Category: First Notice of Loss

How Insurance Providers Use Texting to Add Value

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November 23rd, 2020

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As technology advances, insurance providers need to pivot to keep up with shifting customer expectations. Insurers must remain relevant and innovative, as customer loyalty is a fickle thing in the insurance industry. A single bad customer service experience or technology frustration can nudge long-time customers to explore their options.

New Technology Needs

Providing superior service and support requires a modern, multi-pronged approach. For example, if the primary form of communicating with customers is email, the provider isn’t likely to see significant engagement. Even social media has its limits due to filters, oversaturation, and algorithms. While email and social media marketing are still relevant, text messaging has better potential for niche marketing.

Insurance providers that expand their communication channels to include texting can add value to their services, products, and more for their customers. The following are some of the ways insurance companies can use texting:

  1. Appointment reminders. The claims process is hectic and hard to understand for those outside of the industry. Policyholders are under an unusual degree of stress following a loss, and they may forget when the appraiser is supposed to arrive, where they’re supposed to take their vehicle, etc. With texting, insurance companies can send reminders to help insureds keep track of everything they need to know about their upcoming appointments. This eases stress, reduces missed appointments, and provides a personalized touch.
  2. Marketing analytics can provide lucrative insight into policyholders’ purchasing behavior. For instance, many insureds bundle their home and auto policies for a discount. The data may show this demographic often needs special coverage for valuable personal property. While homeowners’ insurance has some coverage for jewelry, it often has a cap that may not provide full coverage. Sending a text message about valuable personal property insurance to protect the loss or theft of an engagement ring can bring in more business than an email would likely achieve. Automating text messages to trigger based on new policies can deliver the information in a timely manner when the insured still has their policy information fresh in their minds.
  3. Claim updates. The claims process isn’t always clear to policyholders, which can leave them frustrated and uncertain. While a mobile app can provide this information as well, it’s better customer service to alert the policyholder that the update exists. If the customer knows their insurance company will keep them up to date, it eliminates the need to frequently check an app or make a phone call through a convoluted phone tree.
  4. Other important updates. Insurance companies can send out reminders and alerts to help customers avoid a lapse in coverage, to notify them of coverage gaps, or to inquire about irregularities in their policies (e.g., unusually high or low deductibles that can affect their finances).
  5. Save money. If a significant weather event is approaching, insurance companies can text helpful information to policyholders to mitigate damages and losses. They can also send out guidelines on what to do following a loss from a covered event to reduce the severity of the damage (e.g., how to prevent flood damage from worsening).

Text messaging can give insurance companies an edge over the competition by providing personalized service, superior support, and timely product recommendations. To learn more about the benefits of text and chat support for your insurance company, contact the experts at Actec.

5 Ways Text Communication Improves Insurance Claims

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November 9th, 2020

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Insurance providers know that first notice of loss (FNOL) plays a critical role in customer satisfaction for the duration of any given claim. However, any bottlenecks or frustrations can tank customer loyalty. Retaining existing customers costs much less than trying to secure new ones, so it behooves insurance providers to keep their existing client base happy. One of the easiest methods to achieve this is to enable text communication between claim adjusters and customers.

Claim adjusters can harness the usefulness of texting in the following ways:

  1. Reduce error-related delays. Insureds aren’t well-versed in insurance documentation. The effort involved is often cumbersome and frustrating. Their irritation intensifies over denials related to small clerical errors. Text message communication allows insurance adjusters to review documents and help customers make any necessary corrections before submitting the paperwork.
  2. Simplify sharing photos and videos. Following a loss, having a picture or video of the damage helps adjusters get a jumpstart on the claim. However, many images and video files are too large to attach to emails. Many insurers allow their customers to upload files via a mobile app, but this isn’t helpful if the insured doesn’t already have the app on their phone. Waiting for an app to download, creating a login, and figuring out where to upload photos will annoy the customer when texting is so much faster and easier.
  3. Eliminate lengthy voicemails and missed calls. Customers don’t like listening to long-winded voicemails, and many don’t check their inbox at all. According to a report by Adobe, email communication fares better with an open rate of 20-30%. However, text message communication blows both out of the water with a whopping 98% open rate. Texting often yields faster communication as well, as most people open texts within three seconds of receiving them.
  4. Enhanced accessibility. Most customers have a smartphone and know how to text with ease. This isn’t always the case when it comes to navigating a mobile app or attaching documents to an email. Texting is also beneficial for customers with hearing loss. Texting gives adjusters access to almost every customer, which allows them to deliver superior service.
  5. Streamline commonly asked questions. Insureds aren’t always familiar with their coverage, and the claims process can leave them with more questions than answers. Calling their insurance company, navigating a phone tree, and sitting on hold to get an answer for a basic question provides a subpar experience. Text communication allows customer support agents to field these questions while also producing a written record of the exchange. This frees up insurance adjusters’ time so they can focus on claim-related issues.

Text message communication provides benefits for both the customer and the insurance adjuster. It improves workflow while delivering superior customer support. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how text communication can improve FNOL and claims management for your insurance company.

4 Ways to Improve Call Center Communication

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October 26th, 2020

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Investing in a call center can save companies hours of time while boosting productivity. However, how businesses communicate with their call centers will determine the effectiveness of this service. Business leaders should use the following strategies to reduce miscommunications with call center employees:

  1. Look for communication breakdowns or miscommunication bottlenecks. According to the Harvard Business Review, more than half of employees indicate the directions they receive at work are unclear or too vague. If half of the call center employees aren’t sure what their employer wants from them or what the business’ top priorities are, they may struggle to provide high-quality service.
  2. Keep emails to a minimum. Employees waste hours of their day clearing out their inbox of unnecessary emails. Most employees report that excessive emails take up too much time and affect their ability to focus on their top priority tasks. It’s also possible for important emails to get lost among the dozens of other emails vying for employees’ attention. Seeing a massive list of unread emails can tank employee motivation and morale as well. While email communication is sometimes necessary, businesses should limit the overall number of emails they send to employees.
  3. Encourage open communication within teams. Many businesses have a hierarchy of responsibility, which can make call center employees feel incapable of speaking up to their team leaders when they notice an issue. Cultivating an environment where employees feel comfortable with two-way communication within their team can identify problems, improve morale, and foster innovative ideas.
  4. Schedule team-building exercises. Creating a sense of community within the workplace is more challenging than ever in a COVID-19 environment. With so many people working from home with limited opportunities for socializing, call center employees can rapidly feel disconnected from their team. Businesses should consider virtual or outdoor team building activities that can comply with social distancing recommendations to keep up team spirit. These exercises can also help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Improving communication has a direct effect on productivity, employee engagement, and workplace morale. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how our nearshore call centers can help your business.

4 Things You Need to Know About Call Center Customer Service

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October 12th, 2020

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Call centers are a prominent feature in the business world, particularly for large or growing companies. Providing superior customer service is vital for a business to thrive; it’s also a significant means for companies to differentiate themselves from the competition. Coupled with the fact that most customers will find a new vendor if they receive poor service, customer satisfaction is a critical metric for long-term success. The following are some of the biggest ways call centers affect customer service:

  1. First point of contact. Company leadership doesn’t often get a chance for direct interaction with their customers. They rely on call center employees to serve as the face and voice of the business. Call centers aren’t just the initial point of contact, they’re often the only point of contact. If call center employees don’t deliver quality customer service, the business isn’t likely to have another chance at winning over the customer’s loyalty.
  2. Differentiation opportunity. Businesses need to make sure their call centers provide a smooth and easy experience for their customers, but they can also use these interactions to secure their customers’ commitment. Delivering superior service such as recommending a product better suited to the customer’s needs or addressing common questions that relate to their initial inquiry can make the difference between so-so service and standout support.
  3. Providing service at all hours. One of the biggest benefits of many call centers is that they allow a company to provide around the clock service. When a business’ office hours are the same as their customers’ working hours, it can sew frustration and discontent. When customers call with vital questions or concerns only to be met with an automated recording about business hours, it sours their relationship with the business. It also means they’re more likely to go looking for a new service provider that can offer expedient and timely solutions.
  4. Greater flexibility. Waiting on hold is often an annoying and inconvenient experience for customers. Modern call centers offer multiple channels to reach customer support including by phone, email, chat, text, and even social media. Providing customers with their preferred communication method reduces friction points that can derail a conversation before it even begins.

Actec understands that providing superior customer service is a dynamic element to make your business stand out from the rest. Contact us to learn more about how our nearshore call center services and flexible text and chat support can help your company achieve that goal.

How Will AI Change FNOL and Damage Detection?

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September 28th, 2020

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When a person initiates a claim following a car accident, they trigger a series of events beginning with first notice of loss (FNOL). Prior to AI, FNOL intake required a lot of back and forth between the insured and their insurance provider. Determining the extent of the damage, if a vehicle was salvageable, and the estimated cost took time and could cause delays. Further complicating matters, the inspection process is tedious and a common source of contention for underwriters—does it really cost that much for the repair? Harnessing the power of AI expedites the process and removes doubt regarding the true cost.

Using AI for Damage Detection

When tooling a machine to detect damage, the AI must first learn what a fully functional vehicle and its parts look like as well as varying degrees and types of damage. It absorbs sets of data and uses that knowledge to compare images of the damaged car components to their unblemished counterparts. The goal is to teach the machine to grade dents and scratches based on severity. It can then compute the estimated cost to repair it.

Reducing Costs with AI

Another helpful, money-saving feature is that the AI can determine if a part is actually damaged or not. Surface scratches and dents may look severe, but a machine can examine the part from all angles and rely on the historical data it learned previously. It may report that the scuffs are cosmetic, meaning it doesn’t need replacing during the repair. This translates to cost savings for all parties involved.

The AI does all this through a process called computer vision. It imitates how human eyes work while surveilling the damaged vehicle. It can perform a vehicle inspection and determine the severity of the damage at remarkable speeds as well as produce a full report to provide to the insured. Faster turnaround, precise reporting, and reduced costs benefit both the insured and the insurance provider.

FNOL is the most significant factor that affects customer satisfaction during a claim. However, delays and doubts about damage reporting accuracy can erode insureds’ trust and faith in their insurance provider. AI can eliminate those issues while resolving claims on a faster timeline. To learn more about improving customer satisfaction and FNOL, contact the experts at Actec.

5 Tips for Hiring the Best Call Center

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September 14th, 2020

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Many growing businesses turn to call centers to handle the influx of customer service calls. This allows their employees to spend more time on providing specialized services or focusing on other, high-priority tasks. However, switching to a call center represents a significant change in company culture and employee responsibility so businesses need to make sure they contract with a call center that best meets their needs.

The following are some guiding principles for identifying top tier call centers:

  1. Make security a top priority. Many call centers have moved to the cloud for several reasons. It’s easier to install technology and render services that way. It’s also a good fit for businesses that have agents operating at multiple sites. However, companies will want to make sure their data is secure as well as investigate what redundancies and data recovery the call center offers in the event of a disaster.
  2. Look for compassion. Businesses need more than a person to answer a ringing phone. They need a friendly voice to help answer customers’ questions or resolve their issues. This is particularly important in the insurance industry when handling calls related to a loss. First notice of loss (FNOL) is the single greatest opportunity for securing customer satisfaction. Having a compassionate agent can help achieve that goal.
  3. Ensure a call center’s services align with business goals. Businesses should identify what they need from a call center and compare providers that meet their established criteria. Creating this short-list in advance saves time by avoiding interviews with providers that don’t offer the necessary services. This is particularly important for businesses that require special features like chat support or around the clock services.
  4. Meet with the call center. A provider may check every box from security to friendliness to specialty services and still fall short of the mark. Several providers may look good on paper, but businesses need to perform their due diligence by taking a tour of the call center’s facilities. If the call center’s leadership and management style differ vastly from a company’s culture, there could be significant clashes later.
  5. Determine how much location matters. Call centers can be offshore, nearshore, or onshore. Onshore call centers often have restrictions on hours of operation either due to time zones or expense. While offshore call centers are often cheaper, there can be a significant cultural divide that can cause friction between customers and the company. Nearshore call centers offer the best of both worlds by having similar cultural experiences and decent proximity for business meetings while providing enough distance to cover more hours of service.

Outsourcing calls gives companies a competitive edge for several reasons. For example, if one business has a customer service line and the other does not, potential customers are more likely to opt for the option they can call with their questions. Customers also prefer businesses that offer extended hours for customer service calls beyond the traditional 9:00 to 5:00. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how investing in a nearshore call center can improve your business.

5 Reasons Why You Need to Outsource Your Call Center

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August 24th, 2020

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Customer service is a significant element of any business regardless of industry. Providing superior customer service can help improve customer satisfaction, referrals, and a business’ bottom line. However, it’s not fiscally practical to have a full-time team of employees to handle all of these calls. Many customers call outside of normal business operations as well, which further complicates the issue. To address these challenges, many companies of all sizes are looking to call centers as a solution.

The following are some of the best advantages of hiring a call center:

  1. Reduced costs. Businesses can utilize call centers to handle all of their calls 24/7. To pay a full-time team of employees to work on-call is often astronomical in comparison.
  2. Better use of time. Not all businesses can afford or need a full-time employee to handle customer service calls. As a result, team members in various departments often rotate who handles incoming calls. By diverting customer service calls to a call center, those employees can focus on their primary job without interruptions.
  3. Around the clock service. Many call centers offer their services 24 hours a day or extended well outside of usual business hours all year round. This is particularly useful for industries like the insurance sector whose clients may require customer service at unusual hours following an accident or loss.
  4. Superior quality of service. Call center employees receive training on how to provide excellent customer service. They are able to provide knowledgeable answers to customers’ questions and concerns while remaining polite and professional.
  5. Actionable reports and data. Many call centers monitor calls to ensure the quality and for training purposes. They can use these reports to improve their employees’ skills as well as provide insights to the company on common pain points for customers.

Call centers can improve customer satisfaction, reduce business costs, and boost productivity. Opting for a nearshore call center can amplify these benefits. Nearshore call center employees are located in a similar geographic location, which eliminates cultural barriers. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how our nearshore call centers can help lower your costs, improve the customer experience, and more.

4 Ways Chat Support Builds Trust in the Insurance Sector

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August 10th, 2020

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Today’s customers have a significantly different approach to purchasing insurance than customers a decade ago did. They’re more likely to shop around online and they expect superior customer service and products. They also place a premium on transparency, which has forced many insurance carriers to overhaul their processes to remain competitive.

One of the simplest methods insurance providers can take to build a positive rapport with their customers is to implement chat support. Having the ability to receive customer support through text or chat programs can provide the following benefits:

  1. Provide faster solutions. Customers who need help understanding their policy or a claim don’t have the patience to navigate a confusing website or phone tree. They need to find the answers to their questions quickly to gain peace of mind or resolve an unpleasant situation. Having access to chat support can provide timely information and superior service.
  2. Improves transparency. Many phone trees inform customers that the insurance provider records calls to improve customer service. However, it’s not often clear how those calls help the customer, particularly if they have to repeat themselves every time they call in about a claim. With a chat service, the insurance provider has a text log of the conversation. Providing customers with this exchange via email or their customer portal enhances transparency efforts and improves trust.
  3. Decreases average handling time. Chat support programs often allow customers and insurance representatives to upload images or screen share. This cuts down on confusion and can allow chat support to resolve a customer’s questions faster as visual aids are usually easier to understand than verbal instructions.
  4. Suggest relevant or complementary products. The average customer has a basic understanding of their insurance needs, but they may not be aware of risks and coverage gaps in their existing policies. Having chat support can allow insurance representatives to suggest different policies or additional coverage options based on the customer’s existing products and questions. For example, a customer may inquire if their renters’ policy covers jewelry loss due to a covered peril. While many policies do offer coverage for jewelry, it often caps at a certain dollar value. As a result, many insurance companies offer separate policies for valuable property such as engagement rings. These policies are usually inexpensive and providing customers with information can help them make informed decisions regarding their insurance.

Chat support is a rapid, effective means to assist customers as well as build better relationships with them. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about implementing chat support.

4 Benefits of Nearshore Call Centers

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July 27th, 2020

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Many businesses are well aware of the benefits of a call center. For certain industries such as insurance, having a call center is a necessity to remain in business. Accidents rarely happen during business hours, and customers need to be able to file a claim when the loss occurs—not the following day when their insurance provider’s office opens. However, selecting the right kind of call center is critical to maintaining the company’s image as well as keeping customers happy.

Many people associate call centers with countries across the world, which is typically the case for offshore call centers. They may be based out of India, the Philippines, or many other international countries. Conversely, nearshore call centers are located in a similar geographic location to the business that hires them. Having a nearshore call center can reap the following benefits for businesses:

1.      Familiarity with culture. For businesses in the US, nearshore often means Mexico, Canada, or nearby islands. One of the biggest benefits to this is that these locations often have cultural overlap with US customers. This eliminates the struggles between cultural barriers, which can facilitate better service.

2.      Similar business hours. Nearshore call centers can offer extended business hours while still being reachable during a normal working day. For example, if a nearshore call center is three hours off from the business’ location, executives from both sides can find overlapping working hours to discuss business concerns.

3.      Improved proximity. When a company needs to conduct training or hold business meetings at a nearshore call center, executives can travel to the call center with minimal hassle. While nearshore call centers are a short flight away, many offshore call centers require lengthy flights that consume several days. Shorter flights and similar time zones also mean less jet lag for these business trips.

4.      Improved customer satisfaction. Many nearshore call centers only hire 100% bilingual employees to ensure there is no language barrier. However, given that a significant portion of the US speaks Spanish, having a bilingual nearshore call center based out of Mexico can help serve a wider range of customers. Having similar cultures helps in this area as well, as call center employees can better empathize with customers during a crisis.

Investing in a nearshore call center allows businesses to focus on their core skills rather than fielding customer phone calls. By freeing up that time, businesses can concentrate their attention and efforts on growing their company and improving their bottom line. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about our nearshore call center solutions.

How Is COVID-19 Affecting Customer Satisfaction?

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July 20th, 2020

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Many insurance providers are experiencing a crisis of trust among their customers. In an industry where trust and competency are everything, many insurers are coming up short on both in their customers’ eyes. With massive business interruptions and even more denied claims due to pandemic clauses, COVID-19 has left many businesses and their insurance providers without many options.

It’s no surprise that the customer’s experience is now the top priority for many insurance providers. Even before COVID-19, many industry experts reported that customer satisfaction would be a key factor in growth opportunities. With the pandemic putting a microscope on customer pain points, insurance providers can improve their customers’ overall experience in the following ways:

  1. Embrace digital interactions. Insurance providers already know they need an online portal and a mobile app at a minimum in their efforts to go digital. However, many have failed to keep pace with customer expectations, which haven’t changed following the pandemic. Customers want to be able to access their bills, policy details, and more whenever and wherever they may be while still having the option to speak with a representative about issues that are more complex. Insurance carriers need to ensure the service they provide is consistent regardless of how the insured initiates contact.
  2. Simplify the experience. Insureds are more stressed than ever due to COVID-19. Whether they are using a mobile app or browsing their insurance provider’s website, they want to be able to find what they’re looking for with ease. Their tolerance for confusing apps and websites is at an all-time low. If an insurance provider’s website isn’t intuitive, it will only aggravate customers during an already hectic time.
  3. Provide customizable products and solutions. Insureds are trying to strike the balance between keeping their premiums as low as possible without leaving themselves vulnerable to risk. A potential solution growing in popularity is limiting coverage to only when insureds need it. This reduces their overall premiums without increasing their risk profile. For example, a business or homeowner near the coast needs flood insurance due to hurricanes. However, hurricane season only spans from May through November. Some insured may prefer to only enable coverage during the months that the risk of flooding is high to keep their premiums down.
  4. Be available. Covered incidents don’t usually do the insured the favor of occurring during regular business hours. Similarly, many insureds have urgent questions that may not be able to wait until normal office hours. Providing a chat or text service that allows insureds to get answers to their questions regarding their claim status, coverage, and more can improve the customer experience overall.

Actec understands the challenges insurance providers are experiencing in the wake of COVID-19. That’s why we strive to provide top-notch solutions to help you meet your customer’s needs. Contact us to learn more about implementing text and chat support to improve customer satisfaction.