Customer expectations have skyrocketed. Fast, personalized service coupled with maximum accessibility is a requirement. Today, businesses must offer comprehensive and seamless experiences across all technologies—apps, emails, texts and customer service platforms—if they are to remain competitive.

A customer-centric strategy is the first step when initiating the insurance user experience. Build your offering on the foundation of flexible solutions that drive long-term loyalty via personalized service and quick responses to evolving needs. 

Digital transformation is streamlining claims processing and policy administration. It can also be used to complement efficient communication with customers at every phase of interaction.

Here are five ways to use digital tools to improve the customer experience: 

1) Use multiple channels to personalize the experience. The average American owns approximately four devices and engages in more than 60 hours a week of screentime, according to Sailthru. This presents a golden opportunity to optimize mobile apps and social media for traditional and mobile devices to ensure a great customer experience across all platforms.

2) Privacy is critical. Your customers must be made aware of the security measures you put in place to set them at ease and continue their relationship with you. Every customer expects their personal information to remain private.

3) Give your customers choices for how and when to buy. Everyone likes having options and will often look for recommendations from their peers. Offering easily digestible options helps customers make decisions on what products and services to purchase. In addition, presenting targeted solutions and default options has also been found to be helpful to customers, according to MyCustomer.

4) Be ahead of the curve with automation. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and predictive analytics are resources you can use to enhance the customer experience. Chatbots can walk a customer through an entire claims process or policy application without a single human touchpoint. Chatbots can also save an organization time and money.

5) Provide real-time responses and interactions. While social media has made communication more efficient and engaging, some companies are struggling to keep pace and respond to questions, concerns or comments in a timely manner. In fact, 80% of customers expect businesses to respond to their posts within 24 hours, while 79% of consumers would prefer to engage with a live chat option over social media because of a quicker turnaround, according to HubSpot.

While selling has always been critical, it must share the spotlight with service—it's extremely important to provide a positive, seamless experience for your customers. Ninety percent of Americans use customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not to do business with a company, according to HubSpot, and 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service.

The new customer expects to receive rapid, personalized service and insurers are expected to offer a variety of cohesive experiences to meet those expectations. Customer-centric technology that supports exceptional service levels will help insurers to engage with their customers in a positive and efficient manner and vault over the new bar of customer expectations.

Chris Farfaras, executive vice president & chief sales and marketing officer at Input 1. Input 1 is the insurance industry's leading provider of digital billing services and payment solutions.