Insurers who provide a highly satisfying customer experience benefit from higher customer retention, reduced costs in acquiring new customers, and more word-of-mouth referrals compared to insurers that deliver less satisfying experiences to their customers.
All insurers face the reality that customer expectations are being reshaped by market forces beyond their control; whether through the emergence of smart hand held devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, or social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook.
The new customer expectation has been set by the ease of access to all kinds of data and services, right from their phone. Anything less is considered "old-school" and can lead to customers reconsidering their insurer.
Claims Drive Customer Satisfaction, or Defection
Your customers' experience with regards to claims is the most important factor in the insurer-customer relationship. According to the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates' Survey of Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction, the claims experience is one of the top influencers in customer satisfaction, and increased in its importance weighting from 2011 to 2012.
To retain and acquire customers, carriers need to enhance and modernize the customer claims experience. Studies have predicted that the mobile industry will be dominated by advanced mobile smartphone devices by 2014, making a smart phone application a growing channel for insurance companies to offer products and services.
The good news is that with new mobile applications for claims processing, everybody wins. Customers get a better experience in filing a claim, and insurance companies benefit with reduced costs and improved cycle times.
Recently, third party claims administrator Quest of St. Johns, Michigan introduced their mobile app for insurance companies. Quest's Mobile Claims App, which can be branded with the insurance client's logo and colors, allows customers to file a claim, contact their agent, and find local lodging and other services right from their smartphone. The Mobile Claims App is a white label solution on which you can extend your brand and enhance the customer experience, reduce claims cycle/cost, and create a new opportunity to provide a convenient self-service tool to customers.
Claims Processing On A Smartphone – How It Works
Utilizing the mobile phone app at the accident scene, the customer would be provided with an educational checklist on what they should do if they are in an accident, and even start a Claim Report and upload pictures of the accident scene.
The Claim Report would request personal information (name, address, phone number, email), vehicle information, accident details (date, time, any injuries, description), prompt for photos and then email this information to their agent. This application would also call for assistance and would pinpoint and transmit the exact location of the vehicle through the smartphone's GPS application. The vehicle would be transported to the insurance company's preferred repair facility, eliminating storage fees and the second tow.
Not only is the customer able to file for first notice of an accident claim, but also use the mobile application to access and initiate a roadside assistance call, find local gas, hotels, repair shops, or call their agent.
Control The Scene, Control Your Costs
When an insurance company can control the Accident Scene tow, they can realize over $400 savings in claims cost. Quest's managed Accident Towing programs have achieved success in avoiding expensive police rotation tow. By capturing the vehicle with a non-rotation tower, we deliver reduced towing rates, eliminate impound or storage fees, gate fees, and the aggravation of getting the vehicle's release. By capturing the vehicle and moving it directly to your repair facility, proactive accident scene management eliminates the secondary tow and reduces the claims cycle time. Not only do you achieve significant savings but you improve customer satisfaction.
How To Implement A Mobile App Strategy Without Breaking The Bank
A mobile claims application can provide convenience to your customer and real time claims data to the agent and carrier. Quest's Mobile App is easy to implement, and costs only pennies per customer compared to a six-figure custom mobile app development project.
Contact Quest at 800-541-2593 to learn more about our accident scene management program and our branded mobile claims app.
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