Why SMS is the key to great customer engagement for insurers

We are undeniably living in a smartphone society with UK adults looking at their mobile devices on average at least 150 times a day.

Consumers are becoming more reliant than ever on their smartphones using them to shop, socialise, organise their day, finances and so much more. Given our obsession with our mobile devices, it’s unsurprising that modern consumers view their relationship with insurers as not only online but entirely mobile-focused.

Mobile technology is transforming customer engagement

Through the evolution of mobile technology, individuals can research and purchase coverage in real-time and just a few clicks. This does mean that there is additional pressure on insurers to provide better user experience across all devices along with convenience, speed, competitive pricing and supporting information.

With insurance more accessible than ever why has customer satisfaction within the insurance industry declined? The ICS recently recorded a satisfaction level 0.7 points lower than it recorded in 2017, scoring 78.7 out of 100.

Increasing customer satisfaction with mobile messaging

Our research shows that operating in a smartphone society creates as many opportunities as it does pressures. Given that consumers are already so engaged with their smartphones, communicating with customers using mobile channels is the ideal way to relieve that pressure and make even more of the opportunities.

By using SMS to support some of the many consumer demands on the insurance industry, suppliers are able to share policy confirmations, quotes and updates almost instantly and directly to the customer’s mobile phone.

Using channels like SMS which offer direct and almost instant results for consumers relieves the pressure on customer service teams as well as providing a higher level of satisfaction with additional touch points and quick resolutions.

Real-time results

One of Textlocal’s existing insurance customers SBS have been using the channel to provide delivery updates for replacement items and gather customer feedback with the Survey tool. The sophisticated mobile tool and unrivalled 98% open rate of SMS generated a 17% click-through rate on their mobile survey.

As well as gathering vital feedback suppliers are finding real success through SMS across all departments, sharing appointment reminders, upselling opportunities and educational material. SMS is also helping to reduce the pressures on claim management with regular automated progress updates triggered from their CRM systems.

Our research has found that customer service teams are reaping the rewards of SMS, using a keyword and short code new customers can simply text QUOTE to 60777, or similar, to receive a personalised insurance quote. Providers can set up a simple response with a survey link to capture the necessary details and generate an almost instant quote.

The diverse use of SMS within the industry is already delivering real results for providers. If you’d like to discover more about our Survey tool or SMS integrations get in touch.

98%
open rate

Over 98% of the text messages sent from our SMS tool are opened and read. That’s unmatched communication power for your business. Try it for yourself.