Of the nearly 30 million Americans identifying as limited-English proficient (LEP), 39 percent are homeowners, per Fannie Mae, and 28.7 percent regularly drive to work, per the 2023 American Community Survey. Whether you advertise to LEP policyholders or not, insurers can expect to work with customers who speak languages other than English at home and may require additional support to communicate effectively.
Claims are complex: ensuring the requirements and details are understood is paramount to success. By ensuring language access services are embedded within claims and customer service workflows, property and casualty insurers have an opportunity to convert and retain a larger share of the LEP market.
Which best practices differentiate P&C insurers from competitors that overlook this particular customer segment? We’ve rounded up actionable tips to level up multilingual service delivery, with the aim of enhancing productivity metrics and sustaining long-term policyholder retention.
Best Practices for Multilingual Claims Processing
While most policyholders chase lower costs when switching to a new insurer, a positive experience with claims can deter attrition. Clear communication could make all the difference, particularly when dealing with language barriers.
The United States LEP population continues to rise, exceeding more than 80 percent growth since 1990. Multilingualism has and will persist as a defining factor of American society, and the insurers who engage these customer segments effectively will be poised for growth.
A separate, climate-driven reality is the increased frequency, severity, and cleanup costs of natural disasters. Reviewing which years saw the largest number of natural disasters (where damages per disaster exceeded $1 billion) reveals that nine occurred in the last ten years. In response, claims adjusters have been expected to increase their velocity, while productivity and customer satisfaction metrics remain under a microscope. Streamlined processes allow these teams to work as diligently and efficiently as possible.
Considering these external factors will continue influencing the policyholder market, the following best practices offer insights to help teams optimize workflows during high volume periods and improve multilingual client service.
Best Practice #1: Map the Claims Process for LEP Policyholders
According to SQM Group, an acceptable average wait time for customer service is 2 minutes or less. Policyholders value their time, and they expect process optimization from established companies.
With that in mind, your company has likely already mapped the claims process for continuous evaluation and improvement. However, does your team have a process map for LEP policyholders that also explains how to deploy language services? By identifying each contact point during the process and aligning it with a language access resource, claims adjusters will know how to act faster and more effectively when on the line with an LEP policyholder.
Best Practice #2: Train Claims and Field Adjusters on Language Access
If claims adjusters and managers don’t know which questions to ask or how to access an over-the-phone (OPI) interpreter, their inquiries from multilingual policyholders will inevitably be more challenging to resolve. By helping adjusters immediately identify if a policyholder needs language access and how to take swift action to get an interpreter on the line, the first notice of loss (FNOL) and follow-up calls can proceed with greater ease.
Similarly, when field adjusters assess damages in person, equipping them with video-enabled devices for virtual remote interpreting (VRI) can enhance comprehension and ensure a swifter, more accurate resolution.
Best Practice #3: Create AHT Metrics for Multilingual Claims
Interpreting increases call times. If phone calls with LEP policyholders are measured by the same average handle time (AHT) standard as English-only calls, you might inadvertently foster an environment that disincentivizes agents to provide optimal service to multilingual customers.
Creating AHT metrics specific to LEP claims counters this effect, allowing not only for optimal service, but opportunities to make process improvements.
Best Practices for Multilingual Customer Service in P&C Insurance
According to TechTarget, the first call resolution (FCR) rate reveals much about a call center’s performance. If a customer’s needs frequently cannot be resolved at the first point of contact, your call center’s operational efficiency might be lower than it could be. An FCR below 75% indicates room for improvement.
Trained customer service representatives can deploy language services faster, reducing the need for repeat calls, abandoned inquiries, or extra time spent on the line with multilingual policyholders. Here are two key steps you can take to facilitate greater efficiency.
Best Practice #4: Invest in a Multilingual Self-Service Library
Check the trends: which languages other than English do your customers primarily speak? Once the number of customers speaking Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, French, Hmong, or other regionally specific languages reaches critical mass, it might be worth investing in translations of your self-service customer service library.
An efficient way to translate your library is to work with a language service provider specializing in insurance content. Better yet, you can count on maximum efficiency and value if they use AI-powered, linguist-supervised processes.
Best Practice #5: Train Call Center Agents on Language Access
Small changes that are broadly propagated can have a major impact on productivity and efficiency. For example, if language access resources are not readily available, or customer service agents have not received sufficient training, remedying this can support higher rates of first–call resolution. Ensuring agents know how to deploy language services and providing them with chat-based and phone-based options for language support can and will move the needle.
Interpretation Services for P&C Insurance Companies
Often overlooked and underserved, the LEP policyholder landscape offers significant opportunities for new customer acquisition. However, to attract and retain these new customers, insurers must come prepared with a comprehensive language access plan to achieve uninterrupted service delivery when a claim or inquiry occurs.
PGLS works with enterprise, mid-market, and small P&C insurance companies to elevate multilingual policyholder service, satisfaction, and retention. As your strategic partner, our services help insurers differentiate their offering and provide optimal service through:
- Translations, including policy documents, marketing content, chat-based support content, certified documents for court cases, and more
- eLearning and Language Training for employees and agents
Are you ready to capture a greater share of the multilingual policyholder market? Schedule a call with one of our experts today.