Are you seeking to streamline the claim-making process, but unsure where to start? Are you struggling to keep up with your competitors, and looking to boost efficiency? Are you concerned by the emergence of instant gratification in business interactions, and determined not to be left in the dust? In this episode, we’re very pleased to be speaking with James Brown, CEO of Smart Communications. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, he explains the profound importance of great customer experience in order to accelerate your provision of insurance solutions, and to boost client retention. He suggests that while his company offers bespoke, software-based solutions, face-to-face communications will never cease to fuel high-quality customer experiences, and by providing a combination of both, businesses can stay ahead of the market.   Quote of the Episode ‘You should never ask the question of somebody that you should already know the answer to.’ James Brown argues that, when it comes to customer solutions, if a computer can do something you’re unable to, you should let it. The software offered by his business, Smart Communications, will locate all the necessary, publicly available data about a client to initiate the claims making process, and any remaining data will be inputted by the customer themselves. Consequently, the customer journey is simplified from the very start, which is essential for business growth and client retention. James suggests that any potential for customer frustration should be nipped in the bud, as ‘the vast majority of consumers out there have changed provider as a result of bad customer experience’. Key Takeaways In 2021, customers do not want to endure painstakingly slow and repetitious phone conversations with rudimentary robot data-collectors in order to make a claim. If a competitor is offering face-to-face consultations, or a wider range of digital solutions, customers will naturally switch to their cover. To prevent this, you should aim to optimise the available channels at your disposal, to guarantee that the most efficient and effective process is taking place during each stage of the customer journey. James clarifies that while a digital interface is often very important and useful, there are certain points in the customer journey that require a human-to-human interaction. Take care to ensure that when integrating digitised processes, either for data collection, customer feedback, and so on, they are employed at points during the customer journey when it is most fastidious to do so. Efficiency is key. We have all become highly accustomed to the Amazon experience, particularly throughout the COVID period. Our demands can be fulfilled with just the click of a button, and soon, James anticipates, this mentality will be transferred to various other businesses and industries. As Sarah suggests, we will soon want all our business procedures to be ‘frictionless, on my terms, on my time scale, and yesterday, please’. In the years to come, Artificial Intelligence will undoubtedly transform business efficiency and remove the human element from various procedures. However, the primary shift that James anticipates across various industries is towards great customer engagement via a wide range of communication means.   Best Moments/Key Quotes ‘Make sure that we think about how you avoid those interminable loops that can cause real customer frustration, and ultimately, customer churn.’ “’Our focus is very much on optimising the channel… it could be anything from human-to-human interaction, right the way through to an SMS, and optimising the channel for the appropriate points in the customer journey. And there are clearly going to be points where the only way to achieve the end result is to have human to human interaction.” “The new battleground for every business that we work with, is great customer engagement and great customer e