Consumers Report “Contactability” Element Lacking in Insurance Industry 

In our always-connected world, we have gradually become accustomed to the anonymous, technology-based form of communication that drives our personal lives and business transactions.  But, there are times when we need to interact with a real person. Whether we’re tracking a lost shipment, filing an insurance claim, or seeking information about a company, it’s good to know the business cares enough about their customers to interact in real time. Knowing that someone hears our concerns and is taking action gives our trust a boost.  It also influences our decision to continue doing business with the company.  But, if we decide to switch companies, there are several ways to compare companies and find out what their customers are saying.  When evaluating a company, you can find customer reviews such as the ones collected and published by eKomi or turn to comparison websites such as LifePlans.com. 

Today’s consumers are demanding and impatient.  Most of us expect swift, real-time responses to our queries.  In fact, more than 73% of consumers admit they are likely to switch brands if they don’t receive the quality of customer service they expect.  With just a few clicks on a website, they can change companies. It has never been easier for consumers to find an alternative business, so, meeting customer service expectations is critical.  In the insurance industry, for example, contactability is one aspect of doing business that needs improving, according to customer feedback.

Providing Contactability in an Age of Instant Communication 

Companies that offer top-rated customer service are rare, but there are some that stand-out as leaders.  According to ConsumersAdvocate.org, ten insurance providers rank highest in providing customer satisfaction.  Let’s take a look at a few of those companies and compare customer experience ratings: 

• AIG Direct

Ranked in first place, AIG Direct scored 9.6/10 (Excellent). They have been a leading term life insurance provider since 1995.  Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company services over 5 million customers. They also hold a rating of “A” with A.M. Best and an “A+” with the Better Business Bureau.  The rating breaks down like this:

AIG holds average customer ratings on independent consumer review sites, but the company is making efforts to address the complaints and provide timely resolutions in compliance with the Better Business Bureau guidelines.

• Haven Life

In second place, Haven Life scored 9.5/10 (Excellent).  Founded in 2015, this company offers term life insurance issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.  They hold an A.M. Best rating of A++ (Superior).  The rating breaks down like this:

Haven Life has received excellent customer ratings on independent review sites where they hold a score of 9.3.  Customer feedback on the ease, speed, and quality of their services is consistently good. 

• Globe Life

Ranked in tenth place, Globe Life has been in business since 1951, offering affordable life insurance and other related products.  The company holds an A+ rating with A.M. Best and an S&P rating of AA-.  The rating breaks down like this:

Although the company has a high customer complaint ratio, they still service over 4 million policyholders and remains among the most popular insurers in the U.S.  They have a BBB rating of A+.

We offer this comparison to point out the importance of customer reviews on a company’s overall image.  As we can see, customer experience has a significant influence on the ratings.  When reading some of the customer reviews, it’s easy to note that contactability is one of the most frequently mentioned concerns.  Overall, customer reviews are a key factor in a consumer’s decision on where to spend their money.  If you are interested in finding authentic customer reviews, visit eKomi-us.com.  As an independent customer feedback management team, eKomi moderates every review to ensure that they are valid.  You can also use  “seller ratings” to find businesses that offer quality service.  Google gathers ratings from reputable sources such as eKomi and displays the ratings as a series of stars on the search results next to the company’s ad.  These are excellent tools that help consumers find reputable businesses in any industry. 

Giving Customers a Voice

Many of these companies make it easy to get life plan quotes.  You can choose to have an agent contact you, fill out an online form, or request that the information be mailed to you.  The websites have valuable information regarding types of life plans such as Term Life, Whole Life, Universal Life, and more.  This is only a small part of an overall customer satisfaction campaign.  Also, some of their websites feature a “Chat Now” tool that allows customers to interact with an agent in real time.  This is an excellent way to help customers feel that they are important as a person, not just as a dollar sign. 

Although technology makes it easy for us to contact a business, we don’t always get a timely response, if we get one at all.  Whether we email, text, post on their social media page, or leave a message on the contact form on a website, it all comes down to wondering if anyone sees the message.  We’ve all seen the automatically generated “Thank you for contacting us.  Someone will be in touch soon.”  But, in many cases, that’s the end of the communication.  This enduring silence on the company’s part can be a deal breaker.  At this point, a customer decides to seek another company and never looks back.  If a company can invest immense amounts of time and money into attracting our business, then keeping our business should be equally as important.  The best way for a company to keep customers is to be available when they need help or advice.  This element of customer service is what defines and validates a company as a leader.