Insurance Broker Software Support and Customer Success
Why Customer Success Matters in Insurance Broker Software
Insurance broker software can streamline processes, improve visibility and reduce administration. But the technology is only one part of the relationship. Brokers also need clear communication, effective onboarding, accessible training and responsive support from people who understand how their businesses work.
To explore why customer success matters, we spoke with Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral, about onboarding, communication and how client feedback helps shape the platform.
That need for human support is reflected across the wider insurance market. Aviva's July 2026 Broker Barometer found that 96% of brokers consider Business Development Managers important to their success, with 44% describing them as essential. Strong relationship management was among the most valued aspects of BDM support, selected by 42% of respondents, while 40% valued the knowledge, training and education they provide.
The same principle applies to the relationship between a brokerage and its software provider. A broker management system may sit at the centre of day-to-day operations, but its long-term value depends partly on the people helping clients implement it, understand it and influence how it develops.
Software support starts with understanding the brokerage
Every brokerage has its own products, clients, team structure and preferred way of working. Customer success therefore involves more than answering support tickets. It means learning how each business operates and helping its people use the platform effectively.
At BrokerCentral, the client communications and customer success role includes regular client check-ins, product updates, training, support content and onboarding. The aim is to understand what clients are trying to achieve and identify where the system, training or a different process could help.
More than anything, it's about developing strong relationships with our clients, understanding their businesses and working together to help them achieve what they're trying to achieve.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
This becomes particularly important when brokers operate in specialist markets. A platform needs to work well from the outset while remaining flexible enough to support different workflows without creating a separate product for every client.
Good communication reduces onboarding uncertainty
Changing insurance broker software can affect almost every part of a brokerage. Data must be migrated, the platform configured, processes tested and users trained, all while the business continues to serve its clients.
Changing your broking system is a big deal. You're moving important data, learning new processes and potentially changing ways of working that people have been familiar with for years. There are also lots of moving parts – configuration, data migration, training, testing and eventually going live.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
A structured implementation plan matters, but clients also need to understand what is happening throughout the process. They need clear responsibilities, realistic timescales and the confidence that questions will be answered.
Good communication takes a lot of the uncertainty out of that. Clients need to know what we're doing, what we need from them, what's happening next and when it's going to happen.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
Onboarding is also the beginning of the working relationship. When brokers learn early that they can ask questions and receive practical help, that trust can support the partnership long after the system goes live.
Listening means understanding the problem behind the request
Feature requests are valuable because they reveal where users encounter friction and what they want to achieve. However, building exactly what has been requested is not always the best or only answer. Sometimes the required functionality already exists, a different workflow may solve the problem or additional training may be enough. In other cases, a genuine product improvement is needed.
Probably the most important thing, though, is not just asking what they want, but why they want it.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
Understanding the reason for a request allows customer success, product and development teams to consider the wider need. That helps BrokerCentral identify improvements that could benefit multiple brokerages rather than responding to each request in isolation.
I think people feel heard when you take the time to understand the problem behind the request and work with them to find the best answer, rather than simply writing down their feature request and adding it to a list.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
Client feedback should reach the people building the product
Feedback loses value when it remains inside a support system or disappears into an unprioritised list. Customer success provides a bridge between the people using insurance broker software and the teams responsible for developing it.
That requires more than passing on a collection of feature requests. Product teams need context: what the broker was trying to do, why the existing process created friction and how frequently the issue appears across the client base. Positive feedback matters too, helping developers understand which details and new features are making a genuine difference.
This is how client conversations can shape a stronger core platform while keeping development focused and sustainable.
Clear updates build confidence
Clients need to know when a software update will change their workflow, what has changed and how they will benefit. Demonstration videos, screenshots, support articles, product tours and direct conversations can all help translate technical development into practical information.
Communication becomes even more important when disruption occurs. Planned work should be scheduled to minimise its impact wherever possible. When interruption cannot be avoided, clients need realistic information and regular updates rather than silence.
Even if the update is simply "we're still working on it", that's better than leaving somebody wondering what's going on.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
Automation should support relationships rather than replace them
Automated notifications and support content have an important role. They can deliver timely information, help users solve straightforward problems and make knowledge available when the support team is not immediately present. But automation cannot replace every conversation.
Automated emails can be useful for delivering information, but they don't build relationships.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
Personal communication gives brokers an opportunity to explain the context around a problem or idea. Over time, those conversations also help the software provider understand the people and businesses behind the support requests.
Aviva's research provides wider evidence of the importance brokers place on insight and accessible expertise. It found that 87% of brokers want or expect insurers to provide personalised insight into their customers, while 88% want to work with insurers that have a strong regional presence. Although the relationship with a software provider is different, the findings reinforce a broader point: insurance businesses continue to value knowledgeable people who understand their needs.
From software supplier to long term partner
Strong client relationships depend on honesty in both directions. Brokers should feel able to explain when something is not working, and software providers should be realistic about what can be delivered and when.
Over time, I think you stop feeling quite so much like a software supplier and start feeling more like a partner in their business. You understand what they're trying to achieve, they understand where we're heading with BrokerCentral, and you're both invested in helping each other succeed.
Colin Squires, Customer Success Manager at BrokerCentral
For brokers assessing insurance broker software, functionality will always matter. But so will the onboarding, training, communication and ongoing support surrounding it. The strongest technology relationships combine a capable platform with people who listen, explain and remain available after implementation.
Source
Aviva, Regional teams delivering brokers' most valued sources of insurer support, published 15 July 2026. Research conducted by Censuswide among 250 general insurance brokers aged 18 and over across all job levels and seniorities. Fieldwork took place from 23 January to 5 February 2026. https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-and-research-overview/news-releases/2026/07/regional-teams-delivering-brokers-most-valued-sources-of-insurer-support/