One of your long-time policyholders gets into a multi-car accident while driving home from work one night on a rainy, slick road. After taking a few slow, deep breaths, she makes sure she's unhurt, then climbs out of the car to check on the other driver. Thankfully, everyone's unscathed. If only her car were so lucky. The passenger-side front quarter panel is smashed so badly that the front wheels can't even move. Driving the car is obviously out of the question.

She immediately pulls out her cell phone and calls 911 to notify the police. Then she reaches into her purse to find the wallet card from her insurance company that lists the 24-hour claim reporting hotline number. She dials, and a live voice picks up after just two rings and greets her with words of assurance, “Thank you for calling ABC Insurance's claim reporting line. How can I help you?”

Your policyholder identifies herself so that the customer service representative (CSR) can find the policy information using the claim reporting software on his computer. Your customer then launches into a detailed account of the accident, including the fact that her car is not drivable. Noticing that the policyholder is eligible for emergency roadside assistance, the CSR confirms the whereabouts of the accident and dispatches a tow truck to the scene.

The CSR continues to collect more details about the accident, including how the collision occurred, the road conditions, and information about the other driver and vehicle involved. The CSR is guided by a custom script in the claim-reporting platform that dynamically generates the questions based on the unique characteristics of the loss and the parties involved.

Next, your claim-reporting platform automatically checks the collision coverage on the policy, confirming the caller is eligible for a referral to a collision repair shop in your direct repair network. After hearing the list of local shops, your policyholder picks the one that's most convenient and begins to feel more at ease.

Before ending the call, your claim reporting system prompts the CSR to offer a replacement rental car since your policyholder has rental car reimbursement coverage. The CSR opens another line to call the national reservation center of your preferred rental car network, authorizes a rental for two days, and connects the caller with the rental car provider to finalize the reservation and pickup.

When the policyholder hangs up, the CSR closes the claim and makes himself available for the next call. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the claim reporting software that captured the accident information automatically:

Transmits the entire loss report electronically into your claim management system to set up the file;
Sends the collision data to the repair center chosen by the caller;
Orders a police report;
Evaluates the suspicion level of the claim to determine if SIU should be notified;
Emails the policyholder's insurance agent so that he/she is aware of the loss

All of these tasks happen before your adjuster even opens the claim file. Not only does the policyholder walk away pleasantly surprised by how their turmoil has been simplified, but the claim has also been started in such a way that the adjuster can go directly to adjusting, bypassing many of the administrative tasks of settling the claim and gathering loss information. The adjuster doesn't have to deal with tasks like assigning a collision repair center, coordinating the rental car, or ordering a police report because these actions have already taken place before the claim reaches your adjuster's desk.

This comprehensive, first-notice-of-loss process can be more than a wish list item – with First Notice Systems, you can make it part of your claim operations today. Many property & casualty carriers are already using First Notice System to drastically enhance their first-report process, streamline claim operations, and shave days off settlement times.

First Notice's claim reporting solution is web-based, call center friendly, and designed to handle even the most complex claim. With First Notice Systems, your claims organization can reap the benefits by starting claims on the right foot, from enhanced customer service to reduced claim expenses.

Greg Powers is vice president at First Notice Systems, (617) 866-2000, www.firstnotice.com.

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