COVID-19: How Star Health and Allied Insurance calibrated digital operations to serve the customers
Using the power of digital, Star Health and Allied Insurance took effective steps for customers, employees and channels to ride over pandemic related issues
Star Health and Allied Insurance is India’s largest standalone health insurer in the country. With an approximate customer base of over 15 million. In the pandemic scenario, customer service was an essential element to be continued in a business as usual mode. “The customers were made aware about the call centres being available 24X7; the chatbots and other self service channels like customers apps and portals were enhanced and made operational for the customers to solve their queries in a self service mode. These platforms were available before too but only from a self service perspective. Post COVID, among others, additional features were added – like customer purchases and claims registration, etc,” says Anand Roy, MD, Star Health and Allied Insurance. WhatsApp as a customer service channel is also used and many enhancements have been made to cope with pandemic related impact queries from the customers.
As a part of the customer engagement strategy, the company has a telemedicine centre for the customers to facilitate to solve health related queries from the comfort of their home. During the pandemic, when people are advised to avoid stepping out of their homes, a telemedicine centre has proved immensely useful. The company has seen encouraging adoption.
The policy holders were also provided moratorium or delayed premium payment facility for the existing policies and also for buying new policies. It’s a timely facility when current policy holders are thinking of buying new policy plans to cover the family members, who are uncovered. It gives them the leeway and releases money for buying new policies. Digital plays an important role here, because delayed payments result in a lot of backend integration.
Anand Roy, MD, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company | Digital Technology Senate – BFSI Week
The necessary changes in the digital platforms were done for cross selling and upselling opportunities. The policy holders wanted to buy additional cover that is over and above the current policy. Some customers were looking for options to buy the best cover for their parents or other family members, etc.
The employees were trained to be able to complete tasks from their home as against from office, for example, an instance of claims processing done from the claims processing centre requires different skills when done from home.
Anand also praised IRDAI for taking many proactive steps for the insurance customers to be able to buy insurance cover for themselves in these difficult times.
The article is reproduced on the basis of the keynote talk delivered by Anand Roy, MD, Star Health and Allied Insurance at the Digital Technology Senate. To watch the full video, click here
