The pandemic radically altered typical business operations. While many industries struggled to maintain customer engagement, the insurance industry experienced a meteoric rise in customer service calls. Customer needs shifted with dizzying speed, and insureds expected their providers to keep pace. For example, people drove less following the pandemic onset, and individuals with leased vehicles noted a preference for usage-based coverage. Liabilities also changed when individuals began working from home.
Many insurance companies rely on a call center to field their customer service calls. The sudden influx of pandemic-driven inquiries highlighted the bottlenecks and pain points of pre-pandemic call centers. The following are several call center trends insurance companies need to know for the coming year:
- The geographic distribution of call centers is changing. Offshore call centers come with several hurdles, most notably language barriers and cultural differences impeding service quality. Two-thirds of call centers around the world are in the Americas, which underscores the importance of nearshore call centers.
- Difficult calls and escalations are on the rise. Customer needs changed too fast for most insurance companies to update policies on how to handle the sudden increase in customer calls. Escalations increased by 68%, and difficult calls rose by 50%. The information bottleneck tanked the customer experience, and many insurers responded by revamping their call center to meet customers’ changing needs.
- Customer expectations continue to rise. Customers’ increasing expectations from their insurance provider isn’t a new trend. Technology revolutionized customer service and changed what customers require from their insurers. However, achieving a satisfying experience means meeting key benchmarks for customer inquiries. For instance, high-performing call centers answer calls within 20 seconds and resolve the customer’s problem within four minutes.
- The customer’s first call has significant ramifications on their loyalty. Customers have lower thresholds than ever for frustration. They are likely under stress when they reach out to their insurance provider, and an unsatisfying outcome degrades their loyalty. Fifteen percent of customers consider switching to a competitor if they don’t receive a satisfactory answer to their problem, whereas only one percent make this consideration when the customer service representative resolves their issue on the first call.
- Customers will seek out competitors after a single negative experience. One bad interaction is all it takes to risk losing customers. For example, one-third of Americans consider switching companies if they receive poor customer service.
Insurance providers need a call center that provides consistent and superior service. The customer experience is a key factor for their ongoing loyalty. Contact Actec to learn how a nearshore call center can benefit your company.
Insurance providers need a call center that can handle all their incoming calls, particularly when it comes to emergencies. When insureds initiate first notice of loss (FNOL), they’ve often experienced a high-stress incident. From house fires to car accidents, insurance call centers need to have the skillset to navigate customer crises. Here are several characteristics of call centers that communicate effectively during a crisis:
Call centers are a boon to growing businesses. A dedicated call center can handle all incoming calls, answer common customer questions, and allow employees to focus on their primary tasks instead of working the phones. However, many offshore call centers struggle to bridge cultural divides, which makes it difficult to provide high-quality customer service.
The auto industry is no stranger to technology. Automotive technology has allowed for drastic improvements in driver safety as well as increased connectivity. With the rise of telematics, first notice of loss (FNOL) underwent a significant transformation.
The first report of injury (FROI) is a critical element for worker’s comp compliance. Even if the employer does not agree with the employee, the employer must file an FROI. Each state has its own FROI form, but the requirements follow a similar pattern. Employers must file an FROI after an employee misses five or more paid workdays due to an injury. The employer has seven business days from the fifth missed workday to file.
Understanding what an FROI (First Response of Injury) and SROI (Subsequent Response of Injury) report is can have a huge impact on when, and how, your company handles Workers Compensation claims. Here’s a quick breakdown to help differentiate the two.
Actec Systems has been providing claim reporting and other data intake services for many years. The experienced specialists are dedicated to providing solutions to commercial and personal insurance carriers, third-party administrators, FMLA services and more. They follow a complete incident reporting process to ensure that the reports are filed on time and accurately, thus avoiding re-submission and hefty fines. Full-cycle reporting starts with a comprehensive analysis of your needs, goals and the current process of your custom workflow. They ensure accuracy, minimization in call times and reduction of follow-up calls.