level of customisation and personalisation added to their insurance portfolio.
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