As insurance carriers turn their attention to higher growth targets for 2025, making it easier for independent agents to do business with them and providing superior insurance agent support should be top priorities. In our survey of 500+ P&C independent agents, we found that ease of doing business is just as important as price when it comes to determining which carrier they place new business with.
Carriers may find themselves asking, “what constitutes being easy to do business with?” Insurance agents signal three key areas: intuitive self-service capabilities, an array of communication options, and high responsiveness.
One of the primary issues facing insurance carriers today is their technology stack doesn’t set them up to deliver a strong agent experience. As carriers prioritize growth in 2025, earning a higher share of agents’ business is critical to hitting new company targets.
The Disconnect in Insurance Agent Support
Despite the increasing availability of self-service options, agents still frequently require live assistance from carriers. In fact, agents report needing assistance from underwriting more than half of the time during the quoting process.
With nearly 80% of agents saying they are on a carrier’s portal when they need assistance, providing digital insurance agent support options directly from the portal is a must today. Forcing agents to disconnect from the digital experience and resort to traditional, time-consuming methods like emailing frustrates agents and influences their business placement decisions.
To address these challenges, carriers must embrace the concept of Unified Interaction Management (UIM). This approach involves creating a seamless support experience that allows agents to access assistance from any channel, including directly within the carrier’s portal.
Overcoming the Challenges of Introducing Digital Support
Some insurance companies don’t offer any type of digital channels for support for agents today. One of the challenges facing carriers who are weighing the option of introducing digital support is how do you staff these new channels? Adding another system for underwriters to manage is likely a primary concern for carriers.
UIM eliminates the staffing challenges and inefficiencies that bolted-on channel solutions typically cause. By having a single, unified platform for all agent-facing voice and digital channels (phone, chat, video, CoBrowsing, SMS, etc.), underwriting and agent servicing teams can manage all interactions with agents from a single interface.
Insurance Agent Support in a Digital-First World
Glia Digital Customer Service, a component of the Glia Interaction Platform, is designed to be an easy way for carriers to expand their agent support offering through their portal. The solution is a single line of Javascript that can be easily embedded into any carrier’s portal and can provide agents with many ways to interact with an agent servicing team digitally.
Here are some of the ways Glia can help carriers make it easier for agents to do business with them digitally, all through a simplified interface that also unifies all voice communications.
Enhance Portal Capabilities
Carriers can augment their agent portals with advanced communication tools such as live chat, OnScreen Voice, video, screen sharing, and CoBrowsing. These features enable agents to connect instantly with underwriting and service support without leaving the portal, creating a more streamlined experience.
Offer Channel Flexibility
Recognizing that different tasks may require different support channels, carriers can allow agents to choose their preferred method of assistance based on the specific issue at hand. For instance, live chat might be ideal for quick claim status checks, while complex tasks like discussing the risk of a submitted quote might benefit from CoBrowsing and voice support.
Implement CoBrowsing and Screen Sharing
One of the top frustrations reported by agents is the inability to screen share with support or underwriting specialists. Glia enables CoBrowsing and screen sharing capabilities for all digital interactions, without requiring underwriters to set up meetings through a third party platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This instant, real-time collaboration reduces misunderstandings and speeds up problem resolution.
Provide Instant Access to Underwriters
With nearly half of the surveyed agents reporting underwriter response times exceeding two hours, there’s a clear need for improvement. Carriers can shift interactions from notoriously slow and inefficient channels like email to real-time chat or voice that’s available from any page within the agent portal.
The Benefits of Unified Interaction Management for Agent Support
By implementing these strategies, carriers can reap numerous benefits for their insurance agent support experience:
- Improved Agent Satisfaction: A more seamless support experience leads to happier agents, increasing loyalty and the likelihood of being their preferred carrier of choice.
- Increased Efficiency: Digital-first support channels can reduce the time spent on each interaction, allowing carriers to handle more inquiries with the same resources.
- Cost Reduction: Shifting from email and phone-based support to a unified approach for voice and digital can significantly lower operational costs.
- Competitive Advantage: Carriers offering superior support will stand out in a crowded market, particularly among younger agents who prioritize ease of doing business and digital-first service.
As the insurance industry refocuses on growth in 2025, carriers that deliver a superior insurance agent support experience will be poised for success. By aligning their support offerings with agents’ preferences and needs, carriers can create a win-win situation that benefits both parties and enhances the overall efficiency of the insurance distribution channel.
Curious about how Unified Interaction Management can simplify and elevate your agent interactions? Request a demo to see it in action!
