Toronto, Ontario — Despite the uptick in virtual claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers still crave human interaction in their claims interactions, according to an April 2021 report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
“No matter how great the technology is, consumers still want human touch when they need it,” reads the company’s whitepaper. “Consumers appreciate the convenience of online, self-service virtual processes, but when they want to talk to a human being, nothing else can substitute—not even the most personable bot.”
Further, the report states that having direct access to a representative dramatically increases consumer comfort levels with automated claims processes across every age group, and especially so for the baby-boomer generation.
“The sweet spot for claims processing overall seems to be a mix between self-service and adjuster interaction,” said the LexisNexis report. “This type of hybrid model provides the advantages of automated solutions along with a personal touch when consumers feel the need for it.”
A LexisNexis survey of 1,750 auto insurance policyholders in the U.S. found that 89% said they spoke with a claims representative more than once, and 76% spoke with more than one person before getting their claim resolved.
In the LexisNexis survey, 48 percent of insurer respondents said they were “seriously considering or piloting some form of ‘touchless claims’ process.”
