Strengthening Policyholder Trust: The Impact of Branded Calling in the Insurance Industry

In the insurance industry, trust is the foundation of all interactions. Insurance providers must ensure their outreach is recognized, legitimate, and effective, whether renewing a policy, updating claims, or communicating urgent announcements. However, the rise in robocalls and scams has created a crisis in communication, with over 75% of Americans refusing to answer calls from unknown numbers (TNS, 2022). Even the FCC’s best advice is to “not answer calls from unknown numbers.” This leaves insurers struggling to connect with policyholders, risking lapses in coverage and customer dissatisfaction.

Our research shows that 60% of customers consider phone calls their preferred method of communication for urgent insurance matters, so there is a disconnect somewhere?!.

Amid an evolving digital landscape, insurers face mounting challenges in maintaining trust and communication efficiency. Branded calling is a cornerstone in overcoming these hurdles by transforming how customers perceive and interact with their insurance providers.

Branded calling offers a transformative solution. By displaying verified caller information—like the company’s name, logo, and reason for calling—branded calling ensures that insurance communications are trusted and acted upon. This article explores how branded calling addresses critical communication challenges, enhances customer trust, and positions insurers for success in an increasingly digital world.

The Challenges of Traditional Caller ID in Insurance

Erosion of Customer Trust

Traditional caller ID systems display only phone numbers on mobile devices, often leaving recipients uncertain about the caller’s identity. This leads to:

• Missed Opportunities: Critical updates, such as policy renewals or payment reminders, may go unanswered, risking coverage lapses.
• Delayed Claims Processing: Unanswered calls stall claim resolutions, frustrating customers who rely on timely updates.
• Reduced Trust: Frequent calls from unknown numbers diminish trust in the phone call. Even reputable insurers face skepticism due to the prevalence of phone scams

Impact on Operational Efficiency

Missed calls don’t just hurt policyholders—they increase operational costs. Insurers must make multiple follow-up attempts, taxing call centers and disrupting workflows. This inefficiency also strains customer service teams, diverting resources from proactive service to repetitive outreach. The market says a 25-35% average contact rate is acceptable (techrepublic.com, 2024); but, imagine what a slight increase in answer rate may represent in workload savings.

The Rise of Fraudulent Calls

The insurance sector is a prime target for fraud. Scammers often impersonate insurers to extract sensitive information, particularly during open enrollment periods. They also use “neighbor spoofing,” where calls appear to originate from local numbers, to increase the likelihood of recipients answering (comparitech.com, 2022). This damages customer trust and tarnishes the reputation of legitimate companies.

First Orion’s solutions effectively prevent spoofing attacks by using advanced caller authentication, ensuring policyholders can trust calls during critical periods like open enrollment. This is particularly vital as fraud incidents spike, with one in three people targeted by scam calls in 2023 alone. (Truecaller, 2024)

With features like First Orion’s advanced call authentication, branded calling eliminates ‘neighbor spoofing,’ where scammers mimic local numbers, protecting insurers and customers from fraudulent interactions.

How Branded Calling Addresses These Challenges

Branded calling goes far beyond traditional caller ID by displaying verified, customizable information directly on the recipient’s screen. Key features include the company name, logo, and on some devices, a short message such as “Claim Update” or “Policy Renewal Reminder” as the reason for calling.

Key Benefits

1. Increased Answer Rates: Policyholders are more likely to answer calls from recognized entities, reducing the frequency of missed connections.
2. Fraud Prevention: Branded calling combats spoofing and reassures customers of the call’s legitimacy by verifying the caller’s identity through a business registration process.
3. Enhanced Trust: Displaying branded details strengthens the credibility of insurer communications.
4. Operational Efficiency: Fewer unanswered calls mean fewer follow-ups, allowing teams to focus on resolving customer needs efficiently.

For example, during a busy claims season, branded calling can ensure that policyholders receive timely updates, reducing delays in claim approvals and settlements.

Key Benefits of Branded Calling in the Insurance Industry

1. Improved Policyholder Engagement
   Policyholders frequently avoid calls from unrecognized numbers, missing out on critical updates. Branded calling addresses this by making insurers’ calls instantly identifiable.
2. Fraud Prevention
   Scammers use call spoofing to impersonate insurance representatives, increasing fraud during open enrollment by posing as trusted companies. (FCC, 2024) Branded calling combats spoofing by helping to verify the caller’s identity and restoring consumer confidence.
3. Reduced Operational Costs
   Missed calls are costly. Each unanswered attempt increases operational expenses and delays resolutions. Branded calling reduces these inefficiencies by boosting first-attempt answer rates, allowing insurers to streamline their operations.
4. Enhanced Customer Experience
   Customizable messages such as “Your claim update is ready” provide policyholders with valuable context before answering, allowing them to know the reason for your call before they even pick up the phone (on supported devices). This reduces confusion, builds trust, and improves satisfaction.

Insurance Industry Case Study

Assurance, a leading insurance provider, faced significant challenges with low answer rates on outbound calls. Unrecognized numbers often left policyholders hesitant to pick up, resulting in missed opportunities for policy renewals and critical claim updates. The rise of call spoofing also exacerbated customer skepticism, threatening the company’s ability to connect effectively with its audience.

Assurance implemented branded calling using First Orion’s INFORM® solution to address these challenges. By displaying their name and call purpose directly on customers’ phone screens, Assurance aimed to rebuild trust and engagement with their policyholders.

After introducing branded calling, Assurance saw conversation rates improve by over 30%, enabling their teams to connect with policyholders on the first attempt. Additionally, there was a 36% increase in long call duration, which means their people were spending more time talking to people who wanted to talk to them. The initiative also streamlined operations, reducing the need for follow-up calls and making more of the calls answered.

This transformation highlights how branded calling can address critical communication challenges in the insurance industry. To explore more details about Assurance’s success, visit the First Orion Insurance Case Study.

The Role of Technology in Modern Insurance Communication

The digital transformation of insurance has introduced tools like CRM systems and mobile apps to enhance customer interaction. Branded calling integrates seamlessly with these technologies, creating a unified communication strategy. For instance, CRM systems can automate branded calls for renewal reminders that the receiver has pre-authorized. Mobile apps can also notify policyholders about upcoming branded calls, ensuring they anticipate and engage with outreach.

Implementing Branded Calling in Insurance

1. Partner with a Trusted Provider
   Solutions like First Orion’s INFORM® branded calling and SENTRY® spoof blocking can integrate seamlessly, ensuring secure and reliable branded calling for insurers calling consumer mobile devices.
2. Customize for Specific Use Cases
   Use branded calling to segment communication, such as “Claims Department” for claim updates or “Policy Renewal Team” for renewals, improving clarity for recipients. You can do this by using different outbound numbers for these purposes and branding those numbers differently in First Orion’s online portal.
3. Educate and Engage
   Train internal customer service teams to maximize branded calling benefits. Inform policyholders about branded calling to set expectations and encourage engagement.
4. Monitor and Optimize
   Use analytics to track call performance, fraud rates, and customer feedback. Monitor your outbound numbers for how they may appear on calls using AFFIRM™ reputation monitoring. Continuously refine your communication strategy to achieve better results.

Future Trends in Branded Calling for

The future of branded calling lies in further personalization and technological integration. Emerging trends include: –

• AI Advancements: AI can analyze customer data to protect network calls, determine the best time of day to call, or tailor branded call messages.
• Voice Biometrics: Advanced verification techniques to monitor for robocalls and can further enhance trust and security.
• Further Integration with Wearables: Notifications for branded calls already appear on smartwatches, but what’s next?

In an industry where trust is paramount, branded calling emerges as a game-changing solution. By addressing the limitations of traditional caller ID, branded calling enhances policyholder engagement, combats fraud, and optimizes operations. For insurers, this isn’t just a tool for better communication—it’s a strategy for building lasting relationships in a competitive market.

Ready to transform your insurance communication strategy? Explore First Orion’s innovative branded calling solutions today. Visit First Orion’s Branded Calling for Insurance to learn more about how we can help you increase trust and answer rates.