Technology is changing how small business owners interact with their insurance carriers, according to a new study from EMPLOYERS® EIG, America's small business insurance specialist.® Nearly one in four (23 percent) small business owners believe more online or self-service tools would enable their carrier to provide a better policyholder experience. Better communication and faster claims resolution also topped the list of desired improvements business owners want.
What factors, if any, would improve your experience with your workers' compensation insurance provider? (Select all that apply.)
| More online or self-service tools | 23% | ||
| More communication about my policy | 20% | ||
| Faster claims processing and payments | 15% | ||
| More resources to make my workplace safer | 14% | ||
| A mobile app to submit and track claims | 12% | ||
| More communication about the status of submitted claims | 10% | ||
The study found that 67 percent of small business owners are extremely likely or somewhat likely to use a self-service online portal from their workers' compensation carrier to review policy information, make policy changes, or make payments.
Small business owners also expressed an interest in using a mobile app for managing their policies. The most important features were the ability to view payment history (34 percent), submit claims (32 percent), make premium payments (31 percent) and track previously submitted claims (31 percent). Almost 60 percent of small business owners indicated that they were extremely or somewhat likely to use a mobile app for submitting claims, tracking claims, making payments, or viewing payment history.
Most small business owners (76 percent) said that an identical experience across desktop and laptop computers, smart phones, and tablets was very or somewhat important.
"Mobile and self-service technologies have penetrated all aspects of our lives, so it's not surprising that small business owners would want their workers' compensation insurance carriers to use those tools to improve responsiveness and convenience," said Ty Vukelich, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at EMPLOYERS. "For a long time, the customer experience has been an afterthought in this industry. The new generation of small business owners is digitally savvy, so now is the time for the industry to get focused on the customer and deliver the kinds of experiences they want."
Methodology
EMPLOYERS® surveyed 504 US-based business owners over the age of 18 to better understand their current experiences and expectations regarding workers' compensation insurance. The survey was fielded using the Qualtrics Insight Platform and the panel services were provided by Apex Ops Group. Fieldwork was conducted between May 3 – May 6, 2017. The margin of error was +/- 5 percent.
About Employers Holdings, Inc.
Employers Holdings, Inc. EIG is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers' compensation insurance and services focused on select small businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries. The company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Insurance is offered by Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Employers Compensation Insurance Company, Employers Preferred Insurance Company, and Employers Assurance Company, all rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Additional information can be found at: www.employers.com.
Copyright © 2017 EMPLOYERS. All rights reserved.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171116005084/en/
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