How can you improve your relationship with a difficult insurance client?

Debemos asumir que detrás de cada queja existe una necesidad legítima insatisfecha. Nuestro trabajo es indagar con empatía para descubrirla. Muchas veces descubrimos que la raíz son brechas de conocimiento o ansiedades previas no resueltas. Una vez identificadas, podemos reeducar y tranquilizar proactivamente a futuros clientes.

In my opinion the first step has to do with your own attitude and perspective, our role is to provide a service and advice. Understanding this role and how your clients understand your relationship will help to be in a mindset to listen and try to understand your clients needs and perspectives. Humanity in general has a tendancy for competition and this can sometimes create an ego that will impeed our ability to view things from other perspectives.

In my experience, best way to handle difficult customers is assign permanent Account rep who will respond to all their queries with empathy and be available when they need them.

This shouldn't be an issue, if your not operating under this modis your already behind the curve. Try to remember the Tolec principle of "Take nothing personally", often times people will take their frustration and stress out of those people they feel are beneath them or even just around and a target. I try to take a step back, listen and if needed I have even suggested that we take a break and circle back to discuss later. A little space can help to bridge the gap, and if it doesn't then you can move on to assist your next client.

You can always set the tone of the conversation. Stay professional, and do not reply to rude or unreasonable comments, instead stay on topic and try to resolve the issue at hand. Taking things personally can change your logical response to an emotional one, and no one wants that!

Con clientes altamente emotivos, debemos primero permitirles desahogarse sin interrupción. Escucha reflexiva es clave antes de entablar la lógica. Esto evita escalamiento. Luego enfócate en buscar soluciones, no culpables. Alinea intereses compartidos para co-crear salidas donde todos ganen.

La frecuencia óptima depende de cada cliente. Por eso asignar ejecutivo único que aprenda sus preferencias es más efectivo que reglas rígidas para todos. Utilizar tecnología puede hacer este proceso más sencillo. Por ejemplo, buscar sistemas de ventas, de productividad, o CRMs que permitan interacciones personalizadas es esencial para incrementar retención y ventas cruzadas.

Check in regularly. People are sometimes afraid to ask questions and frustration builds up. A simple "how's it going?" once a month or two months will go a long way!

Sometimes winning on the price is not necessarily the best thing for the client. Sometimes the client needs a risk manager rather than a broker to make sure they have coverage for a portion of the risk that was previously overlooked. For these and a slew of other reasons, it is very important to establish and maintain a relationship based on transparency and realistic expectations rather than initial happiness and coming off as impressive, but falling short when the time comes to deliver the harsh news.

Establishing clear boundaries and expectations in your professional relationship is crucial for smooth collaboration. Effective communication ensures a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities, minimizing potential conflicts. Regular updates and a transparent approach will contribute to a positive and productive working relationship.

Los límites nutren la relación. Pero deben comunicarse asertivamente, no imponerse autoritariamente. Sugiero usar un "contrato" informal que defina compromisos, canales y tiempos de ambas partes. Esto alinea mutuamente sin someter. Revisarlo juntos cuando surjan desvíos previene conflictos.

Cuidado de sobre-preguntar luego de cada interacción. Esto cansa al cliente. Mejor crear rituales periódicos de co-evaluación de la relación para tener una vista panorámica.

I had a client who was being a challenge to say the least, he would call at odd hours and leave very angry messages about me not answering his calls. When I tried to call him back he would not answer and then return the call in the late evening or at a very early hour of 5am. I decided to make my self available for him at those early hours and we were able to connect, turned out he was managing some work with major issues and nothing was going as it needed to so he was very stressed out and frustrated and I was just a person he could expell that on. We had a frank discussion and I let him know that I understood the challenges of working in conditions like that and I offered to be a sounding board, he just needed to let me know first.