What sets local insurance agencies above the rest? At first, it might be hard to tell, but customers quickly become aware of the benefits of a local agency and will migrate to receive superior customer service.
The difference? The local agency provides great customer service and communication and works on behalf of its policyholders. Implement these five tips to step up your agency’s customer service game.
Be Proactive About Customer Service
Excellent customer service means quickly following up with and responding to customers, looking for discounted rates and knowing your customers by name. To create long-lasting relationships with your customers, you should also help them establish a plan in the event of a claim. Be flexible and available for one-on-one meetings and send email recaps of conversations.
Excellent customer service also means alerting customers of natural disasters in their area.
Communicate Before Disaster Strikes
To be known as the local agency working on behalf of its customers, brokers must compete by proactively informing policyholders about the possibility of a disaster. When natural disaster strikes, people are concerned with their property, and more than likely you are insuring their houses, cars and boats. It is both in the agency and the customer’s favor to provide advanced and detailed notice of a natural disaster. Without this, an insurance agency will seem out of touch, and you might lose out to the local agency down the street.
Provide Risk Mitigation Tips
In anticipation of an event, or in natural disaster-prone areas, provide risk mitigation activities to your customers. Send checklists for every type of natural disaster applicable to the area — wildfire, hurricane, hail, earthquake, tornado, etc. You can even offer promotions or credits for completed activities! Try our free wildfire risk mitigation checklist, which you can send to customers to help them prepare before disaster strikes. Just add your company’s logo and contact information to the document we provided and share it with your clients. Now you’re already one step closer to providing excellent customer service.
Keep Clients Updated During a Natural Disaster
When a natural disaster occurs, it’s important to provide natural disaster intelligence on every aspect of the event. Send time-sensitive directives to your customers to keep them safe as the disaster begins. These types of instructions include:
- Evacuation mandates and information
- Nearby safe areas
- Pertinent disaster information
- Lodging options close by in case of evacuation
- Evacuation Packing List
As the event progresses, share updates and location-specific information such as evacuation routes and shelters. Instruct your policyholders how and when to contact your agency. Also send policyholders specifics on what to do in the case of property loss.
Connect After a Claim
Once a claim is complete after an incident or natural disaster, be sure to connect with customers to see if they have any other questions or concerns. If their personal property was damaged in an event, the experience can be upsetting. Ask how they are doing, if their needs were met and if the claim was handled satisfactorily. Even if nothing was damaged after a natural disaster, checking in with clients is an important step in building positive relationships and improving your customer service.
Take your communication and customer service to the next level! Implement some of these ideas today to improve your customer service and be known as a local agency working hard for its customers.
Learn more about how RedZone can help your insurance agency meet your customers’ needs.
