This article was written by Jason Keck and originally published by Agency Nation.

Think of the most memorable experiences in your life. The ones that surprised you, excited you and possibly even scared you. You know, the ones that changed you and the way you see the world.

Those are experiences you remember.

Customer experience is more than product user experience – it’s about powerful human emotions.

It’s product UX combined with real human interaction and how that makes you feel when it’s all over.

But in the world of insurance, customer experience lags behind.

A handshake and a meal is almost always followed by additional hours of paperwork and filling out forms by hand. It’s only now that the “robots” are starting to come for the insurance industry.

As with other industries, AI will undoubtedly prove to be a positive industry influence – great products like Knotes & Datacubes are starting to gain traction.

I’d even go as far to say that it will improve data privacy and security since computers, not people, are seeing information.

But if the automation process introduces access to information, which wasn’t previously there, companies need to be clear on how they are protecting information.

Here are four tips to elevate customer experience without entirely surrendering to the robot army, and a few companies that are already getting it right.

Be a Transparent Resource

Don’t just deliver a product or service – explain to your customers how you got to the end result.

Maintaining a company blog as an extension of your website is a great way to feature content that’s relevant to customers and the industry.

They’ll appreciate the learning process and develop trust with you as a provider.

Give your customers information. There’s nothing worse than feeling in the dark about something.

Keep them up to date on progress and set their expectations on delivery, whether it be through direct email or a more widespread message via social media channels.

Go Mobile

Meet your customers where they are.

Smartphones now capture two-thirds of US digital media time, meaning if you’re not available via a mobile device you’re missing out on a lot of potential exposure to customers.

Start simple by optimizing your website for mobile and being active on social media.

Create a Customer Journey

As you’re filtering potential customers through the sales funnel, identify key moments to make them feel special.

Mapping out the customer journey down to the last detail will enhance the onboarding process and minimize the need for troubleshooting via telephone or email.

A referral program offering perks and bonuses based on milestones is a great way to create brand loyalty and in effect, increase retention and repeat purchases.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

Many argue that AI, chatbots and self-service technologies increase efficiency by freeing up valuable employee time – and I’m all for it.

But those technologies should be used to automate repetitive tasks and enhance existing service, not replace it entirely.

As a customer, I see them as useful when they give me the answers I need because they allow me to work on my own time.

The problem is there’s almost always a roadblock, leading the customer to a dead end without an easy way to connect directly with a real person.

Although the application and renewal process takes place online, our agency clients can chat real-time with our customer success team and their clients can leave notes and comments in an application to get help from their brokers on confusing questions.

The end result is increased efficiency, deeper trust and more time that can be reinvested in growing your business.