Technology savvy Florida drivers will be in for a delight after Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the availability of the online help center for insurance consumers in the state. The Consumer Online Assistance System unveiled by Sink will allow policy holders to submit questions regarding auto insurance using the internet. According to insurance experts, this is a great step in car insurance as customers will be served better and accountability and effectivity of service providers will be improved.
Reports say that the CFO Sink’s move will make taxpayers save dollars by cutting the costs that come with speaking with an operation over the phone and collecting the necessary information. According to Sink, the new online system makes the consumer’s job of asking assistance a lot easier. In addition, the online assistance will not only benefit auto policy customers but also those who have concerns regarding insurance, such as health care and home insurance.
Sources say that during the earlier months of 2009, CFO Sink has also merged the original 11 customer call centers offices under the CFO department into 2, amounting to more than $2 million dollars worth of savings every year for Florida taxpayers. According to Sink, if around 15% of the Florida population will use the online help center, taxpayers will save an additional $4,000 every year. Reports indicate that the state’s Department of Financial Services, lead by the office of the CFO, receives approximately 300,000 calls each year.
Upon using CFO Sink’s new online customer assistance center, policy holders and even those who do not yet have auto policies will be able to file a request for help. Follow-ups and checking of the status of the request can also be made any time. Once the request is filed, insurance specialists online will receive a notification and immediately answer the insurance questions. If the nature of the inquiry requires necessary investigation and more information, the specialists will contact the insurance provider on the consumer’s behalf. General suggestions and comments regarding the insurance industry can also be submitted through the online center. Consumers who leave comments will be left anonymous as the help center will not ask for identification when comments are left online.
On the other hand, local motorist groups are also very appreciative of the innovation unveiled by their CFO. According to motorists, the insurance online assistance system gives them a sigh of relief as they will not have to go through the phone and listen to long recorded messages before being able to speak to a real person.
