How to Simplify Your Claims Processes to Improve Growth

Posted on

March 9th, 2020

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Filing an insurance claim is often a frustrating time for customers as they’ve likely experienced a loss. A claims process that is difficult or slow to produce results can further those aggravations and can cause customers to look elsewhere for their insurance coverage. There are a lot of factors that contribute to customer loyalty, and the claims experience tops that list.

Technology Band-Aids No Longer Bridging the Gap

Customer Pain Points

Insurance providers know that customers expect a mobile application and an online portal to manage their bills, policies, and claims. However, simply developing an app is not enough. Many forms still require customers to download and print them out to complete. Then they have to scan and upload the document.

This process is time-consuming and no longer realistic. The setup of a desktop computer with a separate printer has faded into technology history as more people rely on laptops. The need to print things in general has decreased as more industries get on board with electronic documents and signatures. Add in the cost of buying a printer and ink, and owning a printer becomes costly and unnecessary.

Electronic forms still pose problems for customers as well as many aren’t responsive. If the customer happens to be home and have access to their laptop, they can fill out the form. If they attempt to do so on their phone or tablet, however, many begin to experience compatibility problems. In a high-tech world, these kinds of difficulties are unacceptable to most insured customers.

Insurance Provider Pain Points

Even when insurance providers offer forms, they often lack the ability to capture the information contained within it. This means they have to manually carry over the information the customer provided, which takes time and is prone to human error. Many forms also lack all of the details insurance adjusters need to process the claim so they end up contacting the customer to ask for the information again. This aggravates the customer as it comes across as redundant and delays the claim.

Switching from paper to a truly high-tech digital process can save insurance representatives’ and adjusters’ valuable time processing claims, expedite the claim for the customer, and improve customer satisfaction with the overall claims process. The experts at Actec understand what insurance providers need out of their claims handling processes. Contact us to learn how we can help improve your claims intake, FNOL, and more.

3 Critical Steps to Improve the Claims Process

Posted on

May 4th, 2018

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cycle-2019530_1280Improving the claims management process does more than improve customer satisfaction. It also improves employee efficiency, which allows insurance agents to close more claims on a faster timeline. Whether adjusters have years of experience and are learning new technology or they are new professionals that are used to automated software systems, any insurance agent can benefit from the steps outlined below.

Improving Workflow Processes

Many insurance companies toss around the term best practices, but what they usually mean is common practices. While there are rarely 100% right or wrong answers, agents should incorporate the following into their workflow:

  1. Work outside the claims box. Falling for the idea that all simple fender benders, bicycle incidents, etc. are the same can result in expensive errors. Assuming one accident will play out as a previous similar accident is foolhardy. Agents should approach each claim with a renewed outlook to make sure they do not miss any important details.
  2. Assess and address leaks in the workflow. The saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it does not apply in the insurance industry. While a claims process may be working on some level, major inefficiencies (or several minor ones) can add to the amount of time it takes to close the claim. Longer claims processes make for unhappy customers and cost more money in the long run. For example, most claims have an abundance of documents. By assessing how agents collect and file these documents, insurance companies can discover inefficiencies. Once they see the problem, insurers can implement a new process to streamline documentation.
  3. Don’t underestimate processing details. No one stage of the claims management process is more important than another. To put it another way, agents shouldn’t take shortcuts during perceived less important stages of the claim. From pre-claim to post-claim processing, agents need to give the claim their due diligence. This means adjusters need to collaborate and communicate with other relevant agents as well as the customer for a timely resolution with a positive outcome.

Even the best claims management process needs frequent review to ensure it is as efficient as possible. If your claims management process is lacking, Actec can help. Our Full-Cycle Claim and Incident Reporting Solutions can address inefficiencies and improve claims procedures from start to finish. Contact us to learn more.