The Automated Attendant

Automated Attendant: 

 An automated attendant is a system that allows a client calling an agency to be transferred to the appropriate resources without the intervention of a live individual. Generally, these attendants will broadcast a message to the caller that lists a menu of options that can be selected using a phone’s keypad. For example, the caller may press “1” to be connected to the sales department of the insurance agency or press ”2” to make changes to their existing policy. Such a system improves the customer experience since it facilitates the likelihood that the client will be connected with who they need to speak to without dealing with multiple transfers. Another benefit of an automated attendant is that it can be used to consistently communicate important messages to customers. 

AI Chatbots: 

Chatbots are programs that have natural conversations with humans using text, generally to provide information or resolve common issues. According to the NAIC, over 80% of large U.S. insurers have some AI solutions in place.

This technology is an effective way of offering services to clients at all times of day. There are several ways that chatbots can be implemented. Some companies may use them similarly to automated attendants and have them direct clients to where they can have their questions answered or filter them to a live individual once the client’s issue has been identified. 

Other companies have employed chatbots to automate certain portions of the client experience entirely. For example, insurtech company Lemonade allows individuals to file a claim entirely through an automated chatbot via their mobile device. Recently, with the proliferation of AI models like ChatGPT, the capabilities of chatbots have become more advanced, with chatbots being able to have open-ended conversations with clients, offering a new level of personalization to the automated service experience. 

One example of this is the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance’s AI knowledge bot, Allibot. This chatbot employs ChatGPT and Elasticsearch to answer technical insurance questions using information pulled from the Alliance’s large catalogue of educational material. Technology like this could be used externally to answer client questions or internally to assist agency workflows. For example, some agencies are beginning to utilize AI or bots to perform certain basic tasks within an agency workflow, such as confirming correct spelling of a client’s name and address, confirming coverage limits, and following up with carriers on open claims.