<strong>By: Tavio Roxo, CEO of OWLS Software</strong>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ever wonder why you hear the term automation so often? If you ask any service oriented company, they would tell you it is because, automation is the key to customer satisfaction. And the reason this is of utmost importance now, is due to higher customer expectations and severely competitive market condition.  The insurance industry in particular, was long seen as a low-engagement, intermediated category, but current analytics prove that leading carriers are delivering customer experiences that inspire loyalty and attract younger customers.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The difference between great and inferior customer service is very clear cut from the customer’s perspective. One poorly handled claim or mishap with confidential data could escalate into a public relations nightmare.  For this reason, the software service providers that cater to the insurance market, like any other industry, are starting to focus their products with the end-user in mind. </span>

<h2><strong>How do we satisfy the insatiable modern user?</strong></h2>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to stay relevant, enterprises have to invest in ingenuity as well as innovation to insure their platform serves the modern user. Where technology is concerned, automation and machine learning enables just that.</span>

<h3><b>6 Ways automated software can increase end user experience</b></h3>

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<li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Reduce risk</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The data and information collection becomes faster, simpler and more secure and arguably more accurate as a result. With automation comes the reduction in human error. And data security is crucial, as demonstrated by the resent Facebook calamity. The trust that your clients place in your systems is easily broken and no amount of public relations will fix a flawed system. Therefore, constructs like closed-looped processes leads to increased customer loyalty and  ultimately greater return of investment. </span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Build better relationships.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Sophisticated data gathering tools can also lead to better managed relationships between the company and client. This includes the communications used to inform and update users faster and more effectively. Smart systems is the key to the customer experience of the future and allows companies to focus on the big experiences that will make all the difference in customers having great interaction with the organisation. Instead of waiting to hold for hours, they can get the answers they need quickly, leaving the company more time to surprise and delight. </span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Optimise through machine learning. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every year new technologies are released with increased processing capacity and record braking data transfers. Customers are now taught to expect fast fingerprint logins with 3 second transaction times.  With machine learning and natural language processing to understand what the customers really want, companies are generating more accurate data with ease. Example, if the customer is contacting the call-centre every week to check on claims, machine learning can discover that they will really benefit from an online platform, leaving them satisfied as need recognition becomes for individually focused. </span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>One customer approach.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> As mentioned, the customer touch points are no longer in silo’s, but rather a seamless communication across call centre, email and voice messages. All communications should be unified through better managed customer relationship management systems with sophisticated data-gathering tools that decreases the friction caused by departmentalisation. The understanding of a customer of one cannot be underscored enough. Without this the customer journey through the organisation is doomed. </span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Increased productivity.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Deploying a management or administration system that adopts an end-user approach increases productivity for staff as well. With simplified process that automate mundane tasks and enable staff the time to focus on high priority solutions, companies benefit through higher levels of productively. Ultimately the software that enable staff to make quick decisions then contribute to the success for the organisation in the long run. </span></li>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you ask any insurance customer out there what they dread most when dealing with their insurer, it would arguably be the long hold times with impersonal call-centres. With the unpleasant and common customer interactions in mind, it can be surprising that so many companies are still afraid of automation and machine learning. With the potential to transform unpleasant experiences and greatly improve how customer interact with a business. Instead of wasting their time and energy, the right software could solve their problems and allow customers to get the help they deserve faster, building loyalty along the way. </span>