Behind the gold: The success story of Zurich's WhatsApp claims chatbot

Insurance
25/06/2024Interview

Rosa Narváez is Head of Service Strategy and Transformation at Zurich in Spain. She is the person behind the 'WhatsApp claims chatbot' project which won a gold award in the Re-imagining the Customer Experience category at the Qorus Innovation in Insurance Awards 2024. She talks to us about the project and the win.


Can you introduce yourself and tell us more about your role at Zurich?

Hi, I'm Rosa Narváez! At Zurich Spain, I lead claims strategy and service transformation. For over 12 years, I've brought my passion for innovation and customer experience to life across diverse roles – from design consulting to transformative ventures within corporations. In recent years, it’s been a privilege to merge my core passions – product, AI and human interaction – to create engaging experiences that not only scale but also improve operational efficiency.

What made you most proud of the ‘WhatsApp claims chatbot’ project? What was your greatest achievement in making it happen?

Our greatest pride in the 'WhatsApp claims chatbot' project lies in its transformative impact across customer experience, operational efficiency and employee engagement. Fostering a company-wide sense of ownership was instrumental in achieving this success. This project has driven a cultural shift towards customer-centric communication, eliminating insurance jargon and implementing NLP to enhance understanding. We've streamlined claims processing, reducing handler’s workload and significantly improving resolution times. Additionally, the project's success has been built upon our legacy systems, demonstrating our ability to innovate while leveraging existing infrastructure. None of this would be possible without getting everyone in Zurich to feel part of this project and help make it happen.

What’s the most important thing you would tell someone considering embarking on a similar project?

Embarking on a similar project requires a deep understanding of customer needs, prioritizing use cases that align with their expectations rather than solely focusing on internal efficiency goals. Identifying the right partners and talent is also crucial, potentially involving new hires with expertise in this domain.

What's coming next for the ‘WhatsApp claims chatbot’ project? 

Our vision for the 'WhatsApp claims chatbot' project is to provide a seamless omnichannel experience, empowering customers to manage their insurance needs through their preferred channels. Our 2024 roadmap prioritizes the development of self-service functionalities for frequently requested use cases. We are also exploring the integration of generative AI to further enhance the user experience and investigating omnichannel capabilities in conjunction with voice channels.

What would you say to companies that might consider entering the 2025 Insurance Innovation Awards?

The 2025 Insurance Innovation Awards present an exceptional opportunity to showcase your project's achievements, gain industry recognition, and learn from inspiring initiatives undertaken by fellow companies. Sharing real-world success stories and insights can foster significant advancements within the insurance sector.

What does this award mean to you and your innovation team?

This project was a major draw for me joining Zurich and seeing its impact is incredibly rewarding. The award validates our team's hard work and expertise. It reinforces our confidence in our ability to deliver innovative solutions that enhance the customer experience.

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