Catastrophic (CAT) events such as hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Dorian reveal opportunities for personal lines insurers to improve the customer experience and mitigate losses.
By directly delivering useful safety and loss prevention tips to customers via their communication channel of choice—such as text or unique human voice messages—insurers can tangibly demonstrate their commitment to policyholder protection.
Further, arming customers with critical information allows them to take positive steps to decrease the frequency and severity of claims.
Actively giving policyholders the information they need when they need it for a CAT event makes more sense than hoping frantic policyholders will visit their carriers’ websites. By providing useful links and supplying claim filing information at their fingertips, insurers can save money by spurring process efficiency and fostering more positive claim experiences.
This approach to informing policyholders also addresses the important emotional aspect of customer experience. When customers believe their insurer cares about them are more likely stick with their carriers. The potential benefits transcend retention. Such customers are also more likely to enhance sales by spreading the good word to their friends.
Preparing policyholders for CAT events and other losses through omnichannel messaging is a natural step for reaching customers since the majority of policyholders depend on mobile devices.
Unfortunately, many insurers are missing out on opportunities to wow their customers while preventing losses. As a result, early adopters of such a system are already enjoying a competitive edge while raising customer expectations and reducing loss potential.
Beyond CAT Events
Just as there are several types of losses, there are plenty of tips insurers can share with policyholders to heighten customer experience and mitigate losses
One approach is to focus on particular types of losses and provide prevention tips. For example, dog bites and dog related injuries cost insurers $796.8 million dollars in 2019, according to the Insurance Information Institute. And, the number of these claims is on the rise! Sending customers tips on how to prevent unfortunate incidents reminds customers that your insurance company cares about customers -- and their beloved canine family members.
Automobile insurers can simply dispatch policyholders quick information covering the top causes of accidents to inspire better driving behavior. Two examples are reminding drivers to avoid speeding and distracted driving.
SPLICE Software offers solutions that feature tips for preventing claims. To learn more, check out the Claim Prevention Tips and Catastrophe Alerts dialogs. But that is just the beginning. Customizing these messages to an insurer’s unique brand and competitive strategy can upgrade customer experience and mitigate losses.
Directly transmitting to customers the information they need from insurers at the right time is a growing expectation. Is your company meeting this essential policyholder demand?
Read more information on SPLICE Software's Emergency Management Solutions.
Editor's Note: this blog was originally published in September 2017 but was updated in June 2020 for consistency and freshness.