RICHMOND, VA, November 25, 2020 — Since COVID-19 forced the world into lockdown, the role of our home has become more central to our lives than ever before. It is no longer just a place where we come to sleep and relax; The home is becoming a multi-functional digital fortress: it’s a hub for work, for learning, and a medical care center, as predicted in Allianz Partners’ Reopening the World: Life After COVID-19Report.
With our homes playing an increasingly important part of daily life, Allianz Partners has enhanced its home assistance offering to build a one-stop-shop ecosystem that provides meaningful solutions for key life moments, such as buying a home or a car, starting a family or retiring. In the home area, in addition to convenience services including cleaning, housekeeping, and food delivery, Allianz Partners is focused on providing digital home services and digital risk protection to support consumers as they adapt to the new role of the home.
Digital home services for changing needs
Many consumer expectations have rapidly evolved since experiencing confinement; an increasing number of renters are now looking for special facilities and services (swimming pool, laundry room, etc), additional space for a home office and an outdoor area. As such, Allianz Partners expects to see increasing demand for home repairs and improvements as customers expect quick and clear information, guidance and support to navigate any challenges associated with the new role of the home.
In the case of an emergency, Allianz Partners can offer a quick response to ease customer anxiety through innovative digital solutions that bring customers peace of mind, and are working on a new value proposition mixing assistance services, smart hardware and IoT solutions.
In Spain during the confinement period, the use of the Macarena voicebot increased dramatically, enhancing the customer journey during the notification of a home insurance claim. Designed by Allianz Partners’ subsidiary Multiasistancia, the Macarena voicebot uses AI and natural language processing to automatically serve the policyholder 24/7; the voicebot can interpret the description of the damage in real time, check if the claim is covered by the customer’s policy, and schedule an appointment with a repairman.
In France, Allianz Partners is launching Visi'Home: a video-diagnostic service to support customers remotely following any event or need in the home. It is part of a global strategy to have a digital path allowing remote assistance. Visi'Home connects customers with an assistance manager at any time and from anywhere in order to obtain a diagnosis or to be directed to the right service provider. This solution helps to reduce unnecessary trips and physical contact for the customer, improving the carbon footprint.
Protection against digital risk
The home is becoming a digital fortress from which to shop, work and play, with technology integrated into many areas of life. More and more appliances and electronic equipment are integrating smart features like lighting control, remote access, and wireless control. Consumers are being exposed to new digital risks as the number of digital interactions they face grows.
Allianz Partners not only provides customers with appliance and mobile device protection but also with solutions to protect against these new digital risks. Online banking and shopping protection, data loss protection, E-reputation protection, and legal support for cyber risk are among the products available to help consumers feel safer at home.
Rethinking the traditional care home model
With an increasing number of medical consultations taking place in the home, access to healthcare is generally widening. Yet some demographics, particularly senior citizens, lack the digital skills required and could be left behind in this trend. Targeting the elderly segment, Allianz Partners is orchestrating high touch services to help them stay at home safely and comfortably via a large range of solutions ranging from teleassistance (telecare and distant alerting and psychological assistance) to daily life support services (domestic care, social and medical advice, access to a medical network, and transportation services).
Tomas Kunzmann, CEO Assistance and Board Member of Allianz Partners, commented, “The profound changes brought on by the pandemic highly influence how all of us choose to “live” at home. This emphasizes the importance of a partner we all can trust, that can make us feel safe when everything seems uncertain. At Allianz Partners, we aim to take customer experience to the next level, with peace of mind at its core. The human touch surely has to be at the forefront, especially in the post COVID context. We are constantly adapting to market evolutions with the intention of addressing new needs and adding genuine value to people’s homes and their lives.”
About Allianz Partners
Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C insurance and assistance, offering global solutions that span international health and life, travel insurance, automotive and assistance. Customer driven, our innovative experts are redefining insurance services by delivering future-ready, high-tech high-touch products and solutions that go beyond traditional insurance. Our products are embedded seamlessly into our partners’ businesses or sold directly to customers, and are available through four commercial brands: Allianz Assistance, Allianz Automotive, Allianz Travel and Allianz Care. Present in 76 countries, our 21,500 employees speak 70 languages, handle over 65 million cases each year, and are motivated to go the extra mile to help and protect our customers around the world.
For more information, please visit: www.allianz-partners.com
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