Contactless claims process for the new social distancing world

BY ANDREW STEWART

Have you seen the Chinese word for ‘crisis’? If you haven’t, it’s made up of two characters. One means’ danger,’ which makes sense. But what’s unusual is that the second character means, ‘opportunity.’ This concept goes back to the 6th century B.C. when Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu wrote: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

Times of uncertainty can also be times of great creation. The insurance sector is trying to respond to the immediate impacts of COVID-19 and looking to change with this uncertain future. Canada’s insurance providers are taking action to help their customers, many insurers are offering consumers lower auto insurance premiums, to reflect reduced driving. Companies are also providing financial relief to both consumers and businesses losing income and revenues – for example, by deferring premiums and waiving fees. But a company called WeGoLook® is looking to help carriers and Ontario policyholders be safer, smarter, and more efficient.

WeGoLook®, an on-demand workforce solutions provider provides a contactless claims solution that assesses any claim, anytime and anywhere. One of the technologies they provide is the YouGoLook self-service app. This app allows policyholders to submit their reports, by walking them through the process of capturing and submitting images necessary for the insurance carrier to size up damage or even estimate the cost of repairs. This would mean that auto and homeowners could submit their claim photos. During these turbulent times, businesses around the world are challenged to provide the same level of service that clients received before the pandemic. One glaring point that this pandemic has shown me about Canadians is that we are patient people. But while we are patient, we still expect great service from the companies we use every day. This application can empower policyholders and give them a sense of security by helping ensure their claims are handled without interruption.

Below is a brief rundown on how the process is designed to ensure speed, quality, and accuracy. While being seamless and intuitive.

• Look ordered via ordering portal (You contacted your insurance company)
• Policyholder notified via email and/or SMS
• Policyholder clicks to download YouGoLook app
• App guides policyholder to capture images and data
• Policyholder submits data
• Quality assurance review
• Report delivered

Another company that’s in the life insurance sector looking to capitalize on Canadians increased exposure to buying online is PolicyMe. PolicyMe, launched by Laura McKay, Andrew Ostro, and Jeff McKay in 2018, is Canada’s first digital life insurance platform designed to help Canadians navigate the industry. Today, 97% of life insurance products are sold by individual agents, however since the average age of a life insurance advisor in Canada is 62, that model is becoming increasingly ineffective.

In a world where almost anything can be bought with a few taps of a smartphone screen, the life insurance industry needs to stay in touch with the expectations of the newer generation. PolicyMe uses modern technology to give smart, honest & personalized advice on the type and amount of life insurance users need, before allowing shoppers to compare products across trusted providers in the industry.

As a relatively young insurance advisor, I don’t view companies like these as competition. My belief is lack of education to the public and trust is a much greater enemy and I appreciate any person or company that’s on a mission to change that.