Organizations that shine in delivering to customers a personal, human touch have teams that excel at three core skills:
- Urgency: Customers want to know they are important and a priority. Manage the length of customer service interactions so they are short enough to deliver efficient wait times but long enough to acknowledge their circumstance. Show the customer that you care and will work quickly to resolve their issue.
- Listening: Customers want to know they are heard – that the representative is listening to their story. Take the time to understand the customer's perspective and the importance of each call. Loyalty is a two-way street. If you cannot relate to your customer, don't expect customer loyalty.
- Empathy: Customers want to know that the representative understands and cares enough to attempt to resolve the customer's issue and make similar situations better for others. Encourage empathy with every interaction. It isn't easy to communicate empathy without the human element. Representatives should be well versed in the meaning of empathy in different scenarios and the importance of authenticity.
In the property/casualty insurance industry, human interaction and the power of empathy are needed most during some of the most impactful moments of a customer's life. A customer's claim is THE MOST critical interaction for that person at that time. Helping them put their life or business back together needs to be a priority – a human priority. When a customer's life is in turmoil, the last thing they want is to be passed from automated recording to a chatbot and back. They want to speak to someone who cares about them and their situation.
We can do it collectively by showing that we care, and making customers know that we are here for them when they need us. Front-line customer experience employees are making a difference in someone's day – each and every day. This Customer Service Week, embrace and celebrate the Power of Service, and let your team know their integral role in driving your company’s success..