Clones, clients and crises

3 tips on serving clients during disasters

Do “monkey clone” headlines have you pondering the possibility of a real-life Planet of the Apes situation? Imagine the chaos and confusion that would ensue! Or worse, what if in the disarray of the post-apocalyptic-primate-takeover, you slip on a banana peel and become seriously injured? You’re going to need help. And you’re going to need answers.

Ape takeovers don’t happen every day – but, other disasters do. Violent crimes are on the rise. National disasters are occurring in record-breaking numbers. No matter the scale of a problem, your clients will look to you during their times of need.

A customer’s experience should remain positive, especially during a crisis. As HubSpot describes, the customer experience, “refers to the sum of every interaction a customer has with a business, both pre- and post-sale.”

In the event of a high-stress situation, the relationship between you and your client could become fragile and emotional, and it’s critically important to continue to deliver service that exceeds their expectations in these moments.

Here are 3 tips to be at your best, especially when your clients are experiencing their worst:

1. Be prepared.

   Analyze the types of issues that your clients could face and proactively develop plans to best handle each potential event as their agent. Even better, encourage your clients to prepare for disasters and provide them with valuable risk management resources.

2. Be available.
   

   Be aware of ways your clients may try to reach out to you in various situations, and take steps to help ensure to the best of your abilities that those communication paths will remain open. If you are worried about losing communication with clients during a disaster, consider providing them with a small emergency contact list to keep in their wallet at all times or subscribing them to client-company text alerts that would provide them with instructions in the event of a crisis.

3. Be empathetic.

Put yourself in the shoes of your clients. How would you feel? What would you worry about? We all appreciate when someone understands our situation, but there is also a practical side to empathy. Studies show that it is an important aspect of problem solving – a key competent of an agent’s job. To be most effective at providing your clients with solutions, practice fully understanding their personal situations.

Have you had experience serving a client during a crisis? How did you handle it? Let us know your best tips below, and subscribe to our blog for more tips, discussions and insurance-related ideas.