Press Release: Insurance Confusion Leads to a Risky Game of Phone Tag

First Orion survey revealed that when it comes to new and existing insurance claims, consumers prefer to be contacted via a phone call over all other forms of communication 

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – February 4, 2021 – Between healthcare open enrollment, offers for new savings on car insurance, and the continued lowered interest rate for home loans, consumers are inundating their insurance companies with new questions and concerns. First Orion, a leading provider of communication transparency solutions, conducted a blind consumer survey of mobile phone users in the United States to better understand the consumer – insurance provider dynamic; to identify how consumers interact with their insurance providers, specifically in regards to customer service preferences and pain points. The results revealed that more than twice as many respondents prefer their insurance provider to contact them via a phone call over a mobile app, but more than 60% of that group admit to missing a phone call from their insurance provider because they did not recognize the number of the incoming caller.

“Quite often when consumers reach out to their insurance provider, they have urgent questions or concerns that require personal attention, topics they prefer to speak directly to their provider about,” said Viki Zabala, chief marketing officer at First Orion. “Providers are tasked with answering consumer questions in a timely manner and keeping customer information safe and secure. But instead, they put consumers at risk by not identifying themselves at the outset of a phone call – especially when spam calls are at an all-time high.”

To feel secure, consumers need to know who is calling and why in order to pick up the phone when it rings. Phone calls are the best and more direct form of communication. In fact, more than two-thirds of respondents (67%) say they use the phone to contact their insurance provider, and the phone call was rated as the most secure form of communication, more than double that of the insurance provider’s website or mobile application.

In our second “Annual Scam Call Report,” results showed 95% of consumers reported getting a scam call to their mobile phone in 2020 (up from 89% in 2019). It’s no surprise that consumers will no longer pick up their phone when it rings without key information available given the uprise in phone scams. In fact, 61% of respondents stated that they receive more scam calls than known/wanted calls on their mobile phones every day. Nearly 10% of those calls were insurance-related. 

Consumers have made it incredibly clear that transparency and safety are their top priorities. Nearly 90% (88%) said it was ‘Extremely important’ or ‘Very important’ that an unknown number from an insurance provider is identified by name so they know who is calling. This is so high on the list of must-haves that 57% of respondents stated that with all other things being equal, they would leave their insurance provider for one that could offer this service. 

With branded calling, companies can now provide verified details about why they are calling, ensuring that their customers are not missing important calls. It’s time for all insurance providers to claim their identity and take responsibility for protecting their customers. 

 A blog post highlighting the detailed findings of the survey is available here. 

About First Orion

First Orion is a global provider of digital call experiences for the world’s leading carriers, enterprises, and mobile apps. The First Orion Call Protection Suite provides scam, fraud, and spoof protection solutions to hundreds of millions of consumers. The company’s Branded Calling Suite, INFORM® and ENGAGE®, provides the ability for businesses to brand their calls by name along with a reason for the call, while empowering consumers to connect over a trusted, verified call. Processing over 90 billion calls annually, First Orion powers digital call experiences for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, Sky, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint Prepaid mobile networks along with Fortune 500 brands, PrivacyStar, and other mobile apps. Established in 2008 and led by Charles Morgan (former Founder & CEO of Acxiom), First Orion is headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, has offices in Seattle, London, and Dubai, and employs over 250 people globally. More at firstorion.com.

PrivacyStar, First Orion, ENGAGE, and INFORM are trademarks of First Orion Corp. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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