How customer service factors into the claims experience

Most insurance customers buy a policy and set it aside. What people don’t tend to do is dedicate three hours to reading and understanding that document’s terms, notes new ClaimsPro president Paul Gilbody.

“You kind of stick it in a drawer or put it in a file on your email and leave it. It’s only when you have a claim that the rubber hits the road,” he says. “That’s when the brand promise of the insurance company really shows.”

Independent adjusters must take that seriously because during a claim they’re essentially functioning as an extension of the insurance company.

“And I don’t necessarily see us as independent in that moment because we’re adjusting the claim on behalf of the insurance company. They spent a lot of time and a lot of money making sure that their customers are treated a certain way,” he tells CU. “That’s a fundamental part of how we operate, and that’s only going to get more important in the future.”

Customer contacts

During that first discussion with a customer, a best practice for adjusters is to ask them their preferred method of communication, says recently retired ClaimsPro president Lorri Frederick.

“That way, we can make sure we’re dealing with them the way they want,” she tells CU.

“It’s a long time until the general population will be comfortable with not talking to somebody about a large, important emergency claim. People want to talk to people. It’s a reassurance point. And that reassurance is such a critical part of what we do.”

Gilbody adds it’s important to understand how technology does, and doesn’t, fit into a service scenario for people in some of the nightmare scenarios that lead to insurance claims.

“If…you’re being forced down a technology route and you’re desperate to talk to somebody, you’re unlikely to renew,” he says. “On the other hand, if you’re made to feel secure and happy and you know the process and that person is taking you seriously, even if it’s a 10% to 20% increase in price, you’re going to think about it quite seriously. So, that’s on us to make sure we do the best job possible.

“The trick is to offer channels that suit the customer. We’re looking at options around chatbots, text and that kind of stuff for our call centre operation. We’re obviously not going to switch the phone off — that’s the main route that people want to deal with us.”

This article is excerpted from one appearing in the April-May 2024 print edition of Canadian Underwriter. Feature image courtesy of iStock.com/sturti