To improve the performance of our new “conversation agent” (chatbot tool), which enables brokers to provide instant answers to underwriting questions and information on insurance products, various RCCAQ member firms were asked to test this new technology. Charles Savoie Saumure, a damage insurance specialist at Savoie Assurances, is among the first brokers to have checked out the chatbot. In this interview, Charles tells us about the advantages of this artificial intelligence platform.
Hello, Charles! Tell us all about your interest in technology and digital tools!
As a member of Generation Y, I’ve always been into technology. Our firm’s interest in digital tools has grown in recent years with the advent of new technologies, brokerage management systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data among insurers. I think most brokerage firms in Quebec are increasingly interested in obtaining high-tech tools with a view to improving their service quality and data processing speed.
Why did you want to test the chatbot?
Seeing is believing! We wanted to put it to the test and to see whether we could obtain faster information on insurance conditions for clients, specific limitations within contracts and insurers’ norms for certain types of risks. We are pleased to note that it is definitely faster! In addition, we wanted to provide the ProNavigator team with some feedback. Knowing that our colleagues at other firms would definitely be interested in a high-performance tool, we wanted to help ProNavigator improve its platform.
What operating advantages does the chatbot have for you and your brokers?
First of all, there’s a definite advantage when you’re researching and communicating information to the client. For example, clients who calls me up to find out the coverage limit for their jewelry in the event of theft can get an answer to their question in a matter of seconds after I’ve entered it in the tool. That means we end up calling the insurers’ underwriting services less often and we waste less time looking through the client’s policy to find the required information.
Another advantage is that you can target the right product for a client based on the insurer’s norms for certain types of risks. For example, if insurer X has a maximum coverage amount for property owners located in a non-protected area, we can access the information quickly instead of having to hunt around on insurers’ websites or in their procedures manual.
How important is it to incorporate new technologies in order to serve consumers better?
We attach great importance to the use of new technologies enabling us to serve consumers better. That said, we don’t let technology dominate: we love being in contact with our clients and we love chatting and discussing and finding potential solutions with them. It’s up to each broker to determine how technology should be used within his or her firm and to find the appropriate balance.
Reminder: chatbot information
Stemming from an exclusive collaboration between the RCCAQ and ProNavigator, this innovative project is being rolled out in three phases: the first is focused on configuration and development; the second, on implementation and integration; and the third, on roll-out with members. To test and enhance the tool, a number of RCCAQ member firms are in the process of incorporating the underwriting guides. Brokers also receive training aimed at familiarizing them with the digital tool. The project timeline aims to ensure full access to the final tool by late 2021.
The RCCAQ notes that the main issue surrounding this virtual assistant was that it was originally available for the anglophone market only. In other words, all the AI (text recognition), libraries, interfaces, training supports and dashboards had to be translated from English into French. At the RCCAQ’s request, Quebec’s French language office (OQLF) approved a grant to support the implementation of this service, which is aimed at promoting the use of French in the workplace.
The RCCAQ appreciates the OQLF’s support for brokers who, in making the switch to digital, are embracing state-of-the-art technology—and doing so in French.
Would you like to test this tool and receive training on its various parameters? Please contact Bertrand Rouault, director of business development.
