Selling insurance is a tough business. In fact, according to a study by Engagement Labs, insurance comes in below average in the categories of client sentiment, even lower than banking and credit card companies.

That's why companies that focus on client satisfaction can make great strides at beating out the competition.

From engaging clients on popular communication platforms (such as text and social media), to learning the art of the apology and the claims process, to learning how to turn insurance speak into a language clients can actually understand, here are some ways insurance providers can improve customer experience.

Sound like a human

The insurance business has a lot of jargon that your average client won't understand. Master the art of explaining things in layman's terms so that the client has a clear understanding of what they're getting when they sign on with you.

Try explaining a policy to a friend and get their feedback on how easy it is to understand.

Engage with your clients on social media

Social media is a great platform for promoting your business and gaining new leads. It's easy for someone to share your page with a friend who might be looking for an insurer. Social media is also the perfect place to promote contests or promotional rates.

Videos are a very popular medium that will allow clients to get a better feel for you and your insurance company.

Use text to communicate

Text is a quick and convenient way to keep your client up to date on important information such as upcoming policy expiration, appointment reminders, claim status or even just a Happy Birthday on their big day. It can also be great for following up on leads.

This case study for Henry Insurance Agency highlights how text can be helpful in reaching out to leads: "I am amazed that people ignore my call and email but will reply to a text. This is especially true for younger consumers. Now we text first, then follow up with a call or email."

Master the claims process

Selling insurance and making sure the customer feels like they're not wasting their money is one thing. Most of your clients will never use their insurance. But the true test of your customer service skills is when they do need to use it.

When a client calls you to make an insurance claim, the clock is ticking to respond and the pressure is on to solve the situation to their satisfaction. Some tips for making the claims process more smooth:

  • Respond quickly. Make sure your support crew are always ready to rush out to attend to a new claim

  • Be sympathetic. Customers will often be emotionally shaken by the experience and may have difficulty communicating. Having a calming and soothing demeanor in an emergency is an insurance agent's greatest asset.

  • Follow-up. Make sure you follow up with the client about the progress of their claim frequently. There's nothing as frustrating as being left in the dark about the status of a claim.

Pay attention to client changes

You should make a point  to collect enough information about your client that you can assess when their needs are changing. If they just got married, they may be expecting a baby in the next couple of years.

If they already have children and you are their car insurance agent, keep tabs on the kids' ages to get a jump-start on the client when they turn 16 and are ready to start driving.

When possible, make offers that can make their lives easier and improve their costs. By making your business about the client, you avoid coming off as being all about the bottom line.

Apologize and compensate for mistakes

When an insurance company fumbles a claim, it can often make the client furious. Maybe they had to pay something out of pocket when they shouldn't have had to or had to wait too long to be attended to or even worse.

If something like that happens, it's important to recognize that you were in the wrong and apologize to the client for the inconvenience.

Be sincere in your apology. Reimburse them, if appropriate, for any undue costs and make sure they are satisfied with your response before moving on.

Send out customer satisfaction polls

When you ask clients how their experience has been, you let them know that you care about providing them with good service. You also give them a place to voice their praise and/or their criticism.

This gives you a chance to make up for any mistakes (see above) and gives them a private platform to leave their feedback. Frustrated customers often leave their feedback on social channels or review sites, which can negatively impact your reputation.

A poll gives you a chance to turn things around before they go public with their negative experience.

Insurance agents can use multiple tactics to ensure high client satisfaction. Make sure you communicate through channels that are popular with clients, have a seamless claims process, ask clients for feedback with polls, and recognize when you've made a mistake.

Alexa Lemzy is the customer support manager and blog editor at TextMagic, SMS service for businesses. She is always seeking the new ways to improve customer service and turn first-time clients into loyals. To read more her articles, check out Alexa's account on Twitter.

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