The insurance industry has undergone a transformation over the past five years. Once manual and paper-based, insurance professionals now recognize the overwhelmingly positive impact technology has had on efficiency and customer relationships.
We can expect the acceleration of tech-enabled customer experiences that promote dynamic customer interactions and empower the insurance industry to deliver tailored solutions and products to meet customers’ personal risk advisory needs. Here are a few of the innovations we will see take off in 2020.
- Pay-as-you-go car insurance. This unique approach to car insurance is especially appealing for urban consumers who own a car but rarely drive it. Rather than forcing occasional drivers to spend money on the same caliber of coverage as someone who drives every day, on-demand insurance means car owners can activate coverage only when they need it or pay per mile. The program requires a significant investment in technology that provides direct, self-service options for consumers, but we’ve already seen Liberty Mutual and Metromile offer this flexibility. We can expect many of the larger brands to begin offering similar options.
- Self-service capabilities. Sometimes it’s just not feasible to call an agent when a need or question arises. Modern consumers increasingly want the convenience of DIY options to allow them to secure coverage or access information on their own schedule. To meet that demand, we’ll see self-service portals offer a wider range of features, including risk rating, on-demand premium quotes, home inventory solutions and claims processing. There’s also a growing demand for virtual adjuster technology and drone/satellite integration that help speed claims processes. Many agencies aren’t aware that their carrier partners even offer these tools, so be sure to ask.
- Smart home claim avoidance/prevention tech. You’re probably already familiar with tools that track driving habits and offer discounts on auto insurance. A similar tech is emerging to help homeowners head off costly insurance claims on some of the most common mishaps. For example, a large portion of claims are related to water damage, such as a pipe bursting or an old water heater that fails. By implementing smart home sensors, automated controls and other Internet of Things devices, insurers can help homeowners mitigate the damage. For example, a sensor installed on a water heater can help monitor its structural integrity and remaining useful life, giving homeowners a heads up if it looks like a leak is imminent. In addition to offering premium discounts for participating in such a program, carriers might also provide incentives for replacing risky appliances ahead of time to avoid the risk of claim. Other solutions might involve installing a flood sensor or automated water control valve, which would send a mobile notification if a pipe bursts while no one is home, or even automatically shut off the water to prevent major damage. Some carriers already offer smart home kits for free to avoid these types of claims, and, while some homeowners might be a little concerned about privacy issues at first, I expect we’ll see this become table stakes soon.
- Deeper data insights to drive business growth. With threats of a potential economic slowdown beginning to percolate, we’re starting to see signs of a hardening of the market in commercial lines. In many cases, premiums are rising, and business customers are looking at all options to save money and reduce costs. Agencies need quantifiable data and insights from smart analytics to help commercial customers strike the right balance of risk, coverage and cost.
