In a service-based business like insurance, customer satisfaction is the bread and butter. Ensuring your clients notice you and your employees consistently going the extra mile can have a significant impact on your reputation.
Customer service as an insurance agent can be challenging, but we have some tips on how to deliver exceptional service at all times.
Respond Immediately
If you sent an email to someone who gave you a quote with several questions, how would you feel getting a response back two days later? Even the following day is too long. Since agents are frequently checking email, you will typically have the opportunity to get back to a client almost immediately. Take advantage of that short time window to impress your customers. Respond to quote requests and other inquiries as quickly as possible.
Take Responsibility
Not every aspect of customer service is pretty, and you can count on getting some angry phone calls and emails. Nothing makes a situation worse than trying to pass the blame on someone else or an extenuating circumstance. All the client will hear are excuses. Immediately accept responsibility for errors and miscommunications. Do everything in your power to correct the issues and make your customer happy with the resolution.
Practice Flexibility
Businesses have policies and procedures in place to prevent chaos and disorder. They should be followed at all times without question right? Well, usually. Occasionally a circumstance may arise where the customer really could use some wiggle room. We don’t mean to say you should constantly be breaking your company policies, but you should adjust when appropriate. Say your agency charges a late fee if a payment is a week past due but a client calls to say her mother has passed away. Waiving the fee would show exceptional customer service and say a lot about your business.
Do What You Say
Customers are used to hearing reps make promises and offer plenty of perks. When you say you will do something, do it! Did you tell your prospect you would have a quote back to them in one hour? Send it in forty-five minutes. Follow through on your commitments and your client will notice. Give them a reason to choose your business over the next agent.
Get Your Agency On Board
Do you have other employees? Even if you have just one or two people working for you, set the expectation that customer service is the center of your business philosophy. Train your employees on how to communicate with customers in specific scenarios. When you have everyone on board, you’ll never have to worry. You want every person that walks into the office to be treated the same by each employee they come in contact with. Let them leave feeling taken care of.
Smile
This is perhaps the most simple practice of all. Smile. Even, when you’re on the phone, making a habit of smiling will automatically help you get in the right frame of mind when speaking with clients. Obviously, you don’t want to appear fake and you don’t have to try. Just make sure you’re happy and have a positive attitude when speaking to prospective buyers and clients.
Hopefully, these tips can inspire you to take your customer service as an insurance agent to the next level. Having a customer-centered business will earn you an exceptional reputation. Interested in becoming an agent with us? We have all the tools you need to build a strong and sustainable business. Contact us for more information.
