A Deloitte analysis of nearly 4,000 auto and home insurance policyholder responses found that claims processes remain complex and fragmented even after years of investment in digital claims tools. The findings, based on data collected by HundredX across 12 property and casualty carriers, give insurers a clearer path for using AI to reduce friction - and show which human interactions still matter most to customers.
"Policyholders still experience complex, fragmented and unclear claims processes even after large investments by insurers in platforms and digital tools," the report says. Its authors, Kedar Kamalapurkar, Malika Gandhi, Namrata Sharma, and Sabyasachi Satapathy of Deloitte, describe the results as an opportunity for insurers to use AI more effectively to improve speed, clarity, and consistency across the claims cycle.
What policyholders actually value
The analysis tracked eight variables that most influence customer sentiment and future purchase intentions: the claims process, service speed, claims outcome, communication, attitude, knowledge, customer support, and app or website. The top four drivers of positive sentiment - customer support, knowledge, communication, and attitude - all relate to human interactions.
Those four drivers also influence future purchases and reinforce trust. Customers still describe experiences that feel disconnected despite digital-first claims intake and support tools. "Sentiment can weaken when a customer encounters too many steps, slow processing, unclear processes or status updates, repeated information requests, or settlement delays," the authors said.
Five ways insurers can use AI
The report suggests five specific ways to put AI for insurance to work. In each case, the goal is to combine AI with human judgment to lower friction during a claim.
- Prioritize the highest-friction processes. Identify where customers meet the most steps, delays, or repeated requests, and target those areas first.
- Streamline behind-the-scenes decision-making. Use AI to speed up the internal work that slows claims.
- Keep humans at the center of high-emotion moments. Reserve sensitive or stressful situations for people.
- Route customers to the right channel. Direct each policyholder to the contact method that fits their situation.
- Broaden claims metrics to include customer retention. Track whether the claims experience keeps customers, not just how fast claims close.
Why this matters for customer support professionals
For customer support teams, the report confirms that the interactions they manage are the strongest drivers of policyholder loyalty. The data shows that support, knowledge, communication, and attitude outweigh any single digital feature.
That makes the case for a balanced approach to AI for customer support: use automated tools to reduce wait times and repeated requests, and keep human judgment in the conversations that decide whether a customer stays. Support professionals who track where friction appears in the claims experience will be better positioned to fix it.
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