Last week’s PLRB Claims Conference was an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and do some serious hand shaking with individuals (prospects and current clients alike) who are excited about improvement in the claims process.
Since the PLRB Conference is a meeting of claims professionals it was no surprise that the foul weather in Dallas and Houston over the past couple weeks was on the minds of many of the attendees. Many times throughout the show, conversations focused on comparing pictures of the damage from these storms – roofs with massive holes from the hailstorms in Dallas followed by shots of flooded neighborhoods around Houston. While these Texas storms were far from a national emergency, they served as a fitting reminder that severe weather can pop up at any time and cause a lot of work for claims professionals.
Luckily the technology landscape is well aware of this and some great ideas were presented at the conference:
On Monday, Peter Balingit from PLRB and Adam Kostecki from Amica Mutual, presented on how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are allowing insurance companies to assess property damage quickly and accurately. By leveraging satellite imaging and advanced mapping technologies like these, insurance companies can assess loss exposure while taking steps to control further loss after an event. These technologies can also mitigate fraud through comparing pre-event images and mapping, real-time.
Tuesday morning led off with Scott LeBlanc and Mike Williams from Farmers outlining methods of making an action plan for responding to a Catastrophic Event. Scott and Mike outlined a top 10 list of things to consider when developing a CAT response plan. A wealth of resources, many that are free services, were given that insurance companies can use to monitor weather patterns, anticipate losses, and communicate to insureds before and after an event. The team also detailed how best to assemble and mobilize a team of CAT responders. The session was wrapped up with information on how to identify and reduce exposure to additional losses after a CAT event along with some looking ahead to how drone technology and new predictive tools for wildfires will impact claims handling in the future.
Of course, while catching up with our channel partner, Clear Point Claims, I didn’t want to miss CFO Mike Miller’s presentation titled “Net Promoter Score: A Possible Storm on the Horizon for the Claims Community”. Miller’s presentation focused on how the push to take human interactions out of the sales and onboarding of insurance customers could lead to a drop in customer satisfaction throughout the claims process. He pointed out that proactive and personalized communications before and after a claim are a must to keep up with next-gen insurance customer’s service expectations.
It’s clear to me that there are many exciting new technologies available to insurers, to move claims through to close more efficiently and accurately than ever before. I’m looking forward to next year’s PLRB Conference in Boston, and to hear how the adoption of these tools have further changed the claims landscape.
If you’re looking for some information on new communication technology to streamline the claims process, reach out to SPLICE!