067: Smart Communications – The future of top-class customer engagement with James Brown

Changing the Conversation: The People in Insurance

Are you seeking to streamline the claim-making process, but unsure where to start? Are you struggling to keep up with your competitors, and looking to boost efficiency? Are you concerned by the emergence of instant gratification in business interactions, and determined not to be left in the dust?

In this episode, we’re very pleased to be speaking with James Brown, CEO of Smart Communications. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, he explains the profound importance of great customer experience in order to accelerate your provision of insurance solutions, and to boost client retention. He suggests that while his company offers bespoke, software-based solutions, face-to-face communications will never cease to fuel high-quality customer experiences, and by providing a combination of both, businesses can stay ahead of the market.

Quote of the Episode

‘You should never ask the question of somebody that you should already know the answer to.’

James Brown argues that, when it comes to customer solutions, if a computer can do something you’re unable to, you should let it. The software offered by his business, Smart Communications, will locate all the necessary, publicly available data about a client to initiate the claims making process, and any remaining data will be inputted by the customer themselves. Consequently, the customer journey is simplified from the very start, which is essential for business growth and client retention. James suggests that any potential for customer frustration should be nipped in the bud, as ‘the vast majority of consumers out there have changed provider as a result of bad customer experience’.

Key Takeaways

In 2021, customers do not want to endure painstakingly slow and repetitious phone conversations with rudimentary robot data-collectors in order to make a claim. If a competitor is offering face-to-face consultations, or a wider range of digital solutions, customers will naturally switch to their cover.

To prevent this, you should aim to optimise the available channels at your disposal, to guarantee that the most efficient and effective process is taking place during each stage of the customer journey. James clarifies that while a digital interface is often very important and useful, there are certain points in the customer journey that require a human-to-human interaction. Take care to ensure that when integrating digitised processes, either for data collection, customer feedback, and so on, they are employed at points during the customer journey when it is most fastidious to do so.

Efficiency is key. We have all become highly accustomed to the Amazon experience, particularly throughout the COVID period. Our demands can be fulfilled with just the click of a button, and soon, James anticipates, this mentality will be transferred to various other businesses and industries. As Sarah suggests, we will soon want all our business procedures to be ‘frictionless, on my terms, on my time scale, and yesterday, please’.

In the years to come, Artificial Intelligence will undoubtedly transform business efficiency and remove the human element from various procedures. However, the primary shift that James anticipates across various industries is towards great customer engagement via a wide range of communication means.

Best Moments/Key Quotes

‘Make sure that we think about how you avoid those interminable loops that can cause real customer frustration, and ultimately, customer churn.’

“’Our focus is very much on optimising the channel… it could be anything from human-to-human interaction, right the way through to an SMS, and optimising the channel for the appropriate points in the customer journey. And there are clearly going to be points where the only way to achieve the end result is to have human to human interaction.”

“The new battleground for every business that we work with, is great customer engagement and great customer experience… you really are differentiated now, not necessarily on product features, but on customer experience.”

“We have all become so used to the Amazon experience, that it doesn't matter where in our lives we go. We're looking for that type of experience with every interaction with every company we work with.”

About the Guest

James Brown is the CEO of Smart Communications Ltd, a world-leading, cloud-based, customer communications provider. He previously ran SAS companies across various regulated industries, including Zinc Ahead, which provides commercial content management solutions to several of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies.

James Brown’s LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-brown-7521323

About the Host

Sarah Myerscough is the Sales and Marketing Director of Boston Tullis Group. The founder of The Insurance Brokers Podcast, she brings a wealth of marketing experience and a fresh perspective on marketing in the insurance sector. Boston Tullis works with insurance brokers to offer solutions to business development ceilings, particularly in the rapidly developing fields of video marketing and thought leadership.

Website: https://bostontullis.co.uk/

Evaluation Link: https://s.bostontullis.co.uk/s/podcastevaluation