How a leading French insurer settles escape-of-water claims in about 5 days, with half of them in cash
300 claims under €5,000, two claims desks, eight handlers. HomeLens collected the evidence, priced the damage and prepared the settlement. Handlers decided.
“I find your solution really interesting. Our objective is cash settlement. That is the option we want to promote and prioritise above everything else.”
Challenge
Small escape-of-water claims were eating the capacity meant for complex ones.
IRSI tier 1 escape-of-water claims, under €5,000, for owner-occupiers. Each one meant a surveyor visit or long phone sessions to collect photos and invoices, and a settlement that took most of the group's 10-day promise. Handlers were reluctant to offer cash settlements on anything but the smallest losses because they did not trust the pricing they could build over the phone.
Solution
HomeLens slotted into the existing claims journey. No new tool for policyholders.
The insurer keeps declaring and missioning exactly as before. WeatherMind receives the mission, guides the policyholder through a secure video capture, prices the damage against the insurer's own schedule and contract terms, and hands a ready settlement proposal back to the handler.
- 01The policyholder declares the loss by phone, in branch or through the insurer's portal.
- 02The insurer missions WeatherMind, with or without a prior call to the policyholder.
- 03HomeLens collects the video and required information through a guided, secure journey. No app to install.
- 04HomeLens agents assess the amount from observed damage and the contract subscribed.
- 05A handler reviews the settlement in a dedicated interface, then calls the policyholder.
Results
Strong adoption on both sides, and pricing handlers trust.
300 claims received across two desks: 210 owners, 90 tenants. 243 validated, 57 cancelled. Cancellations were mostly expired deadlines (48%) and policyholders declining a remote journey (37%). Three quarters of mission cancellations happened after the link was opened, which is what you would expect when a video is required.
Policyholder engagement
Operational efficiency
Indemnity control
What handlers and policyholders said
“When the damage is a bit larger, we can be hesitant to go for a cash settlement. Here, frankly, it is easier. On our current tool we spend a lot of time on the phone with the policyholder filling things in. For us it is a real time saver.”
“When you see the pricing that is proposed, you wonder whether you would have thought to add that line in our current tool. Here at least it is complete. It can be a real help for colleagues who find it a blocker to propose immediate settlement and price the damage.”
“We normally receive the pricing within half an hour. And within half a day we call the policyholder back. A bit of a wow effect.”
“At first it is complicated to launch the programme, but once it is running it is perfect.”
“I suppose this approach avoids sending a surveyor. So you can assess the damage better and avoid fraud. I understand.”
“Still surprised by the method given my age and how little I know my phone. But it is simple and clear. I hope the result is what you need.”
Return on investment
Three sources of value on every claim processed.
Handler productivity, lower reliance on surveyors, tighter pricing, more cash settlements, and fewer policyholders leaving after a loss. Combined, they add up to an estimated 5 to 7 times return at scale.
Higher handler productivity. Fewer surveyor visits on simple claims.
Rigorous pricing, cash settlement favoured, drift under control.
Lower churn after a claim.
What's next
Anti-fraud controls, built on evidence that cannot be faked.
The video makes it possible to check what the policyholder declared against what is visible. Four consistency checks are entering production.
Declared dimensions vs. those observed in the video, using visual references such as doors, windows and floorboards.
Declared damage vs. observed damage, on furniture as well as on the building.
Whether the cause declared by the policyholder is compatible with the damage observed.
Declared date of loss vs. the visible age of the damage in the video.
The decision infrastructure for property claims.
Bring your peril mix. We'll show you, live, what HomeLens does with it.
