Introduction: The importance of fast customer communication for insurance agencies
Modern customer communication is a decisive factor for the success of insurance agencies. Today's customers expect fast and efficient responses to their enquiries, whether by email, phone or messenger services such as WhatsApp. The speed with which customer enquiries are processed can not only influence customer satisfaction, but also have a significant impact on customer retention measures and ultimately on the long-term success of the agency. But why is this the case and which tools help?
Fast customer communication as a competitive advantage
Insurance agencies face intense competition - not only from other local providers, but increasingly also from online insurance platforms and neo-insurers. In this environment, the speed of communication with customers becomes a real competitive advantage. If enquiries are answered promptly, this increases customer satisfaction and creates a closer bond with the agency. According to the Deloitte study, 87% of customers rate fast and good customer service as crucial when choosing their insurer. Furthermore, 85% of respondents consider good customer service to be a decisive criterion when choosing a provider. For a provider with good service, 56% of the study participants are prepared to spend more money.
Response time as an important factor in customer loyalty
A key aspect for successful customer loyalty is the speed with which enquiries are responded to.Studies show that most customers expect a response within a few hours. Studies show that most customers expect a response within a few hours. The faster an insurance agency can respond, the greater the likelihood that the customer will feel that they are being well looked after. In the study, 89% of respondents stated that they value fast and personalised support. Quick responses show that the agency takes its customers' concerns seriously and is prepared to respond proactively to their needs. Another important point: customer messages are answered twice as quickly via WhatsApp than by email. Teams prioritise WhatsApp in their day-to-day business, which is clearly reflected in the first response time. On average, users of the superchat messaging platform respond to WhatsApp messages within 18.2 minutes (median), while the response time for emails is 45.2 minutes (median). This significant reduction in response time emphasises the importance of using fast channels such as WhatsApp to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Increased efficiency through digital communication solutions
Many insurance agencies now rely on digital communication solutions to shorten their response times. A good example of this is the Allianz agency Völker, which has achieved significant improvements in its customer communication thanks to the use of Superchat and WhatsApp Business.
Allianz Völker case study - WhatsApp Business as a success factor
Allianz Völker successfully implements the GDPR-compliant use of WhatsApp with multiple users and devices simultaneously. This strategy enables parallel chat management, allowing customer enquiries to be efficiently forwarded to the right contact person within the team. With the help of WhatsApp templates, standardised insurance forms can be sent to customers quickly and easily. This not only saves time, but also makes communication with customers much easier. Thomas Völker, Managing Director of the Allianz general agency Völker Finance, summarises the benefits of Superchat succinctly: ‘Superchat is the central building block in customer communication for us. WhatsApp provides us as an insurer with a new and powerful channel. And it's GDPR-compliant. At the same time, we can connect other software solutions and send automatic WhatsApp messages. This makes our work much more efficient.’
A key advantage of the Superchat platform is the centralised management of all messages in a universal inbox. This allows employees to keep track of all incoming enquiries and respond to customer requests more quickly. Thanks to the integration into the existing software ecosystem of the Allianz agency, the integration of Superchat was possible without any problems. The time saved in the service area was around 60 %, which represents an enormous increase in efficiency.
Factors that support a quick response to enquiries
To ensure fast and efficient customer communication, there are various factors that insurance agencies should consider. These can be divided into technical and organisational measures.
Technical measures to optimise customer communication
Multi-channel communication: Insurance agencies should offer various communication channels through which customers can make contact quickly. WhatsApp, email, telephone and social media are among the favourite channels of many customers. Tools such as Superchat allow all of these channels to be managed in a single inbox, which significantly reduces response times. The Deloitte study emphasises that customers still prefer traditional channels such as the telephone, but that digital channels such as WhatsApp are gaining in importance. Automation through Zapier: By integrating automation tools such as Zapier, recurring tasks can be automated. For example, automatic responses to frequently asked questions can be set up to reduce processing time and provide customers with immediate initial feedback. Documentation and transparency: Compliance with legal requirements when communicating with customers is crucial. Superchat provides an important function here by automatically documenting and securely storing all conversations. This protects both the agency and the customer.
Organisational measures to improve customer loyalty
In addition to the technical equipment, the organisation within the agency also plays an important role. Proactive communication: Insurance agencies should not just wait for enquiries, but communicate proactively with their customers. Regular updates via WhatsApp newsletters or email keep customers up to date and ensure that the agency is remembered. Allocation of enquiries: Clear processes should exist within an agency in order to direct customer enquiries quickly and efficiently to the right contact person. At Allianz Völker, this is supported by parallel chat management and assignments in Superchat, which allows enquiries to be forwarded to the relevant employees in a targeted manner. Personalised customer approach: Customers today expect tailor-made solutions and a personal approach. Insurance agencies that know their customers well and respond to their individual needs can build a closer relationship and thus increase loyalty. In Deloitte's study, 56% of respondents agreed that they would be willing to pay more for a provider with good customer service.
Saving time with modern tools - a recipe for success for insurance agencies
As Allianz Völker shows, the implementation of modern communication solutions is crucial to increasing efficiency and improving customer satisfaction. By reducing processing time by up to 60%, the agency's employees were able to invest more time in personalised customer care, which led to an improvement in customer loyalty.
Conclusion: Fast responses strengthen the customer relationship
Responding quickly to customer enquiries is a key factor in the success of insurance agencies. It creates trust, increases customer satisfaction and strengthens customer loyalty in the long term. With digital tools such as Superchat and WhatsApp Business, agencies can increase their efficiency and take communication to a new level. The Deloitte study shows that customers expect fast and competent support, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as insurance. The combination of fast response times and personal support can give insurance agencies a decisive advantage over online insurers and neo-insurers, who often do not offer personalised support. People remain a decisive success factor in the insurance industry - supported by the right technology.
WhatsApp has established itself as one of the most effective communication channels, especially for quick and uncomplicated enquiries. With opening rates over 90%. Email in comparison shows engagement between 17-28% for different industries.