Customers don't expect insurance claims to remain untouched by technology. They expect them to become easier, faster and more transparent.
But when something’s gone wrong, efficiency is only part of what they need. They need to know that their insurer understands what’s happening, that someone is taking responsibility and that they’ll get the support they need.
Human interactions have more than three times the potential to build trust than digital self-service, and high-trust insurance customers are three times as likely to say they’ll renew (The Trust Gap Report: Health Insurance 2026).
The competitive advantage will belong to organisations that truly understand the human needs behind every customer interaction and know where and how to meet them through people, AI or both.
Using technology to build trust
Customers rarely make a claim because something positive has happened. A claim often follows one of the most stressful moments in a person’s life. It could be an accident, a flood, a burglary, illness or another event that’s disrupted their world.
At that moment, customers need to trust the process and believe their insurer is on their side. They want confidence that someone has taken ownership, understands what they’re going through and will help them with what comes next.
Setting high expectations at purchase can cost insurers the customer if they fail to meet them at claim. We know customer trust in insurers is two times higher during purchase than at claim – and when claims disappoint, almost one in two customers consider switching insurer. (The Trust Gap Report: General Insurance, 2026)
Technology is changing how insurers respond. AI is already being used across insurance departments, including customer service and claims management, and adoption is expected to grow significantly.
Whilst those improvements matter – technology will continue to help meet customers’ expectations around claims being faster, easier to manage and less of a burden – that alone won't be enough to convince them to remain loyal when renewal comes around. Especially if premiums are going up.
To build the trust needed to create a loyal customer beyond the claim, the opportunity lies in blending efficient technology, with real empathetic humans who can provide reassurance, guidance and support.
The impact on the customer
A good claims experience should be efficient. Clear communication, visibility of progress and straightforward ways to provide the information their insurer needs are basic expectations.
But trust depends on how supported they feel throughout the process. During a claim, customers are also asking questions that technology can’t always answer, such as:
- Am I being taken seriously?
- Does somebody understand what this means for me?
- Do I know what's happening?
- Do I feel like someone’s on my side?
Two claims with identical outcomes can leave customers with completely different levels of trust, because one customer felt supported while the other simply felt processed.
The FCA recognises that customers making a claim may have experienced a difficult event and may be vulnerable as a result. It found that firms should provide reasonable guidance, keep customers informed and support good outcomes throughout the claims journey.
It also identified poor communication, ineffective management of expectations and service failings as causes of poor customer outcomes. Human support plays a critical role in maintaining confidence when customers are at their most vulnerable.
KPMG’s 2026 research found that 90% of UK consumers consider human interaction important during claims handling, while almost two-thirds believe claims should primarily be handled by humans.
Where human support matters most
Insurers have invested heavily in automation, digital journeys and AI to improve speed, consistency and efficiency. EIOPA's 2026 research found that 32% of insurers surveyed were already using generative AI in claims management, with 59% expecting to use it there within the next three years.
As AI takes on more of the process, claims handlers get faster access to information, less repetitive admin, and better flags for when a customer may need additional support. Customers benefit too, with quicker answers and greater visibility, often without needing to speak to anyone at all.
That distinction, between what technology can handle well and where a person needs to step in, is what insurers now need to design around deliberately.
The FCA's review of travel and home claims provides a useful illustration. It found examples of firms giving claims handlers tailored training and clear guidance so they could answer questions more effectively and provide more consistent decisions. It also highlighted firms giving handlers discretion to support customers in complex or vulnerable situations.
Design the claims journey around moments that matter
This means changing the starting point. Insurers should identify where human support has the greatest influence on trust, map the journey and deliberately decide:
- Which moments should become entirely digital
- Which moments simply need better information
- Which moments require reassurance or explanation
- Which moments need genuine human ownership
A customer checking whether a claim has been received may not need to speak to someone. A customer being told their home is uninhabitable, or trying to understand what happens next, needs a very different experience.
The goal isn’t to add human intervention everywhere. It’s to put them where they make the greatest difference, so digital efficiency removes unnecessary effort, while human support is reserved for the moments where it can strengthen confidence.
Measure where human support creates trust
Most claims teams already know where operational delays occur. Fewer understand where customers begin to question whether they'll be supported by the organisation they've trusted.
A CX Trust Audit® identifies where trust is being built, or broken across the claims journey, and what it’s costing the business. It can show where automation is creating distance and where AI is improving the experience.
This gives insurers a stronger basis for deciding where to invest in technology, where to redesign the journey and where human support is most valuable.
If you want to understand where human support is strengthening trust across your claims journey – and where technology could be creating distance – we can help.
A CX Trust Audit® can show you which moments in your claims journey are destroying trust and value, and where human support would have the greatest impact.
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