As more customers interact with insurers digitally than ever before, multi-channel engagement is the key to facilitating successful engagement. CHART Exchange published “Multi-Channel Customer Engagement – Today’s “Must” for Insurers”  by John Rodgers, Rajeev Aggarwal, and Brian Nordyke highlighting the importance of carriers focusing on digital literacy, customer relationship skills, and client-centered project management skills when developing engagement models.

“For some time, it’s been a fundamental truism that personal insurance companies need to engage with customers across multiple channels, meeting them wherever is most convenient for them. indeed, a recent study on digital experience in insurance showed mobile app usage up 26 percent since last year. But we’ve entered a stage where the real progress and differentiating factor is seen in the ability to create a seamless experience across all channels and policy types.

Typically, different lines of business – home, auto, collections in the personal space – have had different client journeys, portals, and servicing models, leading to a disjointed client experience. But now, leading insurers are capable of linking these difficult products together under one unifying experience, while also taking cues from one area of the business to inform other areas.

This is the essence of multi-channel engagement. It enables customers to interact with their insurer seamlessly through various channels, based on their preferences – digital, call center, face-to-face, and so on. For example, a customer should be able to log a claim or mid-term adjustment online, and request that an agent call them back at a convenient time.

Some insurers are making progress in these areas, but there is still quite a way to go, as successful engagement requires a clear understanding of the moments that matter to their different customer segments, and well-integrated end-to-end processes. ”

Read the full article here.