Mobile Insurance Technology on the Customer Service Frontline

For many years, customer service representatives and automated answering systems have been the consumer’s first point of contact when calling their insurance companies. Nowadays, most companies have developed mobile technology that puts many of their services at the tip of the user’s finger.

In general, mobile apps for car insurance companies allow you to perform certain functions via your smartphone, such as viewing coverage, obtaining roadside assistance, and contacting your agent. With some apps, you can even upload photos of your vehicle’s damage.

Although car insurance apps offer many helpful transactions, my recent personal experience was somewhat of a rude awakening to the fact that the insurance industry may still have a ways to go before they are able to provide the best customer experience via mobile technology.

On the day after my accident, I took photos of the damage, both to my vehicle and the side of the truck I had backed into. I then uploaded them for the claims adjuster to view. But I was surprised–not pleasantly–to discover the app did not allow me to edit information I had previously entered or provide what I would consider to be pertinent information, including the name and contact of the owner of the other vehicle. In addition, attempting to contact a local claims adjuster through the app only led to a round of “phone tag” with the representative the following day.

The accident caused me enough stress without these added frustrations. Was it unrealistic for me to expect that my insurance company’s mobile app would streamline the claims process and take some of the pain out of the whole situation? I don’t think so.

Aligning Customer Service with Customer Expectations

In this on-demand world, customers expect immediate answers to online queries. And don’t think that doesn’t apply to all customer demographics. Even Googling seniors have become conditioned to anticipate quick response times through their increasing use of social media platforms like Facebook.

In an age where the first contact with your car insurance company may be a virtual assistant named Lily or a “good neighbor” right in your back pocket, the bottom line is still the quality of your experience. The insurance industry must be on par with other companies that employ technology to enhance customer engagement.

Customers set our service expectations, and we, as industry leaders, must mobilize our companies to meet – or even exceed – those expectations. That is what we believe here at Security First Insurance. The customer experience that policyholders expect is not a “Jetsons” vision of the distant future. It is here, and it is real. At Security First Insurance, we continuously strive to develop the technology and products that meet the customer expectations of today and tomorrow.

To support our company’s commitment to constantly improve the customer experience, I recently attended the Enservio’s annual Property Innovation Summit . The conference, an invitation-only thought leadership conference for the property insurance industry, brings together industry leaders, respected insurance analysts, and high-profile business transformation and innovation experts for networking and idea sharing.

Have you used your insurance company’s mobile app to file a claim, pay a bill, or search for a nearby service provider? Feel free to share your experience in the comment section!

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Check out Security First Insurance’s free mobile app, Security First Mobile, for iPhone and Android users. It has features that benefit all Floridians, including a helpful storm tracker, hurricane checklist, and an instant quote tool that provides users with an estimated premium in less than three minutes.