Best Insurance has launched a WhatsApp service allowing customers to purchase insurance directly through the messaging platform.
The AI-led service aims to allow users to manage their insurance journey without phone calls or added pressure.
The first product available via WhatsApp is accident, sickness, and unemployment (ASU) insurance, with plans to expand the service to life and critical illness insurance, as well as general products like pet and gadget insurance.
Kesh Thukaram, co-founder of Best Insurance, said: “We’ve seen a shift in how customers want to interact with us.
“They are looking for more control and flexibility, especially when dealing with the sensitive information needed for a protection quote.
“By launching this WhatsApp service, we are meeting those expectations and making the process easier and more convenient.”
The WhatsApp service offers several key benefits: Flexibility allows customers to engage at their own pace while keeping track of all interactions.
WhatsApp facilitates secure discussions of sensitive topics like salaries and medical conditions.
Scalability will ensure that the platform can support thousands of users at once, improving efficiency and response times.
So far, 30% of customers have chosen WhatsApp over phone calls, with 50% of those who started online opting to switch to the messaging service.
Thukaram added: “People don’t want to have long phone calls discussing sensitive topics like salaries or medical conditions – especially if they are in open workspaces – and often don’t have all the information at hand.
“The same is true for online forms: when customers reach a question they don’t have the answer to, they stop the process and often don’t come back.
“In fact, after an initial expression of interest in a product, less than 20% of customers respond when contacted, and the rate is even lower for those under 35.
“But on a platform like WhatsApp, they can control the pace of the conversation, review answers, take their time, and aren’t pressured to make decisions instantly.
“Two thirds (65%) of the WhatsApp preferred journey were within normal working hours, confirming our view that customers would prefer to buy personal policies such as unemployment insurance privately on their mobiles rather than work laptops or big screens.
“By launching this service, which will run alongside our more traditional channels—phone, website—our customers can choose how they want to communicate with us, and when.”
