PNB MetLife has introduced conVRse, a first-of-its-kind Virtual Reality (VR) based customer service platform.
The launch event, held at PNB MetLife regional office in Hyderabad, India, was inaugurated by T. S. Vijayan, Chairman, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (“IRDAI”) with Nilesh Sathe, Member Life, IRDAI also in attendance.
Commenting at the launch event, PNB MetLife managing director and CEO Tarun Chugh said: “Our ongoing investment in technology underscores our philosophy to support continuous innovation and customer centricity. We are delighted to bring this ground breaking technology to our customers and revolutionize the concept of customer service for the 21st century.
“The next phase of innovation for the life insurance industry is dawning, and we are proud to be leading from the front. I would like to thank the IRDAI for their support and guidance on bringing this innovative solution to our customers in India.”
The conVRse technology, developed and built in collaboration with LumenLab, MetLife’s Singapore-based innovation center and PNB MetLife, aims to provide a differentiated, immersive and a personalized experience to the customer through the VR headset.
While wearing the VR headset, customers enter a 3D simulated environment where they interact with a life insurance expert in the form of an avatar, named “Khushi”.
MetLife Asia LumenLab CEO and chief innovation officer Zia Zaman said: “What I like about virtual reality is that it allows the customer to be the protagonist in their own financial journey.”
“We are delighted to launch this technology first in India. Our customers will have the unique opportunity to experience VR for the first time, to solve real-world servicing issues.”
conVRse marks the first time virtual reality technology has been adopted by the insurance industry in India. Through a unique on-demand virtual reality environment, customers are able to connect directly with “Khushi”, a customer service expert and receive a personalized service using virtual aids to address any questions or policy servicing requirements they have.
The launch event marks the first phase of the roll out plan for the VR technology in India. During this phase, conVRse will be made available at 15 branches in 10 cities across India. These cities include: Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jammu, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune.
In the second phase, PNB MetLife aims to equip the insurance sales team with VR devices so that our customers can go on a journey using the VR headsets to raise their general insurance awareness and better understand our products. They are also exploring conVRse zones at bank partner ATMs.