PEOPLE only contact their insurers when things go wrong and they need to make a claim. This generally means losses for the insurer. It also means stress and hassle for the customer. In order to mitigate both problems, insurers increasingly offer extra services alongside their bog-standard policies.
Aviva, a British insurer, for instance, installs sensors on customers’ water pipes to detect even minuscule leaks, so that these can be repaired before causing greater damage. This spares Aviva the cost of a bigger claim, and the client the misery of a flooded basement. Other benefits are intended mainly to foster customer loyalty. Porto Seguro, a Brazilian insurer, offers access to locksmiths, electricians and taxi services.
Life insurers have so far been slower to catch on. But that is changing. Often ancillary services nudge people to live more healthily. AXA, a French insurer, gives its customers access to check-ups. Union Life, a Chinese one, guarantees policyholders a place in an…
