1Life, a leading direct life insurer, announced the launch of its 1Life Chat Bot, named Emily, today – a very first of its kind for the long-term insurance industry. In staying true to its brand promise of making ‘life less complicated’ for consumers, Emily will offer consumers the convenience of sourcing instant life insurance quotes using popular social media platform – Facebook – through an engaging and conversational user journey.
The launch of Emily, is yet another leading innovation to come out of the brand’s stable. In fact, the brand is synonymous with innovation, with a history of firsts including; the launch of HIV Saliva testing as part of its underwriting process, the first to truly directly offer clients the ability to buy cover telephonically and online as well as the first to enable clients to service and manage their policies through USSD.
“As a business, there’s no denying that advancements of digitalisation and more specifically, social media platforms, has greatly affected the way in which our business operations are required to run. When you look at how a platform such as Facebook has grown exponentially in South Africa, with a reported 14 million users1, it was only fitting that we created a solution in this space – synonymous with our multi-channel approach – and enabling consumers to engage with us directly through a hassle – free engaging conversation. Emily, has enabled us to do just that,” says Laurence Hillman, MD for 1Life.
Hillman adds that, “The name Emily means to strive, excel or rival, which aligns strongly with our quest to be the best life insurance company in South Africa. Emily is another extension of our commitment to responding to our customers’ needs and creating an experience for our customers that exceeds their expectations.”
Whether accessing the service using a PC or a mobile phone, users can engage with Emily by using Facebook messenger to source a basic life insurance quote in real time – formulated through the information the consumer provides by way of a series of conversational questions. The service was designed in such a way that it replicates a real-life conversation, ensuring users get to experience 1Life’s usual customer service tone and approach – which is very much personal, warm and conversational.
“Customer centricity has always been key for us as a brand as it forms the very foundation of our operations. Therefore, where consumers go, we follow. Operating in the type of industry we do, it is critical for businesses to be aware of, and embrace, ongoing consumer trends, including those of the millennial generation – who have a strong inclination towards technological convenience. They have transformed the way in which businesses operate, and Emily will help us not only bring innovation to the fore within the industry but very importantly, meet different needs by providing options to engage in a way that consumers are most comfortable with.”
Emily can be accessed through Facebook Messenger, by searching for the 1Life Bot.
“In a time of increasing digital technology penetration in the life insurance sector, we are extremely proud to be able to further revolutionise the industry for the better, with the introduction of Emily,” concludes Hillman.
About 1Life: 1Life, owned by Telesure Investment Holdings, is a registered Financial Services Provider. Launched in March 2006, the company provides long-term insurance solutions with products that are simple, convenient and tailored to every client’s individual needs and affordability. 1Life believe that financial solutions should change lives, not just the situation that clients find themselves in, and they have made Changing Lives the cornerstone of their business ethic. They pride themselves on being South Africa’s first truly direct life insurer and offer obligation-free advice to provide the right cover according to an individual’s needs and life stage, and are able to adjust this cover as significant life changes take place. 1Life is reinsured by Hannover Re and is committed to Black Economic Empowerment.
