Brokers want better communication from insurers
So says the findings of a recent survey carried out by ARAG UK, designed to determine UK brokers’ business expectations over the coming months
The survey, conducted by legal expenses insurance and assistance firm ARAG UK, which set out to identify what brokers wanted to see from insurers over the coming months, found that communication topped the list for almost all of those surveyed at the recent Broker Connect virtual conference.
When asked how they expected business to change in the wake of the pandemic, over two-thirds said that staff would increasingly be working remotely, while 21 per cent said that they expected operations to return to normal. And while one quarter said that they foresee meeting clients face-to-face by September this year, 15 per cent said that it would be next year before they can see their clients in person again.
A staggering 85 per cent of brokers identified legal issues that they had to deal with during the first few months of the lockdown, with employment disputes, property and contract matters representing almost three-quarters of all responses. Therefore, it can hardly be any surprise that around 80 per cent conceded that having access to a legal advice helpline would have been useful in dealing with the legal issues that they had been faced with during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
The revelation that better communication was top of the list for brokers going forward seems to be a reasonable request. No doubt, with face-to-face meetings severed during lockdown, the industry has had to spend some time adjusting to a new way of doing business. But technology being as advanced as it is today, there’s no reason why companies can’t utilise digital communications channels to enhance their relationships – taking into account that technology fatigue is a real issue, and instating a balance, of course.