Zurich offers customers alternative accommodation through Airbnb
02/10/2022
With 1,000 customers displaced from their home in any year, location is the key to stress reduction.
Zurich UK has announced the launch of a new customer proposition which enables people to stay in Airbnb accommodation if they are forced to move out of their home for repair work following a flood, fire or general insurance damage. This industry first will give customers access to over 200,000+ like for like properties listed on Airbnb across the UK.
With over 1,000 customers displaced every year because of damage to their homes, this broadens the current offering of local rentals and hotels which are currently provided through the ICAB (Insurance Claims Accommodation Bureau) network. Zurich, together with ICAB, have worked judiciously to see the Airbnb proposition through to fruition.
Alastair Thomson, Head of Expert Property Claims at Zurich UK comments: ”When customers have to move out their homes for repairs to take place, the whole process can be incredibly stressful. It can also have a huge impact on mental health. By offering a much wider range of accommodation, we can provide a like for like solution that is much closer to their home. Locality is a lifeline for many families.
“Most importantly, it’s a home from home experience, not a hotel or serviced apartment which are often located in city centres, near business parks or airports. This enables us to provide the best alternative accommodation we possibly can.”
This is one of many initiatives Zurich UK has introduced in the past 12 months to help customers navigate the claims process with greater ease.
The initiative reinforces Zurich’s commitment to innovation in claims in its mission to deliver a fast and seamless customer journey with the best possible outcomes. Shifting customers’ claims experience is one of the insurer’s top priorities.
Tim Goodman, Managing Director of ICAB comments: “Offering customers the widest range of options when it comes to alternative accommodation is imperative. With such huge levels of disruption in people’s lives when they have to move out of their home, finding accommodation which is close to home can make things so much easier to cope with. We are always looking for opportunities to expand our offering to our clients so using the Airbnb platform expands customer options tenfold.”
Other examples of innovation in Zurich’s claims proposition include:
- Already this year the claims settlement process was cut to less than 24 hours with the introduction of a first of its kind AI solution in collaboration with Sprout.ai. This replicates a reading speed of 10,000 words per micro-second and a claims handler with 100 years of experience.
- Using of variety of communication channels to contact customers regarding their claim, including WhatsApp, SMS, chatbots and web chats.
- Use of drones to assess property damage in areas with wide-spread damage or that are difficult to access.
- Introduction of Easy Claim during first national lockdown in 2020 which allows drivers to send images of vehicle damage following a road traffic accident. It enables fast, or sometimes instant, damage assessment and decisions by our loss adjusters.
- An almost-instant liability assessment tool in motor claims, allowing Zurich to contact claimants within minutes in some cases.
- Introduction of Zurich Support Services, providing up to five counselling sessions for people who request it following a peril event.
- Supporting Zurich’s sustainability commitment, introducing green car parts in motor claims.
- Suite of online claim reporting portals available 24/7, with an automated process of uploading these claims directly to the internal systems which can enable claims handlers to focus their time and efforts on areas that can make a real difference to customers when they need our help the most.
