Insurance firms are often a lifeline to their clients in moments that matter most. Whether it’s through times of unrest, such as flood, fire, or theft. Exciting moments such as becoming a new driver, buying a new car or a new home. Or deeply sentimental occasions, such as insuring precious items or collectibles. It’s of paramount importance that insurance firms provide the best possible service to clients through these sensitive times – meaning client service training programs need to be the best of the best.
In today’s age, many insurance firms have a plethora of information on their websites to aid clients in these sensitive moments. And although this change is significant and brings great benefits to the insurance industry, it’s the human touch that matters most in these moments. Your clients want to talk to an expert, someone who can empathize with their situation and provide tailored advice based on their unique situation. And it’s these client service professionals that will make the real difference in your organization.
How to ensure your insurance client service professionals are up to scratch
The client service professionals in your firm will need a myriad of skills to effectively service your people, which means your training offering may seem a little complex at times. Of course, these people will need an in-depth understanding about your firm’s offering, but they will also need excellent business skills, including:
- Communication
- Time Management
- Customer Management.
Communication
Communication skills are paramount for all client service team members. Account Managers play a critical and sensitive role in the insurance process. They are there to answer every email or phone call. The very best will make that customer feel like they are the ONLY person and their specific request or situation is the MOST important action in the moment. The impact of words, tone, and sincerity will be remembered long after the transaction itself.
Time management
Time management is important in all professions. But client service pros need to make sure their timekeeping and management are perfect. Clients expect prompt responses for a multitude of reasons. They may be waiting on an outcome or information from a claim – causing disruption to their day-to-day life. Or they may be waiting for confirmation that their new car is on their policy, and their vehicle ID card is all set before going on a road trip. These moments may seem insignificant to your organization but are often momentously important for your clients. It’s for this reason that your client service team needs to be the master jugglers of your firm – responding to all client queries as quickly (and thoroughly) as possible.
Customer management
Client Service or Account Managers are the daily, constant link to your customers. Training on relationship management, anticipating needs and balancing priorities are often incredibly helpful. For example, training resources on listening, feedback and innovation might be helpful to improve an account manager’s skills in anticipating client needs. Plus, skills surrounding building connections and professional relationships may help develop long-term partnerships that benefit your organization.
Keeping your insurance client service team’s skills fresh
The insurance industry is constantly evolving and changing. We hear so much about technology and AI and how it’s changing our industry. But the fact is, your clients want to talk to your team members. For this reason, it’s important that when devising your client service training that you include provision for refreshers and ongoing professional development for your team. Plus, providing on-demand, easy-to-access training resources between formal interventions will make sure your team always has the right skills in their tool kit.
As we’re sure you can tell, account manager training covers a wide range of topics, and this may seem overwhelming for many internal L&D teams. How can you create training on all these topics, while still providing training in a timely manner? It’s important to remember that much of this training is firm agnostic, meaning that training content curation is a great route to take. For example, you can source ready-start courses for topics such as communication or time management, collate external resources such as PDFs, articles and whitepapers, to provide content refreshers, and create bespoke learning solutions to give your firm’s account manager extra sparkle, just for your organization.
If you want to discuss your insurance client service team member needs, feel free to reach out to us – we have over 20 years’ experience in developing training for the insurance industry, and we’re ready to help you.