CRM Briefs

Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. (Novato, CA) has selected technology from Bottomline Technologies (Portsmouth, NH) to help in the development of a fully automated electronic premium collections process. The system concept was designed in response to requests by Fireman's Fund's customers—direct bill insureds—who sought a more efficient way to pay their business insurance premiums. Fireman's Fund now has the ability to direct debit insureds' checking or savings account to complete the collection of premium payments. Through the system's Web interface, 60 customer service representatives located at four remote Fireman's Fund accounting centers have secure, browser-based access to participant data in order to add or update customer billing information, and initiate direct debit processing for insureds' payments.

Irish Life, Ireland's largest life assurance and mortgage provider, has standardized on Siebel eInsurance, a version of Siebel Systems' (San Mateo, CA) eBusiness Applications for the insurance industry. By capitalizing on information captured during each customer interaction, the institution will enhance its ability to cross-sell and up-sell additional products and services and enhance satisfaction. Siebel eInsurance is being deployed throughout the company's life and pensions sales force, contact center, and bank branches.

LOMA (Atlanta) has launched the Customer Service Institute (CSI), a collection of LOMA courses, seminars, surveys and hiring tools related to customer service. LOMA created CSI in support of its mission to help insurance and financial services companies improve company operations through research and educational activities.