3 ways brokers can boost customer service
Learning more about clients’ personal situations goes a long way toward providing Tier 1 customer service, say 84% of respondents to Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 National Broker Survey.
That’s consistent with the percentage of brokers favouring the tactic over the past five survey years and both women and men responding to this year’s survey gave the same percentage response (84%).
Demonstrating the personal touch means “properly educating [clients] on their own insurance needs in an way that is easy for them to understand,” says a verbatim answer from a newer broker from a large firm.
Another who’s mid-career at a smaller brokerage advises his peers to “demonstrate knowledge of the product, the market segment, the insurance companies who specialize in this segment, and the key underwriters involved in decision making.”
People with 16 or fewer years in the business were most likely to delve into customers’ personal situations (86%), compared to veterans (79%). And brokers at mid-sized firms with between 20 and 99 employees (88%) and those at the largest brokerages (87%) are most likely ask for lots of specifics, compared with those at small firms (80%).
Related: Brokers reveal their preferred ways to communicate with clients
Intervening personally during the claims process is the second-most popular tactic, with 65% of brokers in this year’s survey saying it improves customer service. But fewer brokers seem to be employing the strategy each year. Sixty-eight percent said they did it in 2024’s survey, while 74% reported doing claims intervention in 2023.
Brokers have told CU this year that they are struggling with insurer responses to their claim queries, particularly on behalf of commercial clients. In some instances, the clients have access to online claims information through a company portal, but brokers do not have that same portal access.
Men responding to the National Broker Survey rate direct involvement with claims (72%) more highly than women (62%). And it’s most popular with veteran brokers with 31 or more years of experience (82%) and those at mid-sized firms with 20 to 99 employees (73%).
Another 59% of 2025 respondents say they often refer their clients to “information and other resources” – a number that’s statistically steady over the past five years, and favoured equally by women and men. Brokers who’ve been in the business for 16 to 30 years (74%) and those at mid-sized firms (65%) are most likely to use the tactic.
Related: How brokers can boost their value proposition
Personally telling clients to contact them directly after working hours resonates with 50% of brokers in 2025’s survey. That’s above last year’s 44% but still below the 56% total seen in 2023 and the 57% recorded in 2021.
A verbatim response from a newer broker stresses the value of not being a 9-to-5 communicator and responding as soon as possible to client questions. “I am happy to help clients, and answer questions or respond in my off hours if I can,” she says.
A higher percentage of men answering the survey (63%) say they offer after hours contacts than women (39%). It’s also more common among mid-career brokers (59%) and by those at mid-sized firms (60%).
Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 National Broker Survey was fielded between Jan. 22 and Feb. 20 with 165 responses. For several questions, brokers could choose multiple answers, so totals will not always equal 100%. The survey is supported by Sovereign Insurance.
