By Dominic Croucher, Content Marketing Specialist, Square One Insurance Services —
Responsible homeowners and tenants seeking home insurance have grown accustomed to the same in-person approach favoured by the generations that preceded them. But in the age of information, comparing home insurance quotes could mean spending an entire afternoon driving all over town.
The advent of the internet changed all this, allowing customers to locate providers, research reviews, get a quote, buy a policy, and in some cases, even submit a claim – all from the comfort of their own home.
But when a new baseline for customer service and satisfaction is established, how do the best providers distinguish themselves from the competition? We asked Stefan Tirschler, Product + Underwriting Manager at Square One Insurance Services, for some advice for prospective home insurance providers.
Make the change to a digital platform
These days, people can order a coffee before they even enter a café and pick it up without saying a word to the barista. The world is going digital; it’s a trend that won’t subside. By shifting the experience online, you can re-align your customers’ expectations and experiences to match other industries.
Your overall goal should be to make the process of getting a quote and buying a policy as simple and efficient as possible by removing any sticking points that could negatively affect satisfaction and cause them to take their business elsewhere.
Retain a personal touch
Many customers lament the digital revolution, blaming it for a general demise in customer service. Let’s face it, no one likes to feel like just another number on a spreadsheet. So, it’s important to retain an element of humanity, even with something as simple as home insurance.
How do you do it?
Between instant messaging chat services, telephone hotlines, social media interaction and simple-to-coordinate review responses, it’s easy to retain a near constant flow of information between your business and potential customers. All this helps them feel connected not only to your customer service agents, but to the business as a whole.
Understandably, insurance is often considered tedious or unexciting by most consumers. (That is, until they need to make a claim!) However, fostering a business culture that rewards a consumer-focused mindset can enable you to reshape that negative outlook and, hopefully, win a few clients in the process.
About Square One
Established in 2011 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Square One offers the only home insurance policy in Canada that can be personalized to your unique needs. That means you only pay for the protection you need. Square One is also one of the few providers to automatically include earthquake, sewer backup and broad water protection in its policies.
For more information about Square One, or to get an online quote, visit www.squareoneinsurance.com.
Source: Square One Insurance Services Inc.
