By Conor Moran, Assistant Vice President – Commercial Lines
Onboarding is a buzzword that’s been circulating for some time. It relates to the process of getting a new client up and running. However, it is far more involved than simply bringing them “on board” and covers a much wider spectrum of activities. The importance of the proper client onboarding process cannot be overstated. Here are there positives of a proper client onboarding:
Having Your Support Team Come Out to the Client
Having your account manager, risk manager and claims rep come out to the client’s facility is a great way to start the onboarding process. It gives the support staff a chance to see the client’s facility and further understand their operation. Most importantly, the team gets to meet the client face to face. Establishing a relationship in person, instead of just through the phone or email, is an important step. The client will appreciate that the full team has come out and introduced themselves and their roles to support what the client needs.
Defined Roles and Game Plan
It is important to have a structured onboarding. Having each of your team members introduce themselves and their capabilities in their roles is essential. For example, when the topic of how our claims process works, our claims rep will walk the client through it. The claims rep will also establish that they are the primary point of contact for any claims questions. This way the client knows exactly what to do and who to contact when a claim is filed. Just as important, the client isn’t relying on the producer for questions and concerns that the support staff can help answer.
Managing Your Client’s Expectations
Now that your team members have personally introduced themselves and their roles, you have given your client a clear idea of what is expected from your team. There shouldn’t be any grey areas on what team members are responsible for. All the processes and services have been clearly communicated to the client.
Use a Formal Onboarding Process to Create Future Success
Getting the onboarding process right is a very important step to creating future success. Oftentimes in insurance, business owners are unsure what the process of claims and risk management entail. They rely on the producer to take care of all questions and concerns, not realizing they have a full team ready to help them! Giving the client clarity and peace of mind will surely make them happy. Use a formalized onboarding process to impress clients with your company’s organization and professionalism.
