Streamlining insurance claims communication with VoIP and SMS

Insurance claims can be a real pain, for both insurance companies and policyholders. The filing process and administration of it all (from intake to routing to verification) can be difficult and rife with inefficiency.

However, there are ways you can streamline the entire insurance claims process to make things a little easier, especially for policyholders. It all comes down to communication and, specifically, how you can take advantage of modern technology like VoIP and SMS to make your business more efficient.

How VoIP and SMS can streamline insurance claims

There are two ways to think of how you process insurance claims. First, there’s how you internally process claims. This includes receiving the claim from a policyholder, routing it to the right department, and verifying information before completing the claim.

Your process can be as tight and perfect as you can get it, but if you don’t get the second part right you could see inefficiency rear its ugly head. That’s how you communicate claims to your policyholders. Clear communication creates efficiency. If your customers aren’t sure what’s going on or don’t know the status, they’ll start clogging up your customer support and agent lines, which will make it harder for them to do their jobs, which will in turn make your business much more inefficient.

So, how can you use VoIP and SMS to clearly communicate to policyholders? Here’s how.

How SMS can streamline insurance claims

91 percent of Americans own a smartphone, all of which are capable of SMS messaging. A good number of people prefer text messaging over voice calls for simple things like status updates and reminders.

So why not take advantage of people’s smartphone habits to make your communication more efficient with business texts? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Payment reminders

Life is busy and it’s so easy to forget to do important things once in a while. You can help policyholders (as well as your business) by simply texting them reminders that their payment is due soon. Even if they don’t forget, reminding them can demonstrate that your business is on top of things.

Account warnings (like Fraud Alerts)

We live in a world where hackers are getting into accounts and fraudsters are trying to pry people’s information away from them on the daily. You can help make sure both your business and policyholders are protected by simply texting them when something is off about their account. From fraud alerts letting them know someone has accessed their account to warnings that they missed a payment or a deadline, these texts can help make sure things are smooth.

Policy updates

You can keep policyholders updated on any rate or policy changes via text message, providing a shortened link to where they can learn more. If you make any changes, it’s always important for you to communicate them clearly and consistently.

Claim updates

Really want to make the insurance claims process as simple as possible? Keep your policyholders updated via text message. Even a small update telling them their claim has been processed or has been received is enough. You will have to be careful not to reveal private information, so keep these messages general, but they go a long way in reassuring your policyholders that things are moving forward.

How VoIP can streamline insurance claims

Not only can you use SMS to improve efficiency, but you can also retool your voice communications with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Let’s take a look at how.

Get policyholders to the right agent

If you have a customer calling you, it is imperative you get them to the right person and complete the interaction as quickly and efficiently as possible. With a VoIP service like Ooma Office, you can use intelligent call routing and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu that guides them to the right agent for their needs.

Virtual Receptionist and Self-Service information

Not too surprisingly, many policyholders call insurance companies just to get basic business information. This includes things like your office hours, your address, your process and general service updates like busy seasons. Rather than have an agent spend the time to relay all this information, you can rely on a Virtual Receptionist to do it for them. This way when the policyholder calls, they can choose some options from your IVR menu and get the information they need.

Make your claims process more efficient

Your operations may work well internally, but when you interface with policyholders it’s important you go above and beyond to deliver a great experience that keeps them happy in what could be a difficult time. You’ll need a great business phone service for insurance agents to get it done.

Some phone services, like Ooma Office, can even integrate with other services you rely on, like AgencyZoom. This allows you to enable your agents to provide better customer experiences by having seamless access to customer information before and during making customer calls.

Learn more: How AgencyZoom + Ooma makes your business efficient.

Ooma is an affordable, feature-packed way to give your agents the tools they need. And from great tools to great tips for calls between your agents and clients, Ooma’s got your back.