Vehicle claims status tracking in the palm of your hand
If you’ve ever had to make a claim - a call to your insurer, repairer, assessor, or anyone else involved in the handling of your claim - then you’ll already realise the benefits of being able to track the status of your claim in the palm of your hand. Saving precious time being on hold, or on the phone bouncing around to different people seeking a simple update on how your claim is progressing (or not progressing).
Arnie’s product roadmap aligns with the ‘efficient, honest and fairness’ of all things claims to provide the transparency insurance customers want and need. In 2020 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that over a third of Australians reported feeling ‘Always’ or ‘Often’ rushed. We live in a greater need for simplicity, transparency and connectedness. Especially during times of added pressure, such as a claimable incident.
With 95.9% of Australian internet users in 2021 owning a Smartphone [Source: DataReportal], it’s a no-brainer to enable self-service features for customers to track their claim status in the palm of their hand. Insurers, repairers and other service providers should expect to see less telephone enquiries and higher satisfaction rates. For those who are brushing their teeth while making sandwiches for the kids’ lunches and taking their first of many calls for the day, real-time updates informing the moments that matter can eliminate the ambiguity and need to enquire entirely.
We’re excited to bring the Arnie Mobile App features to fruition and increase engagement and transparency when it comes to handling a claim through self-service capabilities and real-time updates.
What does this mean for service providers?
Often repairers, assessors, suppliers and other service providers are caught in the middle without adequate information, authority or means to offer the customer the update they’re requesting. Repairers and assessors are excited to see the increased transparency for customers throughout the lifecycle of a motor vehicle claim, although they will be held accountable by the insurer and the customer with the estimates and completion dates they provide.
What does this mean for insurers?
Insurers are actively seeking ways to inform the customer, not only at times they’re required to by ‘The Code’ and other legislative requirements, but to increase customer satisfaction and reduce the number of calls and emails to operations. It’s a win-win for insurers who see an increase in productivity, redirecting energy and expertise to tasks that inspire and excite staff. The challenge you might ask, is how to ensure the information they’re providing to the customer by means of a status update is both accurate and timely? It’s a challenge both insurers and repairers must navigate together for best effectiveness. Many insurers are systemising these processes for their repairers and service providers to keep centralised systems up to date, without creating a backlog of administrative updates or double-handling in multiple systems.
What does this mean for insurance customers?
I know I’d choose to insure my vehicle with an insurer who can offer an estimate of completion, real-time SMS and email updates, and even a link where I can check out how my claim is in the palm of my hand.
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) reports year on year that the highest number of complaints for general insurance are related to the duration of claims handling and lack of communication or updates.
There’s an opportunity here for us as claims handlers to inform the customer at those moments that matter without spamming their inbox, while maintaining a human level of exceptional communication where it really counts.
Check out more of what’s on Arnie’s roadmap by reading our latest report on redefining the future of motor claims or on our website arniesoftware.com.
By Danni Robson, Head of Product - Arnie