Customer Access

24-hour service takes the 'in' out of inconvenience

Whether you just put the kids to bed and begin scouring the Internet trying to find the best rate on auto insurance or purchased a new vehicle over the weekend and need to bind coverage before driving it off the lot, late night shopping sprees and impulse buys always seem to occur at the most inconvenient time.

And the truth is, for many people, inconvenience is something they just have to live with. But for State Farm® policyholders and potential customers, convenient, 24-hour customer access is available by phone, online or by simply visiting an agent’s office.

The goal of Customer Access is to connect agents with more customers and make it as easy and convenient as possible for consumers to do business with State Farm, particularly with regard to quoting and purchasing auto insurance.

Customer Access offers customers the best of all worlds, by improving the customer experience online, by phone and connecting them to State Farm agents. 

Convenience by phone

It can be frustrating to call a business after hours, only to reach a voice recording saying a live person can’t be reached until regular business hours the following day.

At State Farm®, customers who call a participating agent’s office outside of normal business hours can choose an option for an auto quote. Customers who choose this option are connected with a specially-trained and licensed Quote and Bind representative who can provide a quote and even bind coverage by phone.

Currently, After Hours Quote and Bind is active in 23 jurisdictions, serving 69 percent of agent offices throughout the United States. It will be live in most jurisdictions by the end of 2007. Customers who come to State Farm through this access point are assigned to the participating agent’s office they initially called for servicing and multi-line opportunities.

Customers tell State Farm they’re pleased with the after-hours experience.  Ninety-three percent of callers rate their overall experience as excellent or good, and many agents who follow up on after-hours leads are finding opportunities to help these new customers with their additional insurance and financial services needs.

“Customer Access is about understanding our customers’ preferences and habits for researching and purchasing auto insurance,” said Craig Allen, Vice President Agency at Corporate. “Through extensive interviews with agents, employees, and consumers, State Farm is constantly looking for ways to build capabilities that are easy for customers.  This will allow us to grow our business, while weaving Customer Access into the fabric of our organization.”

Convenience online

Industry research has shown that 30 percent of consumers shopped for insurance online in 2005. Research has also shown that Web sites are the second most common access point to get an auto insurance quote, with 31 percent of shoppers using it to get a quote. 

Now ask yourself, Is online convenience really that important to State Farm® customers?

The answer is a resounding YES! Through 2006, nearly 2.6 million auto quotes were completed online through statefarm.com®. Of that group, more than 191,000 inquiries were forwarded to agents by customers. These numbers are more than double the number State Farm did in 2003. Through the combination of completing the purchase online or in an agent’s office, State Farm issued more than 40,000 policies from those inquiries. That is a one-in-five close rate.

Results have shown that a majority of customers who shop online are part of the youthful market (ages 18-39) – a critical component of State Farm’s continued growth.  Most online customers are new to State Farm as well, having switched to State Farm from Progressive®, GEICO® or Allstate®. 

Much of the success of State Farm’s online Customer Access work can be attributed to several enhancements made to statefarm.com in 2006 and earlier. Statefarm.com currently provides auto, renters, long-term care, condo, health and life quotes. 

After a customer obtains a quote, they can also opt to electronically send their quote to an agent for more information or to have an agent follow up with them. 

“In today’s world, we need more ways to reach customers. That’s why we’re using call centers and the Internet to help extend State Farm’s high touch in a high-tech way,” said Ann Baughan, Vice President of Enterprise Internet Solutions. 

“State Farm’s goal remains that whatever avenue customers use to contact State Farm, they still want personal service and a relationship they can count on. Our customers’ ability to communicate with their agent – regardless of their method of contacting us – is critical,” said Baughan.