Carriers have invested heavily in modernizing claims operations over the past several years — shorter processing times, cleaner workflows, better communication. But why aren't conversions ticking up?
Empathy partnered with LIMRA Applied Research Solutions to find out,
Payment speed had no statistically significant effect on that impression. Neither did contact frequency. What actually moves the needle are the hallmarks of relationship-building: communication quality, clarity of instructions, compassion from staff, and a single dependable point of contact. Carriers that delivered on those dimensions were remembered and chosen again.
The moment a claim is settled is when the real need begins. In the six to twelve months following a loss, the average beneficiary is navigating probate, estate settlement, financial restructuring, and grief — often simultaneously. These are families who are overwhelmed and in emotionally complex territory. But this isn't the moment for carriers to disengage. In fact, families are hoping this is when they lean in.
The delivery gap is stark: eighty-six percent of beneficiaries wanted assistance with paperwork after their claim was settled; only 33% received it. Eighty-five percent wanted a dedicated support coordinator; 37% got one. Eighty-one percent wanted emotional wellness support; 24% received anything close to it.
Just because the transaction is marked complete doesn't
Beneficiaries are not walking away
One of the most persistent assumptions in this industry is that beneficiaries want to be left alone after the payout — that further outreach is intrusive or poorly timed. The research is unambiguous about how wrong that is, actually: 96% of beneficiaries say they are open to post-claim communication. And 87% prefer to keep engaging with the same agent or representative who handled their claim.
What beneficiaries don't want is outreach that offers nothing of substance. Fifty percent said clear information about available resources would have encouraged more engagement. About half said access to personalized financial and emotional support would have done the same. The preference is for practical, relevant support tied to the challenges they are actively navigating — and carriers are uniquely positioned to deliver it.
The commercial case
Among beneficiaries who were not "very satisfied" with their claims experience, a better experience would have made 78% more likely to recommend the carrier and 71% more likely to purchase a policy. Even among those who were very satisfied, 90% said a better experience would have driven a recommendation, and 82% said it would have influenced a purchase.
Families talk — they refer siblings to advisors, recommend carriers to adult children, and often purchase their own policies for the first time in the year following a loss, when life insurance becomes real in a way it never was before. It's access to this
Three principles for closing the gap
Insurance companies get a bad rap for being old-school, but they're actually doing an incredible job leveraging tech to create a smooth,
Start before the claim is filed. Sixty-eight percent of claimants had contact with the insurer before submitting a claim, and among those who hadn't, 71% said it would have been helpful. Pre-claim helpfulness is an independent predictor of post-claim perception. The carriers who invest in early, proactive engagement arrive at the moment of loss with trust already established.
Respect the emotional arc. Grief is not linear, and neither is a beneficiary's capacity to absorb information. Light-touch confirmation in the early days. Introduce deeper engagement — financial planning resources, estate guidance, product discussions — 30 to 60 days after payout, when families are more ready to receive it. Carriers that compress everything into the claims window will continue to see strong satisfaction scores and weak conversion.
Lead with quality over quantity. Contact frequency had no statistically significant effect on post-claim perception. Relevance did. Every interaction should be responsive to what a family is actually navigating.
The carriers that get this right will do more than improve retention: they will build the kind of relationship that extends across generations, grounded in the experience of being genuinely supported through one of life's hardest chapters.
