Looming Postal Strike Could Cause Delivery Disruption to Insurance Customers: Are You Ready?

(Toronto – September 13, 2018) Workers at Canada Post may go on strike as early as September 26, causing immediate and widespread disruption to businesses and consumers – including the insurance industry and its insureds.

In the event of a strike or lockout, all mail operations would come to a stop – including the delivery of insurance documents to consumers. This service disruption has the potential to severely impact the insurance industry, which has only recently become focused on digital transformation.

Plan ahead

With less than two weeks to go before a potential disruption, Brokers should plan ahead to make sure their businesses are ready:

• Ensure the lines of communication are open with your staff, your customers and your trading partners.
• Know what your carriers’ processes will be in the event of a strike, and make sure to pass that information to your customers through your website and social media channels.
• Prepare your staff so they are ready to handle increases in call volumes and walk-ins.
• Ensure your office supplies are stocked to prepare for increased printing needs.

Digital delivery

Brokers have an opportunity to protect consumers from disruption by adopting one of the many services that exist to provide digital proof of auto liability insurance – from simple and easy options like email or CSIO’s My Proof of Insurance eDelivery solution, to complex consumer portals or mobile apps. Sending eSlips to your customers means they will receive their proof of auto insurance securely and without delay. Proactively signing up for eDelivery means your brokerage will be ready if a strike occurs.

Providing a digital experience

The strike provides an opportunity for brokers to ask customers to update their contact information with their email addresses and to switch to paperless policy documents and payment options. Increasing your digital touchpoints increases the ease of doing business for both brokers and customers.

“Brokers need to be prepared to offer digital alternatives to their clients,” says Catherine Smola, President and CEO of CSIO. “Today’s consumers want service to be instant and at their convenience. Asking clients to take time from their schedule to pick up paper documents and pink slips is not the ideal experience they expect.” 

My Proof of Insurance is available to CSIO members at no additional cost, features a fast setup process and integrations with many BMS vendors. Sign up now to minimize disruption to your business and customers in case of a strike. Learn more and activate your account at www.csio.com/edelivery.

-30-

About Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO)
CSIO is Canada’s industry technology association of property and casualty insurers, software providers and over 36,000 brokers. CSIO is committed to improving the consumer’s ease of doing business within the broker channel by overseeing the development, implementation and maintenance of technology standards and solutions such as eDocs, My Proof of Insurance eDelivery, and eSignatures. In addition, CSIO operates CSIOnet, a secure, industry-owned platform for the efficient exchange of policy information for the broker channel. CSIO maintains offices in Toronto and Montreal. For more information, visit www.csio.com.

For further information, please contact:

Stephanie Wei | Communications Manager
110 Yonge Street, Suite 500 | Toronto, ON M5C 1T4
(416) 360-1773 x 2323 | 1 (800) 463-2746 x 2323
swei@csio.com | www.csio.com