“I think everyone’s expectation of what they can achieve via digital has increased.”
Those were the words of Andy Jamieson (pictured) when Insurance Business caught up with the Advisr co-founder and chief executive, who shares the sentiment of many that the COVID-19 crisis has pushed people to change in different ways. Brokers are no exception.
Very much a people business, insurance broking has had to adapt quickly amid our pandemic-stricken state. The more traditional, and often less technologically inclined, brokers perhaps would not have even considered changing their ways if not for the need to continue operating under the current circumstances.
“Every brokerage in the last 12 months has felt the need to do more in digital, because they just can’t connect with customers in a way they did historically,” said Jamieson. “And new customers are doing more and more in digital to find a broker, too. I think the brokers have stepped up and their customers have shifted as well.”
Jamieson stressed, though, that digital is just part of the bigger picture.
He told Insurance Business: “I think we’ll have a hybrid sort of experience. I think everyone’s expectation of what they can achieve via digital has increased, and so people are more comfortable doing a lot more things. And we see that, through our chatbot and the questions people ask - they’re a lot more open in how they want to engage.
“We see brokers and their desire to be innovative, forward-thinking, and customer-centric in this space, but we don’t think it’s the only channel or that it works independently. It forms part of the whole mix.”
