DATA: High-Flying Insights

When multiple tornadoes touched down in the states of Georgia and Alabama in late March, residents experienced catastrophe and destruction that came from the sky. The National Weather Service reported that as many as 10 tornadoes cut a swath of devastation in the event, leaving thousands of people cleaning up and beginning the process of rebuilding their homes and lives.

Weather catastrophes like this occur each year, and every one of them holds the personal stories of individuals and families forced to pick up and go on. For Travelers, these are people, not news details. And it’s through that compassionate lens that Travelers uses drone technology to equip our Claim professionals with an innovative tool to help expedite the claim process.

The theory: faster detection of the damage to a home, such as roof damage, would lead to more efficient communication with policyholders, collection of their information and resolution of their claims.

In other words, drones can help deliver swift insights and ultimately improve the policyholder experience – especially after catastrophes.

And while catastrophes may bring out a squadron of Travelers drones, the high-tech tool is typically used by a Travelers Claim professional to support policyholders on a one-on-one basis to conduct a roof inspection and help facilitate a damage estimate that can then be moved forward to resolution.

Pat Gee, head of Travelers Personal Insurance Claim, noted: “There are times when we encounter a very high or complex roof on a policyholder’s house when we’re doing a property inspection. In the past, that situation might have required us to contact a vendor with special equipment. Today, we can use a drone to fly up and inspect the property. That helps us to avoid the need for another visit, giving the policyholder a more efficient handling of their claim situation.” 

Since introducing drones to the Travelers Claim toolset, Travelers has deployed the remote-controlled aircraft after a variety of weather disasters that have affected our policyholders. From the first use of drones during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the Travelers drone team has helped give efficient and precise support to our policyholders to help streamline their challenging, unexpected claim events.

When Travelers Insurance introduced the use of drones as an innovative tool to support property claim activities, it was well before the world had ever heard of coronavirus. The concept of social distancing was not part of our daily vocabulary, but today, no-contact disaster claims are a necessary reality. That forward thinking and technology investment meant that Travelers was well-positioned to respond to our policyholders throughout the pandemic in a safe manner.

Policyholders appreciate the speed and effectiveness that tools like drones bring to the claim handling process. Travelers is keeping its focus forward to continue exploring how data can further deliver an exceptional claim experience.

Learn more about Travelers personal insurance and business insurance products, or contact your local independent agent or Travelers representative today.