Introduction
When policyholders want to get hold of their agent or broker, 61% reach for the phone first (1). If nobody picks up, the contact is lost. That goes for customers, but just as much for agencies, brokers and other sales partners.
Part 1 of this series looked at how easily customers can reach you, and Part 2 at how to free up time for bank advisers. Part 3 turns to insurance, where being reachable matters for more than customer satisfaction: it shapes your relationships with agencies, brokers and sales partners too. AI voice agents deal with customer queries straight away, support intermediaries and help you build sales relationships proactively. Three use cases show where that makes a difference day to day.
Why reachability has become a bottleneck in insurance sales
Personal service is still one of the biggest drivers of success in insurance sales. Whether it’s a claim, a question about a policy or a query from a broker, customers and partners expect a quick answer from a real person.
Availability is shrinking while demand holds steady. 44% of working people want to reach their intermediary before 9 a.m., and 28% after 6 p.m. Only one in two intermediaries is available before 9 a.m. (1). At the same time, the number of registered intermediaries fell by 2,970 to 178,791 in 2025 (2). There are no fewer customers than before, but each one gets less of their intermediary’s time.
For a wider view of how voice agents work with end customers, agencies, brokers and broker managers, see our article on Voice Agents 2026.
Use case 1: Answering customer calls while the agent is in a meeting
An insurance agent is in a meeting with a client. Another customer rings to report a claim, ask about their policy or request a certificate. The agent can’t advise and answer the phone at the same time, so the call goes to voicemail. That means a call-back later, or the customer simply tries again. The result: missed contacts, extra call-back work and needless waiting.
If you read Part 2, this will sound familiar. In an agency it hurts more, because behind many of these calls is a claim, and that’s the moment that decides whether a customer feels properly looked after.
The AI voice agent takes the call:
- It listens to the customer’s query straight away.
- It answers simple questions about policies and premiums.
- It helps with claim notifications and service requests.
- It deals with suitable requests directly in the connected policy system.
- It hands more complex cases to the agent, with the full background.
How it works: Instead of reaching voicemail, the customer speaks to the voice agent. It works out what the call is about: a claim, a change to a policy, a question about a premium or a request for a call-back. For simple queries, it pulls up the customer and policy details and handles the request itself. If the customer needs personal advice, the agent captures the key points and passes them to the intermediary in a clear, structured form. The intermediary can carry on with the meeting undisturbed and then move on to the next customer.
The voice agent takes the call, the intermediary stays in the meeting, and no contact is lost without good reason.
Use case 2: Reaching out to existing customers, so annual reviews don’t slip
In insurance sales, service doesn’t end when the policy is sold. Annual reviews need to be booked, policies nearing renewal need attention and customers need regular contact. In a busy working week, there’s rarely time for all of it.
The demand is there. According to the Continentale study 2025, 58% of customers who deal with an intermediary want an annual review, yet only 42% of intermediaries offer one. What customers want and what they actually get are some way apart.
The AI voice agent contacts existing customers proactively:
- It books annual review appointments.
- It reminds customers when a policy is due to expire.
- It picks up cross-selling and upselling opportunities.
- It arranges call-backs and advisory appointments.
- It prepares the relevant information for the intermediary.
How it works: An annual review is due, or a policy is coming up for renewal. The voice agent tells the customer why it’s calling, asks whether they’d like to speak to an adviser and helps find a time. If the customer has questions or would prefer a personal conversation, the agent notes the details for the intermediary. The intermediary can focus on the conversation itself while the agent takes care of the arrangements.
Customer care shifts from reacting to enquiries to reaching out across the existing book: more customer contact, more opportunities to advise and more time to sell.
Use case 3: Spotting a broker’s falling submissions before the relationship is lost
Brokers expect quick answers from insurers too, whether it’s about an application, the status of a policy, a commission statement or a product. Broker managers often look after dozens, sometimes hundreds, of brokers, so individual attention is hard to come by.
It becomes a real problem when a broker’s submissions start to fall and nobody notices for a long time. The relationship cools before the insurer has had a chance to react. At msg, we call this pattern submission erosion.
Submission erosion
A broker’s new business gradually moves to other insurers, long before the broker formally ends the relationship.
The AI voice agent supports brokers and broker managers:
- It answers questions about commission, application status and products.
- It keeps communication flowing between broker and insurer.
- It shares news on product launches, training and activation campaigns.
- It draws on connected analytics to flag changes in submission patterns.
- It alerts broker managers when something needs their attention.
How it works: A broker rings to check the status of an application or a commission statement. The voice agent takes the query and provides what it can from the connected systems. If submissions have been falling for several months, the connected system picks up the submission erosion early. The agent then alerts the responsible broker manager, who can reach out in a targeted way. On the move, the broker manager can ask by voice about open cases, recent submissions or complaints.
What used to be a large number of loosely managed relationships becomes focused, data-driven support. The insurer acts before the business has gone.
Aus vielen Vertriebsbeziehungen wird eine gezielte, datenbasierte Betreuung. Der Versicherer handelt, bevor Geschäft verloren geht.
msg.Hello in action
msg.Hello is a voice AI platform for natural spoken conversation. It integrates with telephony, CRM and policy systems. Used together with the BSI Customer Suite and msg.Maklermanagement, it can draw on customer and sales partner data to handle queries in a targeted way and prompt timely follow-up from the sales team.
What you need in place: data, consent and metrics
A voice agent is only as good as the data behind it. Without a 360-degree view of the customer, it will be asked questions it can’t answer. For outbound calls to consumers, the rules on cold calling apply (§ 7 UWG, the German Unfair Competition Act), and customers must be told that they’re speaking to an AI.
Track success with three measures: first-contact resolution rate, the booking rate for annual reviews and how quickly the broker manager responds to an early-warning signal.
Conclusion
There is potential in both directions, with customers and with partners.
Inbound: Someone who rings has a problem now, not in three days. Calls from customers and partners no longer go to voicemail; they get help straight away.
Outbound: The AI can also take the initiative, in all sorts of situations:
- With customers, when questions come up after a consultation.
- With brokers who aren’t currently producing business, or whose submission patterns are changing.
The AI handles the first conversation and books the appointment, so your sales team can pick it up in person from there.
