According to a recent Accenture survey of 7,000 people from 13 countries, significant gaps exists between what consumers want from their insurers and what they feel they are receiving.
For instance, more than three-fifths (61 percent) of respondents said that it was very important for their insurer to provide prompt and effective service, or to answer requests in a timely manner, but only 32 percent of respondents were very satisfied with their insurers’ ability to deliver such service.
When you think about “prompt and effective service” or “to answer requests in a timely manner,” what comes to mind?
To me, above all else, I think about displaying a sense of urgency.
Clients notice and appreciate when a service provider hustles on their behalf. Whether a receptionist quickly answers the phone or an account representative personally delivers a policy or check, displaying a sense of urgency is a way to express genuine interest in your clients.
To express genuine interest in a customer is to go beyond that which a client typically expects from a service provider. For example, a client might expect for their phone call to be answered or to have their policy delivered. But she may not expect the phone to be answered on the second ring or to have the policy hand-delivered by her sales representative.
By conveying a sense of urgency, service providers express genuine interest in serving their clients. These actions will narrow the gap that exists between the service clients expect and the service they ultimately receive.
This will result in clients who become promoters and, as such, will be less price-sensitive, will have higher repurchase rates, and will be responsible for 80-90 percent of the positive word-of-mouth about the company.
How do you display a sense of urgency as a service provider?
