HDFC Life, one of India’s leading private life insurance companies, has been at the forefront when it comes to technology and technology-based offerings. The latest addition to the long line of digital assistants by HDFC Life has been announced today. Elsa, HDFC Life’s Alexa-based smart service voice assistant, is now available for policyholders. Through this offering, HDFC Life aims to continue supporting policyholders during the lockdown. The life insurer’s digital platform and tech-based solutions are enabling policyholders to service their policies without having to step out of their homes.
Elsa, the Alexa bot, is powered by natural language processing (NLP) software and offers intelligent services like handling of dynamic requests and offering insights into policies. In its first rollout, Elsa can successfully answer than 200+ queries.
To initiate and configure Elsa on Alexa devices, customers need to download the Alexa app and link their HDFC Life account through a secure authentication process. Once the account is linked, the customer can ask their queries to Alexa to get various policy related information including requesting services such as fund statement, premium receipt or policy soft copy. For example, the customer can ask “Alexa, when is my next premium due?” On receiving the request, HDFC Life will send the requested information securely via an SMS to the policyholder’s registered mobile number.
Speaking on the launch, Parvez Mulla, Chief Operating Officer, HDFC Life, said: “Every year, HDFC Life records more than 40 lac customer queries and service requests and processes them digitally. A growing number of Indian customers are moving towards smart digital solutions for quicker and more simplified services. Through Elsa, as well as other AI service bots, we aim to offer intelligent and personalised query processing for our policyholders. We are making resilient AI offerings which will add value to customer experience.”
HDFC Life’s technology journey started a few years ago when HDFC Life’s leaders saw promise in emerging technologies and creating digital solutions across its value chain. As a leader in the life insurance sector, HDFC Life has bolstered a strong digital presence in major social media and communication channels through voice and chat assistants. In earlier releases, HDFC Life has announced Elle, a website chatbot; NEO, a Twitter bot; and a 24-hour service bot for WhatsApp, named Etty. The company has successfully launched 210 bots that offer a seamless experience to employees as well as customers.