The future of claims blends human and digital

According to a recent Nationwide Agency Forward survey, while customers are becoming more comfortable with digital claims tools, most still rate being able to communicate with an actual agent high on their list of priorities.

“When we are putting the customer and service representative together in a digital world, it is still crucial that the customer feels supported by being able to reach a person if they need it,” Martha Frye, Nationwide’s senior vice president of personal lines claims, said in a press release about the survey. “Claims are usually filed after something bad has happened, so we’re trying to strike the balance of helping with personal expertise, along with digital solutions to keep them informed and speed it along—both are really important.”

Nationwide’s survey found that 82% of customers are satisfied with the claims process. Among those who weren’t satisfied, 25% said the claims process was too slow, 22% said the process was difficult and 22% said there was too much paperwork involved.