08/19/2020 by Debbie Gates

Virtual Auto Claims in Today’s Touchless Environment
By Debbie Gates, Senior Auto Appraiser at MetLife Auto & Home

Over the years, consumers have become comfortable; and, in many cases, reliant on technology to engage with companies and businesses to complete everyday activities. As a direct impact of COVID-19, consumers and businesses, including insurance carriers, are now relying on technology to interact not only for convenience, but also in order to maintain a safe social distance. 

At MetLife Auto & Home^®, we are consistently working to optimize our customers’ claim experiences – but COVID-19 forced us to quickly reassess how to best handle claims without the typical face-to-face interaction. The answer was to move to a virtual claim process, leveraging mobile apps and technology to review claims without in-person adjusting. 

We have worked closely with CCC, a leading provider of AI mobile, telematics and apps for automotive, insurance, and collision repair companies over the past few years. At MetLife Auto & Home, we have integrated CCC’s capabilities into our business operations and claim process, including CCC’s mobile estimating solution. 
CCC reports “that the percentage of claims processed through CCC^® Quick Estimate, the company’s mobile photo estimating solution, has more than doubled from January to April of 2020, as carriers are accelerating use and adoption of digital tools in response to COVID-19.”¹

Embracing (Auto) Mobile Claims 
MetLife Auto & Home, an early adopter of CCC’s capability, uses the CCC Quick Estimate app. with a major estimating platform, which enables a quicker process to handle the routine auto claim estimate and offers a convenient experience for the customer. The adjuster can simply text a link to the customer’s Android or iPhone mobile device to access the application. Quick Estimate guides the customer though the process to take the proper photos, capture the VIN and mileage, and even capture video. 

If the insurer deems the vehicle a total loss, the app will prompt the customer to validate vehicle options and take additional required photos. The photos and video are automatically uploaded into the estimating cloud and will notify the field adjuster to review and write the estimate. A copy of the estimate will return to the app. as a PDF for the customer.

Real-Time Customer Experience 
In addition to the convenience, virtual claims can be a more personalized experience and reduce the turnaround time to provide the estimate back to the customer. The estimate can be written as soon as photos are received without needing in-person inspections. Mobile video call apps. can also assist in the process, allowing the adjuster to see the vehicle damage and provide a one-on-one interaction with the customer in real-time. The adjuster is able to explain to the customer over the phone what he/she sees regarding the vehicle’s damage, as well as to answer the customer’s questions live. It’s like being there in-person with the customer. It saves the customer time as he/she doesn’t have to take time to go to a body shop for the initial estimate, nor wait for an adjuster to come to his/her residence for a physical inspection. The virtual claim eliminates the need for scheduled in person inspections and allows the process to take place in real-time, regardless of the location. 

Rethinking Adjusters’ Schedules, Workload, and Training
Virtual claims are also beneficial for adjusters and their role in the claim process. During these unprecedented times with COVID-19, virtual claims have helped the adjusters with their commitment for service and handling claims for our customers while staying safe. The real-time process allows adjusters to make decisions quickly and aid policyholders in understanding their options and making the most appropriate choice – whether that’s how, when, or where to get the vehicle repairs. There are also increases to adjusters’ productivity, as more digital claims can be handled in a workday without the typical necessary drive time to complete physical vehicle inspections. Adjusters can reimagine the daily workload without the need to travel, which equates to faster handling of auto claims and enhanced customer experience. 

Due to stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, with fewer people driving, there has also been time for the adjusters to increase their knowledge and update their training through I-CAR, since the majority of the training classes are now on-line and can fit into the adjusters’ schedules to complete.  This also saves time from having to drive to a location to take a class and adds additional time to the workday. As a Sustaining Partner with I-CAR, MetLife Auto & Home has the opportunity to share its knowledge by staying up to date with current repair processes and applying that insight to the virtual estimates that are being written. 

The digital experience is not a new concept for MetLife Auto & Home, as we have been completing virtual claims over the past couple of years. However, in light of our current environment, we have increased virtual claim usage and have noticed the significant gains. As with many concepts in the age of COVID-19, it is likely indicative of a new normal as we continue to see both productivity and customer satisfaction go up on a whole. A win-win! 



Editor’s note: MetLife is an I-CAR Sustaining Partner
About the author:  Debbie Gates is a Senior Auto Appraiser at MetLife Auto & Home, with extensive experience in the auto insurance field.  She previously worked at Farmers Insurance and 21^st Century Insurance as well as a Washington-based automotive body shop. Debbie received her I-CAR Platinum designation in 2007 and co-chaired on I-CAR Washington State gold and silver class committees for seven years. She is currently a member of the I-CAR NVAC committee and received the 2019 I-CAR Northwest Founders Award in 2020. 


¹ Michelle Hellyar, CCC Company News, Insurance / May 28th, 2020 at: https://www.cccis.com/2020/05/28/ccc-reports-accelerated-growth-photo-estimate-ai-claims/