The last time I filed a claim I called the insurer, and Iwouldn't be surprised if you did, too. Or if you're part of theyounger, tech-savvy Gen Y, you probably visited the insurer'swebsite, which now accounts for nearly one-fourth of an insurer'sinteractions with policyholders.

Despite the growing popularity of this channel, however, localagents and brokers remain the key drivers of overall policyholdersatisfaction.

Agents and brokers play a vital role in creating the meaningfulconnections that increase policyholder retention, reduceexpensive calls to customer service and boost referral and renewalrates among existing policyholders. And between the increased Webusage by baby boomers and the proliferation of smartphones,tablets and other mobile devices among users of all generations,customers increasingly desire personalized communications includingquotes and proposals, policies and policyholder notifications viathe web, SMS, mobile apps and email.

Here are five ways insurers can empower agents and brokers todeliver against increased web usage and the proliferation of mobiledevices and tailor their services to meet the unique needs ofdifferent customer segments.

1. Upgrade from legacy systems. As policyholdersincreasingly demand intelligent, personalized communications,insurers need to create quotes and proposals, policies andpolicyholder notifications through new and preferred channels: theWeb, SMS, mobile apps and email. However, most insurers' systemsare still tied to old processes that do not easily support thesedelivery options. Gen Y in particular indicated in the 2010 J.D. Power and Assocs. Insurance Shopping Study that theywant more electronic communications and resources from theirinsurers, but many of them are not receiving it.
2. Enhance data capture and access customer analytics(BI/CRM systems). Effective onboarding requires awell-defined process as customers increasingly demand detailed andtimely policy information to help better understand their coverage.Enterprise content, customer relationship and policy administrationmanagement systems drive context-aware experiences that leveragepast interactions and preferences to achieve greater customersatisfaction. Using customer insights in direct marketing pieces,newsletters, quotes and proposals not only improves response ratesand return on marketing investment, but also increases retention byproactively managing “at-risk” customers and using analyticssystems for lead generation and referral analysis.
3. Automate document processes. Agents are oftenthe first point of contact for new clients, and need time tocultivate customer relationships and create meaningful connections.Document automation processes help to populate up-to-datedata—including regulative and legislative—into documents, simplifycaptured data integration and connect with existing workflows. As aresult, insurers can increase straight-through processing, reducepolicy cycle time for specialty and commercial insurance and reducethe time agents spend on administrative tasks. In fact, manyleading insurers have developed self-service portals for agents toincrease straight-through processing, upwards of 70 percent.
4. Integrate electronicsignatures. Rather than deliver quotes, proposals orclaims correspondence via traditional print channels and thenwaiting for policyholders to sign and fax or mail back, agents andbrokers can deliver documents via the Web, mobile apps andemail, enabling policyholders to electronically sign contracts,agreements and other time-sensitive policyholder communications.Electronic signatures have achieved reductions from as many as 3 to4 weeks to a few days. For instance, a health insurance benefitscompany integrated e-signatures in its contracts among hospitals,physicians and other healthcare professionals, reducing totalprocessing time by more than 85 percent. Along with acceleratingtransactions and improving response times, e-signatures alsofeature tracking capabilities for real-time completed customercommunications and often mitigate exposure to risks such asunsigned policies.
5. Provide real-time content for smartphone andtablet-based apps. According to the J.D. Power Insurance Intelligence Monitor, insurancecustomers—particularly Gen Y—are apt to use mobile phone apps, andinsurers such as Nationwideand USAAare rapidly introducing smartphone applications into the market.Through online web portals, insurers can directly connect tocontent repositories that provide both intelligent and interactivedocuments to agents and brokers who can then select and apply theappropriate content to be delivered to policyholders via smartphoneand tablet-based apps. Insurers that successfully leveragesmartphone and tablet apps can generate new revenue opportunities,reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction.

Web, SMS, mobile apps and email channels are a catalyst for notonly attracting and acquiring new customers but also growing andservicing existing customers. Studies show that servicing andgrowing an existing customer costs insurance carriers five to seventimes less than capturing a new customer.

There is a unique opportunity for insurers to empower agents andbrokers to manage policyholder expectations and deliver thecommunications that policyholders desire.