How training, change management foster digital inclusion
As personal insurance moves toward self-service, insurers should help customers become digitally aware and self-sufficient.
One way to help insurance customers transition into using digital products is by creating onboarding packages that introduce customers to new applications and features in a friendly and understandable way. Customer service teams should also be adequately trained to provide guidance and instructions for customers who call to request help.
Having a repository of training collateral available for customers to access will help them learn how to use digital solutions. Collateral can include video tutorials, FAQs and instruction sheets. Incorporating usability and accessibility guidelines into the design and creation of training collateral will enhance adoption by customers with needs.
Targeted communications
Ongoing communication is a critical factor in ensuring that customers are kept abreast of changes. Communication frequency should be targeted; it does not serve customers well to get constant updates on all changes.
Instead, aim for periodic updates with meaningful content that can help spur customers into action, such as providing a reminder to review coverages after a qualifying life event or new information on how to perform key tasks like bill pay and coverage access.
In line with digital inclusion, communication should be dispersed in ways accessible across all customers, through online and offline channels such as email, direct mail and interactive voice response (IVR) updates.
Insurers can assess and tackle different consumer needs by enhancing digitization as part of a multi-channel distribution model. This is key in mass market personal insurance. It starts with participating in a customer-journey program.
At the outset, such a program begins with the creation of distinct user personas that have specific goals and characteristics. User personas can be distinguished by attributes such as demographics and existing relationships with insurers. To achieve full inclusion, personas can be created by segmenting groups of different ages and needs.
A user journey is then created to catalog “moments that matter” between the insurer and persona’s touchpoints, which are analyzed and monitored for opportunities to increase customer satisfaction, retention and growth.
Tackling the digital divide
Despite digital adoption being on the rise, older adults and adults with disabilities still face unique barriers to using and adopting new technologies. Insurers can combat that by acknowledging adaptability challenges in the design of digital solutions and leveraging varied mediums for marketing and communication.
By adopting proactive measures for adults with needs, insurers can make their services more inclusive and personal, and ultimately improve customer confidence to use digital insurance services without reliance on a “digital guardian.”
This two-part series explores the need for personal insurers progressing toward digital transformation to not leave behind those segments of their customers who, for various reasons, remain uncomfortable with digital access or transactions. In the first part, the authors laid out the benefits of going to a multi-channel customer interface model that meets people where they are to provide them with what they need. This part looks at steps insurers can take to ensure that all customers are equally informed as they are brought along on an insurer’s transformative digital journey.
Jenny Halim is a director, John Rodgers is managing partner, and Rajeev Aggarwal is a managing director at SSA & Company, a global firm advising the world’s largest companies and their C-Suites on strategic execution. They can be reached respectively at jhalim@ssaandco.com, jrodgers@ssaandco.com and raggarwal@ssaandco.com.
These opinions are the authors’ own.
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