Insurers are not using social media enough in customer service

Insurers could be missing out on valuable opportunities to cultivate and improve customer relationships online, according to new research.

Despite more customers going online to voice their opinions on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, insurers are mainly using social media channels to drive brand awareness and encourage policy renewal. 

The research by Autoglass also found that while insurers were embracing social platforms to handle customer service enquiries, only 40% of insurers are actively responding to customer enquiries received on social platforms.

Fifty percent do not have a dedicated point person to deal with incoming queries on digital channels, while more than a third (36%) believe they could be better at handling customer enquiries received on social media sites.

Fifty firms operating within the insurance industry were questioned as part of the survey.

Autoglass’ sales and marketing director André May said: “The appetite for seamless customer service across all channels including social has really taken off in recent years.

“The number of customer service-related enquiries we’ve seen on our own Facebook and Twitter pages has more than doubled in the past year compared with the previous year.

“Our customers are not only enquiring about windscreen repairs or replacements, but also asking about their car insurance policies and cover, and we’ve redirected enquiries, where relevant, to our insurance partners.”