Customer experience is best measured by your customers’ perceptions, not just by internal processes or metrics. Collecting real-time customer feedback helps to guide company decisions and enhance consumer or client touchpoints for the best experience possible. We find customer insights are highly valuable for spurring innovation in areas like product development, operations, fulfillment, claims processing and customer service.

Every week we survey 30,000 travelers to ask about their experience what they liked and what we could improve. Using their feedback with other ongoing customer service and satisfaction surveys in travel and events, we made a number of improvements in 2017 to alleviate potential pain points. Most importantly, we’ve made filing claims easier, sped up reimbursements and improved benefits. After implementing new solutions, we circled back on each area to hear customers’ responses in their own words.

Our CX initiatives were recognized with a 2017 award for Excellence in Customer Experience  by the Temkin Group, along with five other leading companies across North America.

When consumers have to deal with the hassles caused by travel delays or missing events, getting reimbursed for covered expenses should be fast, easy and transparent. Using customer feedback to determine what was causing claims delays, we simplified our forms and made it easier to file claims quickly, meanwhile improving accuracy. A year later, we’ve increased the number of claims that pass first review by 12%, which helps reduce claim delays.

To streamline claims processing, we designed a Next Generation Claims platform that automates the processing and payment of simple, lower-cost claims and claims that fit certain criteria. These improvements shortened our average claims lifecycle from up to 30 days to now 7 business days for claims that include all required data and documentation at first review. While processing expectedly slowed some during the huge influx of hurricane-related claims in fall 2017, this process efficiency and automation improved our capabilities for handling that volume of claims effectively.

Claims can be filed through our website and the TravelSmart app, which both enable customers to check the status of their claims. We’re currently developing automated notifications for each step of claims processing and payment. Meanwhile, we’re moving in the direction of offering customers proactive or touchless claims with triggered payments.

Here’s what our customers said about the improved claims process:

Timely claims reimbursements can alleviate the stress and financial burden of added expenses from travel delays as well as medical emergencies abroad. (As a side note, we offer insured travelers pre-screened hospital admissions and guaranteed payments in a network of over 2,800 hospitals in more than 160 countries outside the U.S.)

In March 2017, we rolled out direct deposit payments, a faster alternative to mailed checks that takes only 1-2 days for customers to receive funds. Three months later, we rolled out real-time payments for approved claims using Mastercard Send. Flight delay or lost luggage? Simply file a claim on our award-winning TravelSmart™ app and access funds on a debit card just minutes or hours after the claim is finalized. This enables some insured travelers to actually get their claims paid while on longer trips.

We’re constantly refining our products and offer messages to align insurance coverage with consumer expectations. In addition to clarifying in the purchase path what reasons are covered, we look for potential coverage gaps to make our products more useful and valuable. For instance, customer surveys we conducted showed that 17% of event goers and nearly 10% of athletes say that missing an event due to work obligations is their biggest concern. We responded by adding “required to work” benefits to many of our event channel products, from protecting event tickets to race registration fees.

We’re continually adding coverage for Existing Medical Conditions (EMC) to more travel products offered through our e-commerce partners. Coming soon, we’re working to eliminate the physician form requirements on plans that include EMC, a pain point in obtaining medical documentation for affected customers. To better protect travelers who want reimbursement benefits in case they have to cancel their plans for any unforeseen covered reason, we’re expanding availability of “Cancel Anytime” benefits for travel products through our e-commerce partners.

Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.
Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company or Jefferson Insurance Company, depending on your state of residence.  Plan(s) only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are brands of AGA Service Company.  AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Non-insurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by AGA Service Company. Consumer may be responsible for charges incurred from outside vendors for assistance or concierge services. Contact AGA Service Company at 800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or customerservice@allianzassistance.com.