Overheard at NAMIC Claims 2018: The Disney Experience

More than 200 insurance claims professionals traveled to Orlando last week for NAMIC’s annual claims conference. While the fully-packed agenda focused heavily on liability, fraud, and the use of new technologies like drones, there were nevertheless a few sessions that focused on innovation and customer experience in claims—issues quite close to our hearts at SPLICE.

One of the best examples of excellence in claims customer experience came from an unexpected source: the keynote, “The Walt Disney World View of Insurance Claims,” presented by Barry Dillard, Director of Claims Management at Walt Disney World Resort.

During the keynote, we learned about Disney’s Compassionate Care Response program, where cast members are selected and trained to be available to guests in the event of an emergency on Disney property. These team members are specially trained to help guests whose experience is less than magical, due to an emergency of some kind. It ties together with Disney’s overall approach to emergency response, which includes on-site first aid stations, cast members guiding traffic away from areas where an emergency is occurring, and other strategies for managing the customer experience during a crisis.

What can we learn from Disney’s approach to emergency/liability management? Here are four ways Disney remains customer-focused when things go awry:

1. Be Compassionate.  Empathy can go a long way toward making a customers’ experience as positive as possible during the most difficult times. You don’t have to admit liability, but you can at least acknowledge a customer’s feelings when he or she is frustrated.
2. Be Proactive. Disney does everything it can to make the experience magical, and when it isn’t, they don’t wait until a customer complains to take action. In the event of a medical emergency, they make sure other guests are guided around the problem area to give privacy to the family, and to keep other guests from blocking access. This is both proactive and compassionate, all at once.
3. Offer to Help.  When a guest at Disney isn’t feeling well, cast members will ask three times if they want to visit first aid. The first time they may say no, due to embarrassment, so the “three times” rule helps make sure they’ve had the chance to change their mind.
4. Ask for Feedback.  The Disney team asks repeatedly and often for feedback on how it is doing in customer satisfaction. And that doesn’t change just because of a bad experience. NPS surveys are a great way to find out how satisfied customers are throughout the customer journey, including the claims process.

SPLICE demoed skills for Alexa and Google Home at the NAMIC Claims Conference. SPLICE skills are a great way to provide proactive updates to your claims customers. If you’re looking for ways to proactively keep the customer informed, give SPLICE a call at 1-855-777-5423.