How is technology streamlining the claims process at your company and, in your opinion, in the industry as a whole?

Mark Hoffman, claims technology manager for Esurance: Claims technology continues to play a critical role in the success of the claims department at Esurance. Our focus remains on providing our employees with the tools they require in order to provide exceptional customer service while maintaining fair settlements in an efficient and compliant manner. With insurers having “to do more with less,” technology innovations are a key driver in keeping expenses down while maintaining a consistent process of claims handling.

Are certain technologies becoming more crucial than others? Can you quantify gains in terms of percentages or other figures (efficiency, productivity, cost savings, accuracy, etc.)?

Hoffman: Our recent technology focus has centered on automated workflow and self-service. We strive to allow our claims associates to use their experience to make the best decision based on the unique nature of each claim. We are diligent in looking for ways to reduce the administrative steps required for claims handling to improve the experience for the customer and the efficiency of our claims staff.

Regarding self-service, we have developed functionality to provide Esurance customers with automated notifications as the claim develops, current information regarding the status of their claim, and links to information to assist them with understanding the claims process. In the very near future, we expect to deploy similar functionality to all parties in a claim, not just Esurance policyholders.

Are these technologies changing the way adjusters do their jobs? Are adjusters focusing their attention/time on different tasks as a result?

Hoffman: With the deployment of automated workflow projects, our claims personnel can spend more time speaking to our customers about their claims. The focus of our claims employees has shifted from handling administrative tasks to ensuring a more effective customer experience and real-time decision making.

As the marketplace continues to expand the deployment of self-service functionality, customers have shifted to “expecting” functionality on mobile devices, automated status notifications, and tools to allow for 24/7 communication. As technology becomes more pervasive, all generations of consumers are demanding access to real-time information from the companies they do business with, and insurance companies are no exception.

Is the role of the adjuster changing with your company? Are there issues the industry needs to face concerning the quality and experience of adjusters?

Hoffman: The role of the adjuster has become more challenging due to changes in legislative and regulatory requirements. Technology has played a major role for our claims associates as it supports them in meeting regulatory requirements while exceeding the service expectations of the customer. For example, communication was conducted historically via hardcopy letters and phone calls. Today, our claims associates and customers have multiple electronic methods of communicating back and forth. Beyond meeting the minimum expectations of our customers, we also seek to provide a customized experience that allows the customer to choose the best way to communicate with Esurance. We continue to look into new technologies to allow additional communication avenues for our customers and our associates.

Has there been a fundamental shift in regard to the value insurers attach to mobile technologies or the way in which these tools are used?

Hoffman: Mobile technology has become a major focus for Esurance as we seek to duplicate and improve upon a desktop user experience. We are seeing exponential growth in consumers accessing dedicated apps and the mobile Web to obtain premium quotes, view policy ID cards, and claims information. Although it remains challenging to keep up with updates to mobile operating systems, Esurance is focused on providing the tools necessary for customers to access “technology when you want it.”

Internally, we are exploring the use of more advanced mobile technology for our associates in the field. This includes the use of tablets and creating internal-only apps to drive efficiencies for our field staff.

Do mobile technologies affect case assignment, including FNOL, location, and routing? How so? Is it a conduit between various departments within the company or other liaisons?

Hoffman: Because Esurance has a wide variety of policyholders as well as access to future customers, we want to provide tools to allow the individual to choose the best experience for themselves. Some consumers may be comfortable with obtaining a quote on a mobile device, however others may prefer to talk to one of our 24/7 sales associates.

What kind of feedback do you receive concerning customer satisfaction with the claims process?

Hoffman: Customer satisfaction is a critical factor of our success at Esurance. We employ a number of internal and external surveys to obtain both positive feedback and constructive criticism regarding the claims process. Our consideration for process change is directly influenced by the feedback we receive from customers and other partners we work with to handle claims.

As we receive feedback touting the success of a specific process or experience, we look to expand the use of that tool, process or technology in other parts our handling expectations. For example, customers that elect to have their vehicle repaired at an E-star repair facility using our RepairView online repair monitoring service consistently report a better customer experience than those that don’t. We believe the success of RepairView is directly related to the visibility of the vehicle repair and the ability for the customer to have real-time access to the process. By adding RepairView functionality to our mobile apps, we expect to spread that positive experience to more customers.

Do you monitor social media in terms of customer satisfaction? What steps can you take—if any—to deal with unfavorable publicity about a claim?

Hoffman: We view social media as another way for us to connect with our customers, and we have teams in place that monitor social media every day and engage with our customers. We use a number of different tools—including Radian 6, HootSuite and CoTweet—to monitor what customers are saying about Esurance. If we see a customer that posts a negative comment or complaint about a claim, we respond immediately via that medium, whether it is Facebook or Twitter. We then work to get the conversation offline to try and help the customer in a private manner via phone or email with one of our dedicated claims reps. We also use social media to thank the customers that talk about the positive experiences they have with Esurance.

How satisfied are you with your claims administration system? What areas work best?

Hoffman: Esurance currently owns the source code for claims management and policy systems and nearly all development is completed internally. We work closely with our external partners to develop and maintain effective and high-performing interfaces. Our focus has been to provide a single application that can used by our associates. In scenarios where building functionality within our system is too complex or requires significant effort, we have built deep integrations via single-sign-on processes.

What inroads are you making in the area of self service for claimants?

Hoffman: From a self service perspective, Esurance is making solid progress in allowing policyholders to access more information about their claim 24/7. From online claims reporting to automated notifications, we are working on functionality to provide non-policyholders similar access to important claims data. Today, RepairView is available to Esurance policyholders and other parties involved in a claim. We continue to see the enhanced customer service benefits of allowing customers to monitor their vehicle repair via the desktop or mobile device.

How often do you reexamine your processes to determine their quality? Any examples of changes you have made recently?

Hoffman: We are always looking at potential improvements to our claims processes. Ultimately, we want to reduce administrative tasks and accelerate adjuster efficiency so that we can improve the customer experience.

Special Reports /

Claims Technology Q&A: Workflow, Self-Service Key Areas for Insurers

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