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According to a study by American Express https://learn.g2.com/customer-service-statistics, one in three customers say it only takes a single experience of poor customer service to make them switch companies. Today’s customer has high expectations, and customer service is more important than ever.

Insurance agents often face specific challenges in delivering great customer service. Buying insurance can often be a fraught experience for customers; terms can be confusing for the uninitiated and it can be difficult to understand pricing.

In addition, often, customers don’t interact with their insurance companies until there’s an emergency and they need to file a claim—so feelings can be heightened. At these times, it’s crucial for agents and companies to work hard to make sure their experience is positive, even during an emergency.

Here are a few tips for outstanding customer service.

Let customers file claims, change their policies, and get quotes online. According to the 2017 World Insurance Report https://www.capgemini.com/service/world-insurance-report-2017/, approximately 74.8% of customers want to be able to send their claims to you online. In addition, most Gen Y customers want to be able to renew and cancel their policies online. Today’s customer is looking for convenience—and an online option for interacting with their insurance companies.

Deliver personalized service. According to the Accenture Global Distribution and Marketing Consumer Study 2018 https://insuranceblog.accenture.com/a-powerful-business-case-for-personalized-insurance-services, a whopping 80% of customers would be willing to divulge personal information in exchange for personalized service and offers—such as insurance premium offers connected to their healthy lifestyle habits or safe driving record.

Chances are, if you offered an alert system that tips customers off to opportunities to save money on their insurance based on such factors, you’d have a lot of takers.

Make sure your customers can reach you in person. According to Comm100’s Live Chat Benchmark Report https://www.comm100.com/resources/report/2017-live-chat-benchmark-report/, approximately 67% of customers will hang up the phone out of frustration if they get stuck in an automated phone loop and have trouble reaching a real person.

It’s especially crucial for customers to reach a real person quickly in the insurance industry, when many people are calling to deal with a claims issue that may be tied to a stressful life event.