View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2005/06/20/56306.htm
With weather experts predicting a more destructive and historic hurricane season in 2005 than 2004, EnvoyWorldWide, a provider of enterprise notification services, is delivering services to the insurance industry to alert customers proactively to a variety of weather-related issues, ranging from hurricane preparedness to filing damage claims.
By leveraging proactive communication strategies, insurance companies will reportedly better prepare customers, subsequently reducing the number of storm-related claims. By providing customers with preemptive solutions to making routine, weather-related claims, innovative insurers mitigate traffic into their contact centers, freeing up agents to provide service excellence in more complex cases.
In 2004, six hurricanes and three tropical storms hit the United States resulting in dozens of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. In Florida and Alabama alone, the estimated hurricane damage in 2004 is between $19.2 billion and $27.2 billion. The ability for insurance companies to either reduce claims through better preparedness, or more rapidly resolve claims that result from tumultuous hurricane season such as 2004 is critical to the success of their business. The hurricane season began June 1 and runs through the end of November, and NOAA expects that 12 – 15 tropical storms will hit this year, with 7 – 9 becoming hurricanes.
EnvoyWorldWide’s technology is already reportedly in use at several insurers, including Electric Insurance, Aegon, Insweb, Unitrin Direct and UICI. These companies are reportedly able to improve their competitive position significantly by offering customers quicker and more efficient service.
In addition to localized weather alerts, insurers are leveraging EnvoyWorldWide’s automated, interactive voice and text notifications for claims processing updates, rate change information and check delivery notifications.
“Better hurricane preparedness is the most effective way to save lives and reduce property damage, and EnvoyWorldWide is offering a solution that gives insurance companies the means to communicate urgent issues more effectively to their customers,” said Ben Levitan, CEO of EnvoyWorldWide. “Through EnvoyWorldWide’s notification services, insurance companies can work with customers more closely throughout all phases of the relationship and can provide a critical service during times of emergency.”