Starting a modern article by discoursing the importance and deep impact of computer development is definitely cheesy, nevertheless it’s highly appropriate. When the first green shoots emerged in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s, computerization was all about automating in-house processes like the accounting system. It was still a long way towards the software that will replace labor. However, once it arrived, two things happened. The employers cut their costs and improved their profits by terminating the employment of tens of thousands. Second, by removing many of the people who used to deal with customers, the businesses began a slow decline in the quality of the services they provided. These days, corporations hide behind call centers and e-mail systems, rarely offering the customer the possibility to talk with a real employee.
It would be much better if the Internet was used not as a smokescreen to suggest a reasonable quality of service, but as a means to improve the customer experience. At some point, the quality of this aspect of service will come back into focus as a way of distinguishing between faceless corporations. For example, let’s take the world of insurance. If your car is involved in an accident, what you want is a smooth system for handling your insurance claim. This involves the minimum fuss in submitting the claim online, the identification of suitable repair shops for performing the work, getting quotes with the least delay, and agreeing which repair station will actually be addressed. It’s evident that all this administration needs to be fast because, if your vehicle is off the road, there are storage charges mounting up and rental charges for a substitute vehicle. Consider this across the thousands of other policyholders and the cost to the insurers is higher than it needs to be. If this loss is controlled, premium rates can be stabilized if not reduced. It’s good for all.
This emphasizes the importance of supporting a new website and mobile app for Android and the iPhone that will improve the situation. These allow you to upload photographs of the damage using your phone or camera equipped gadget, and circulate those pictures to bodyshops approved by your insurer near to where you live. The shops on their hand keep the site updated on whether they have spare capacity and offer an estimate of the cost of repairs within 24 hours. And since the site works with insurers to limit the list of repairshops to those preapproved by the insurers, there’s a minimum of delay in processing the claim and costs are kept to a minimum. Right now, this is still at a beta stage with five car insurance companies in a limited number of states. Nevertheless, assuming the trial is a success, we could see this rolled out across the country. In case this innovation actually helps reduce administrative delays and associated costs, we will see stable car insurance rates. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the cheap car insurance we all want to see, but it’s a good step in the right direction. It should also be a serious sign to the other slumbering giants on both sides of the fence. There are too many people who will benefit from such innovations to keep these improvements outside the industry.