In Focus: Does digital transformation undermine HNW’s service-defining human touch?

WE ASKED: “Does digital transformation and AI deployment enhance or undermine the heavy human touch in the service that defines the HNW client experience?”

Sarah Willoughby, art and private client business director, Ecclesiastical Insurance

I personally think that human touch will always be there when dealing with high net worth (HNW) clients – it can be a major differentiator in your proposition, especially in a world that is increasingly automated.

When things go wrong, it’s not an AI you want – it’s a human. Someone who listens, empathises and reassures you in your moment of stress or loss. A calm and compassionate voice on the other end of the line is irreplaceable. That personal connection builds trust, loyalty and a sense of being truly looked after.

For HNW clients, where stakes and expectations are high, it’s often that human touch and personal service that gives them the reassurance they are being looked after.

As a business, we’ve been upgrading our own core platforms to improve how we work and allow us to be more innovative in how we use technology and data.

Despite this investment, I don’t see it as anything that can ever truly replace or undermine the human touch our HNW clients want. Instead, I see these technological advancements as tools to support the proposition for our underwriters, ensuring we provide a tailored approach for all their insurance needs.

Matthew Ashton, director, Stanhope Insurance

In short, it depends entirely on how it’s used.

If an organisation just slaps on tech to cut costs and force clients onto a self-serve app, it absolutely undermines the experience.

HNW clients are paying for a premium, bespoke relationship – not a fancier version of a retail banking app. They want their adviser, not a chatbot, when making big decisions. But when it’s done right, AI and digital tools massively enhance that human touch.

Think of the tech as a super-assistant for the human adviser, not a replacement for them. The AI can handle all the joyless work – repetitive admin, comparing complex products and compliance requirements – which frees up the HNW broker to focus on the human touch.

Brokers should focus on the tasks only a human can – building trust, understanding emotions, having empathetic conversations and providing a truly creative, personalised advice.

The AI handles the data, allowing the human to focus 100% on the relationship and the wisdom.

So, paradoxically, the best technology makes the human touch more focused, more informed and ultimately more valuable. We’d do well at Stanhope to adopt this.

Helena Evans, managing director, Criterion Adjusters

In the HNW market, the differentiator is providing a tailored, personalised service to ensure a seamless claims experience.

The key is understanding the customer and what works for them. There are some customers that may prefer digital tools for some aspects of their claims experience, for speed and convenience, but there are also others who would prefer all aspects to be dealt with by a person.

Where AI can be deployed to carry out routine tasks that do not affect the customer experience, this can certainly enhance the HNW service, as this will free up time for the adjuster to spend time dealing with the human interaction or complexities of a claim.

Used in the appropriate way, digital transformation and AI deployment can enhance the service but, in my opinion, only by using a tailored hybrid model.

HNW clients like and often expect the personal touch. There is no tool that can provide the emotional support that is required throughout the lifecycle of a claim.

From the very first site visit and by handling the claim to completion, the customer and broker builds up a level of trust and confidence with the adjustor, which is key to a positive customer outcome.