March 2021
Much time is spent debating how the motor insurance customer experience can be improved – from the first touchpoint at acquisition right the way through to claims and, of course, crucially beyond into retention. But it is the claims experience that still remains the big focus, with considerable innovation over the last few years helping insurers metaphorically put their arms around their customers from the very first notification – or even before in the case of telematics that can flag up when a vehicle has been involved in a high impact event.
Once the initial call has been received, the next thing an insurer wants to do is get their customer on their way, whether to return home or continue their journey, safely. And, as car rental plays a fundamental role in that process it is vital that insurers are given the confidence that as they hand their customer over to an external supplier, the positive customer experience is not undermined.
The investment being made by car rental providers like Europcar is focused on ensuring that this is not the case, enhancing the customer experience as well as making the claims process simpler and quicker.
Once in a replacement vehicle, the use of customised mobile apps, telematics and video dash cam technology can give insurers’ customers additional confidence that any additional charges are genuine.
Historically, specifying any damage to a vehicle, either at the start or end of a rental, has been manually noted on the Rental Agreement. But new technology is now allowing the creation of better data sets. Mobile apps at the point of handover record the condition of a vehicle with digital images. These can then be annotated to provide accurate details on the exact condition of the vehicle.
The use of telematics and dash cams in rental vehicles is also reducing uncertainty and helping to improve the customer experience. Plus the technology allows for vehicles to be geofenced, so that if the terms of the insurance cover mean a replacement car cannot leave the country, an alert will be triggered if the vehicle goes near a port or a border. An alert could also be sent based on the time of day when the vehicle is being driven which is valuable for insurers who have policies with curfews.
For insurers who, of necessity, focus on claims costs and indemnity spend, access to the latest connected car technology in rental vehicles is a crucial step towards mitigating and managing their claims costs.
James Roberts, Business Development Director – Insurance
Europcar Mobility Group UK
