Let me start with a story that might sound familiar.
About six months ago, a long-time client—let’s call her Jessica—walked into her insurer’s local branch, documents in hand, ready to update her home insurance policy. As she sat down, she slid her phone across the table and said, “I started this online last night, but got stuck.” Her expectation? That the process could pick up seamlessly from where she left off, without having to start over or repeat information. This wasn’t an IT support question. It was about wanting her entire experience to feel, well, easy—no lost time, no confusion.
The insurer later brought this situation to us during a project review, sharing their frustration: Despite investing in digital tools, their branch and online systems simply weren’t speaking to each other. This example, they explained, wasn’t an isolated incident—but a recurring pain point they were hearing more and more from policyholders.
Sound familiar? Jessica’s story isn’t unique—it’s one we hear consistently from the insurers and MGAs we meet with. Here’s the reality: insurance customer experiences like Jessica’s aren’t outliers; they’ve become the standard. Delivering seamless experiences that connect digital interactions with human touchpoints through integrated insurance systems is no longer a competitive advantage but the norm, and our industry has to catch up, fast.
A decade ago, digital and physical operations in insurance ran on parallel tracks: a website here, a local branch there, and a toll-free number in the middle. That model worked—right up until it didn’t.
Recent numbers make it crystal clear: a major survey by GITNER in 2025 found that over 60% of policyholders prefer managing policies through digital channels, but—here’s the twist - they still value local expertise when managing more complex situations. In other words, convenience and expertise are no longer trade-offs in insurance customer experiences; they’re baselines.
When policyholders start a process online and contact your office, they aren’t interacting with a “digital customer” or an “in-person customer.” They see Jessica—the same woman with a home, a story, and needs on both sides of the screen. If your systems aren’t talking, or your staff can't pivot from digital to in-person with ease, frustration builds—even if your team is working hard behind the scenes.
Insurance leaders often pride themselves on digital investment. In 2024, 85% of U.S. insurers said they'd accelerated their digital transformation post-pandemic. But there’s a critical gap: only 43% reported that their digital and in-person processes were fully integrated, meaning customer data, claims, and service histories move frictionlessly between channels. The direct impact on retention is clear: insurers with unified journeys see retention rates averaging 81%, compared to 64% among those still juggling siloed systems.
81% of insurers report a significant increase in customer retention when they implement integrated insurance systems with personalized services—an outcome directly tied to integrating both physical and digital channels effectively - Forrester Study
Here’s a real-world example of an omnichannel customer strategy, effective in conception but not in execution. A Midwest carrier tried launching a new mobile claims app but failed to connect it with their call center database. Customers could file claims online, but when they called in for status updates, agents couldn’t instantly access their digital claim info. The result? NPS scores dropped 11 points in three months, and over 20% of claimants said they'd consider switching to a carrier with better digital-human coordination. Net Promoter Score is the likelihood of a customer recommending an insurer based on their claims experience.
Integrated Insurance systems aren’t a feature anymore—it’s a necessity.
Let’s talk money—yours and your clients'.
Omnichannel customers are worth more. Phone calls remain highly valuable in insurance, with higher conversion and retention, but these often spin off from web interactions.
According to Invoca (which cites Forrester), insurance phone calls yield 28% higher retention rates and convert 30% faster than only web leads. Why? Because they get the right balance of speed and trust, digital convenience with local expertise.
Operationally, integration chops costs. Fully integrating your digital and physical channels, according to Bain & Company, can lead to up to 20% cost reductions in policy servicing and claims administration. This is because agents spend less time re-keying data or clarifying confusion, and more time adding value.
In short, the future of insurance isn’t “either/or.” It’s “both/and.”
Let’s be honest: getting everyone on the same digital page is a tall order, especially for legacy carriers with deep roots.
Tech Debt:
Older core systems don’t always talk nice with shiny new digital tools. Fixing this isn’t just an IT project—it’s an enterprise transformation. Legacy infrastructure often blocks real-time data sharing and flexible workflows, making it challenging to unify online, in-person, and phone customer touchpoints. Open APIs and cloud integration can help to bridge that gap. Industry reports confirm that a growing majority of insurers recognize the urgency: many are prioritizing cloud-based customer data platforms to overcome silos
Agent Buy-In
Some agents have worried that digital tools might undermine relationships or their own role. The reality? Agents who embrace digital augmentation spend less time on data entry and more time advising clients, precisely what builds loyalty. Many carriers now include instant “schedule a call” or “chat with my agent” buttons throughout their digital journey. Over 50% of digitally-initiated insurance inquiries are now handled this way.
Many carriers now include instant “schedule a call” or “chat with my agent” buttons throughout their digital journey. Over 50% of digitally-initiated insurance inquiries are now handled this way.
Training & Culture
Integration isn’t just about tech. It’s about retraining staff to treat digital and in-person service as parts of the same journey. Forward-thinking carriers are rolling out continuous training that blends soft skills (empathy, listening) with digital literacy.
Here’s what may surprise you: as digital gets better, the value of a great agent only increases. Gen Z and millennials—who’ll make up nearly half of U.S. insurance customers within three years—trust online resources for research. But when it’s time to buy, or when something goes wrong, 72% say they want a real person to lean on.
Touchless claims, AI-driven policy recommendations, instant underwriting using connected home and car data—these are not future dreams. They’re today’s battleground. And every improvement in digital–physical coordination increases speed, slashes operational overhead, and, most critically, keeps customers feeling known and valued.
The catch? If your office can’t finish what your app started, or your team can’t see the full picture, you might not get another shot. Bricks and clicks aren’t rivals—they’re teammates. And bringing them together isn’t just smart. It’s essential.
Ready to break down the walls in your business? The best time was yesterday. The second-best time is right now. Connect with the SimpleSolve team to discover how our AI-driven P&C insurance platform, SimpleINSPIRE, can seamlessly integrate your digital and physical channels.