Customer Service for Insurance

Celent’s Tom Scales explores the future of an industry. Drawing on a recent report, Tom delves into his prognostications for the future as well as those of fellow analyst John Barr. The industry is changing at a rapid pace, from digital transformation, to fluidless underwriting, to transparency in compensation.

With the initial disruption of the pandemic now past, the insurance industry is looking to modernize how insurers and broker dealers interact with clients. Traditionally, carriers and agents relied on face-to-face meetings with customers to complete business applications, disclosures and policies, and insurance claims. But in our increasingly remote world, consumers have come to expect the ability to conduct business remotely, with any device they choose, and at their own convenience. The challenge is how to provide a superior customer experience within the confines of remote digital processes. Despite a surge in all-things “digital”, customers still value the human connection. That’s why a human-digital hybrid model is an important combination for replicating the in-person experience.

Increased risks are impacting insurance profitability. Earlier this year, AM Best indicated an increase in losses and expenses were responsible for the P&C sector’s $4.1 billion net underwriting loss in 2021 and a weakened combined ratio of 99.6%[i] . AM Best estimated that the 2021 catastrophe losses accounted for 7.7 points on the combined ratio. Already in 2022, the Marshall Fire in Colorado is expected to reach $1 billion in losses, with nearly 1,000 homes destroyed and hundreds more requiring damage repair. Tornadoes in Kentucky and other locations devastated both homeowners and businesses. Rising construction costs, strained supply chains, and lack of construction workers are driving up the cost of rebuilding, putting many insureds at risk of not having enough insurance coverage and insurers at risk of not knowing their overall portfolio of risk.

BriteCore community members share about their digital transformation journeys, key lessons learned, and the pivotal role new technologies play in accelerating growth and positioning organizations for new opportunities.