3 ways the pandemic enhanced customer engagement with technology

Nationwide associates recently heard from partners across the country about changing customer preferences and the impact of those changes to how agencies go to market and provide service.

Video is here to stay

Before the pandemic, Mike Skiens, CEO of MasterCare America shared that clients struggled to connect with agents over video. “It wasn’t that they were opposed to it, just that they weren’t fluent. Now with the pandemic creating a need to connect with loved ones, many who weren’t using video before are regular users. “People are now preferring to use virtual. I think there will always be the face-to-face sales, but it’s interesting to see the preference grow for the convenience of video sales.”

Meeting customer expectations with automation

With customers adapting to experiences like electronic signatures, Agency Partner at Firefly Agency, Rod Mayhill knows the expectation for speed and convenience will continue. “The fact that consumers are no longer going in the office and they know everything is so automated, with that comes an increased expectation by the consumer for expediency.” With those expectations, Firefly continues to work with their agents to build everything from marketing to systems and policy management in a much more efficient electronic way. Agents are also using social media more, Mayhill shared, “because of the lack of face to face relationship, there needs to be consistent contact with that customer.”

Staying connected and getting personal with digital marketing

Rebecca Hall, Agency Owner of Insurance Services of Washington echoed the same needs in staying connected with customers. “It’s important to be touching those clients on a more regular basis since we can’t see them face to face anymore, we’re making sure we’re doing email campaigns and we’re doing blogging and social media, that’s been big for us, pivoting that way.” Hall shared they’ve set up a calendar to reach out to clients on a regular basis to share their expertise. “There’s all this stuff out there that you can go online, and you can shop it, but are you really getting the advice that you should be getting? So that’s been our big thing to let clients know, come to us first for that personal touch.”

As restrictions lift and customers continue to shift their expectations, agents who understand how to build relationships virtually by leveraging technology will continue to win.