New FNOL AI Plugin Removes the Claims Language Barrier

Language barriers can be a major obstacle during the claims process. When details are lost in translation, misunderstandings and delays can follow, which can contribute to higher costs and a poor insurance customer experience. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Thanks to a new AI-powered FNOL Plugin, language barriers can be a thing of the past.

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Claimants Don’t Always Speak English

In the U.S., most insurance companies conduct business in English, but this doesn’t mean all policyholders speak English. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67.8 million people speak a language other than English at home. Spanish is the most common language after English, with more than 41 million speakers. Plus, more than 3.4 million people speak Chinese at home and more than 1.7 million people speak Tagalog – and that’s just a few of the most common languages.

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Language variety is not unique to the U.S. – Canada, for example, has two official languages: English and French. Around three in four Canadians speak English, according to Statistics Canada, and around one in five Canadians speaks French. Additionally, 4.6 million Canadians speak a language other than English or French at home.

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Insurance Companies Can’t Keep Up

Many insurance companies try to hire bilingual workers, but this doesn’t always solve the language barrier.

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For one thing, the insurance industry is experiencing a talent shortage – finding workers is already hard enough. Adding language requirements makes it even harder to find qualified workers.

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Even if insurance companies succeed in hiring bilingual workers, there may be language barriers. For example, what if a claims professional is bilingual in Spanish and English, but the claimant speaks French? What if the claims professional understands French well when people speak slowly and clearly, but the claimant is upset and speaking fast? Obtaining information becomes a challenge that undermines your FNOL process.

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The Claims Process Is a Pain Point for Policyholders

ValuePenguin says claims handling is the biggest area of concern for insurance customers. Based on claims data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 68% of complaints are about claims. The most common complaint involves unsatisfactory settlements or offers, but delays come in a close second. 

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Good communication can help alleviate common problems that occur during the claims process. Claims professionals need to:

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• Obtain information quickly. Otherwise, the claim can drag on, leading to higher costs and plummeting claimant satisfaction. 

• Show empathy and understanding. As claimants are dealing with a difficult situation, it’s common for them to be distraught. They want you to treat them with compassion.

• Set clear expectations. Some claims take a long time and some losses aren’t covered. Claims professionals need to help claimants understand what to expect to avoid them becoming disappointed and angry.

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Unfortunately, language barriers can interfere with all these goals. 

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Remove the Language Barrier

Your claimants are already stressed due to the claim. The last thing they want is to deal with the frustration of a language barrier. 

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The solution is to let claimants provide their first notice of loss and other communications in their preferred language – whatever it may be. This is possible thanks to modern technology. 

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Liberate integrates the power of AI into its digital FNOL AI plugin to remove language barriers and bring increased uniformity to claims process. The technology does all the heavy lifting. The resulting process is painless for both the claimant and the claims professional. 

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• Claimants answer questions in their preferred language. This means they can use their native language instead of trying to communicate in a second language. In addition, they can speak rather than write their response – this is easier for many people. 

• The FNOL AI plugin converts speech to text. Although claimants may prefer to give a response orally, claims professionals need a written response. Claimants can press a button and speak their answers. Speech-to-text technology instantly populates each field with the written equivalent of what they say.

• The FNOL AI plugin also translates the response instantly. Furthermore, the AI-powered tool enables real-time translation from any language. For example, the claimant may give an oral response in Spanish or Russian that the AI instantly translates into written English.

• The FNOL AI plugin provides a summary of the claimant’s report. When claimants speak, they may go off on tangents or repeat themselves. The FNOL AI plugin provides a succinct overview of the key points along with the full translation. This summary can be used by the claims teams to get a quick understanding of the claim in order to triage effectively.

• The claims team receives the response and summary in English (or another language of their choice). This provides the information needed to start the claim.

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Modern technology can improve the insurance customer experience, but only if you leverage it to solve the problems policyholders face. With the AI-powered FNOL plugin on board, everyone of all ethnicities can feel heard, included and informed.

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The FNOL AI-plugin is available as an add-on feature to Liberate’s core SaaS offering of automated claims and underwriting journeys. Implementation can be achieved in less than 30 days for a smaller budget than most expect.  Learn more. 

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