A small business owner needs public liability insurance before starting a new contract on Monday. It is Thursday evening. They send quote requests to three brokers and also open a comparison site. By Friday lunchtime, one broker has replied with questions. The owner has already bought a policy online.
Insurance quote requests are time-sensitive. When they go cold, prospects rarely come back.
Why speed matters in insurance
Many insurance purchases have a deadline: a policy renewal date, a new contract, a new vehicle, a property purchase. Prospects cannot wait long. They also have alternatives: comparison sites, direct insurers and other brokers. A broker who responds slowly competes with options that respond instantly.
Property businesses face a similar timing problem with viewing leads, as covered in following up viewing leads before they go cold.
Why requests go cold
- They arrive in the evening or at weekends, when the office is closed
- They are missing key details, so the broker has to ask before quoting
- The prospect hears nothing and assumes the broker is not interested
- The prospect finds a quicker option elsewhere
What to capture
A broker needs different details for different cover, but most quote requests need:
- The type of cover
- When cover is needed from
- Key details of what is being insured, such as business type, property or vehicle
- Any previous claims
- The prospect's name and contact details
Capturing these at first contact lets the broker quote without a round of questions. Service businesses face the same capture challenge, as covered in AI assistant for service quotes.
Answering while the prospect is still looking
SpideyChat for insurance agencies answers questions about the broker's services from the broker's own pages at any hour and captures quote request details for the team. It does not give quotes, recommend cover or give advice.
Prospect: I need public liability insurance from Monday for my cleaning business. Assistant: The broker arranges business insurance, including public liability. So the team can prepare a quote quickly, could you share your business type, your approximate annual turnover, how many staff you have, any previous claims and the best way to reach you?
Renewal dates as opportunities
Many prospects contact a broker a few weeks before an existing policy renews, after receiving a renewal price they do not like. Asking for the renewal date at first contact tells the broker how much time there is and allows them to prioritise. It also creates a natural reminder for next year, when the same customer may be comparing again.
Replying well
A reply that arrives early the next morning, with a quote or a clear question, often wins against a comparison site. The free AI reply generator can help draft a starting point, which the broker should then personalise.
Testing before you rely on it
Before going live, test the assistant with the quote requests you receive most, and check that it captures every detail you need. The approach is covered in how to test your chatbot before going live.
Other businesses with urgent quotes
Moving companies deal with similarly time-bound quote requests, as covered in AI receptionist for moving companies. The lesson carries across: capture completely, reply fast.
First steps for a brokerage
List the details you need for your three most common quote types, make sure your website explains what you offer, and let prospects leave full details at any hour. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or see what can be captured on the features page.