How Insurance Customers Want to Communicate

For years, insurers focused on optimizing individual communication channels.

• Should we invest in phone?
• Should we add live chat?
• Do customers want email or text messaging?

Today, those questions miss the bigger opportunity.

Insurance customer communication preferences are no longer centered around one channel. Customers simply want the easiest way to accomplish whatever they're trying to do. Sometimes that's a phone call. Sometimes it's a text message. Sometimes it's email or chat.

What matters isn't the channel itself. It's whether the experience is fast, convenient and consistent from beginning to end.

How Do Customers Want Companies to Reach Out to Them?

When businesses initiate communication, consumers generally prefer channels they can respond to on their own schedule.

Research from Opinium¹ found that Americans most prefer hearing from companies through email, television advertising, social media and text messaging. Phone calls ranked lower, although nearly one third of consumers still said they like hearing from businesses by phone.

One reason is simple. Consumers have become increasingly cautious about answering unfamiliar numbers.

A YouGov² survey found that only 5% of Americans always answer calls from unknown numbers, while 42% say they never do.

For insurers, that means outbound communication often requires multiple touchpoints. A text message, email or portal notification may be more effective than relying on a single phone call.

‍How Do Customers Want to Reach Companies?

The conversation changes completely when customers initiate contact. A phone call is no longer an interruption. It's often the fastest path to getting help.

According to YouGov³, the telephone remains Americans' preferred method for contacting customer service. Thirty five percent of respondents selected phone, more than any other communication channel.

That shouldn't be surprising.

Insurance questions are often personal, financially significant or time sensitive. Whether someone needs to report a claim, understand coverage or update a policy, speaking with someone often feels easier than navigating multiple screens or forms.

That doesn't mean other channels are becoming less important.

Text messaging continues to gain popularity, particularly among younger consumers. Fox News⁴ reported that nine out of 10 members of Generation Z would rather text than talk on the phone.

At the same time, text messaging has become mainstream among older adults as well. According to AARP⁵, smartphone ownership among adults age 50 and older increased from 55% in 2016 to 90% in 2025, with texting now their most frequently used communication method.

The takeaway is clear.

Insurance customer communication preferences are expanding, not replacing one another.

What If Customers Want to Switch Channels?

Offering multiple communication channels is no longer enough. Customers expect those channels to work together.

Imagine a policyholder calling to report an auto accident.

During the conversation, they learn they can upload photos of the damage using their phone. They switch to text or a mobile portal to send images.

From the customer's perspective, the conversation should simply continue. They shouldn't have to explain the accident again. They shouldn't have to repeat their policy number. They shouldn't have to start over because they changed channels.

Customers don't think in terms of phone systems, mobile apps and customer relationship management platforms. They simply expect one conversation.

‍What Leads to Insurance Customer Frustration?

Insurance customer communication preferences differ from person to person, but frustrations are remarkably consistent. Customers become frustrated when communication feels slow, disconnected or unnecessarily complicated.

Ask yourself:

• Are communication options easy to find and understand?
• Can customers choose the channel that's most convenient for them?
• Are wait times consistently short?
• Do customers have to repeat information after transfers or channel changes?
• Does every interaction feel like part of one continuous conversation?

Customers don't judge insurers based on whether they offer enough channels. They judge them based on how easy it is to get help.

How Can Insurance Companies Meet Modern Expectations?

Meeting today's expectations requires more than adding another communication channel. It requires connecting every interaction.

That's where AI is changing customer service.

Insurance native AI can engage customers across phone, text, email and digital channels while maintaining context throughout the conversation. Instead of treating each interaction as a separate event, AI helps create one connected customer experience regardless of how the conversation begins or where it continues.

Liberate's insurance native AI agents support sales, policy servicing and claims operations while integrating directly with core insurance systems. They can answer questions, authenticate customers, complete transactions and orchestrate work across multiple systems without forcing customers to repeat themselves or wait for assistance.

Customers don't care whether they're speaking by phone, responding to a text message or sending an email. They care that getting help is easy.

The insurers that win won't necessarily offer the most communication channels. They'll offer the most connected experience.

Sources:

1. https://www.opinium.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/What-Consumers-Want-Preferred-Channel-Trends_Model-B-Opinium_2021.pdf
2. https://yougov.com/en-us/daily-results/20260216-68bd3-3
3. https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/51802-how-americans-prefer-to-contact-businesses-for-customer-service
4. https://www.foxnews.com/media/gen-z-opting-texting-due-phobia-phone-calls-research-reveals
5. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/technology/internet-media-devices/2026-technology-trends-older-adults/