Zimnat Now Processes Your Claim Through WhatsApp Or Email, Gives You Car To Use Meantime

For the past few years Zimnat, one of Zimbabwe’s leading insurance companies has been working hard to reposition itself in the market particularly through digital channels. Today they launched a new claims process plus a courtesy car service firming themselves up for the highly contested motor vehicle insurance space.

A claim can be made almost exclusively on WhatsApp

The steps for making a claim when a Zimnat customer gets involved in an accident now looks like so:

Customer calls a 24 hour toll free number ( 08080063/4/6 )
This activates the claims process. The call centre representative will record the specific details needed. If the car needs to be towed they will offer the customer the newly launched towing service and a courtesy car to use for free for 3 days.
The Zimnat represented will send customer a police report form via WhatsApp or email.
Well, we all know WhatsApp is the bigger deal.
Customer obtains police clearance and sends it back via WhatsApp or email
The customer has to submit the filled out police report form to the police and then they will send back the form to Zimnat after clearance. They will of course use email or WhatsApp to do this.
Customer sends back fixing quotations via WhatsApp or email
When customer sends the police clearance to Zimnat they will be sent Zimnat’s list of approved garages they can get quotations from. The customer then picks any 3 to get quotations from which they will then send back to Zimnat.

A new brand?

The images we used in this article show vehicles branded ‘Shumba Car Hire. This a company wholly owned by Zimnat that will be operating this service.

This company will also make the vehicles available for hire by anyone who needs a tow truck or a car without being a Zimnat insurance customer or having been involved in an accident. Clients who want to keep using the coiurtesy car beyond the three days will also start paying for hire.

It makes sense as a business model actually. Very interesting to see how Shumba Car will grow as a business in its own right.

I (I don’t think I’m alone) would also appreciate the option of having an unbranded car. I wouldn’t want people thinking I work for Shumba Car Hire, walking up to me and asking me how much I charge for hiring cars out.

Good moves

Overall, this is a step in the right direction. In an industry that is under threat of potential disruption from digital first value propositions, incumbent insurance companies need to rethink most of their process flow. An essential thing for surviving the impact of the internet on customer choice is to simply offer the best customer service and to do it consistently. That’s what Zimnat will need to do.