Alexander C.H. Skorna
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Skorna
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Alexander C.H.
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+41 71 224 7247

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  • Publication
    Claims prevention within home insurance : Insights from insurance customers
    ( 2011-06-06)
    Skorna, Alexander C.H.
    ;
    Paefgen, Johannes
    ;
    von Watzdorf, Stephan
    The recent economic crisis has speeded up the concentration process within the European insurance sector. However, nowadays customers are more price sensitive, which increases pressure for the whole industry and in consequence leads to further premium erosions. Thus, some insurers are seeking new ways to differentiate their portfolio by offering innovative insurance products combined with prevention activities to compete with a high value-added service strategy. The objective of this research is to gain knowledge about consumer habits related to prevention articles and the acceptance of prevention solutions to the issue of water claims prevention. We explored this through an online survey (N=197) and Telephone Assisted Web Interviews (N=122) using the same questionnaire to allow a mixed reporting of the data. The respondents are all Swiss individuals which are all responsible for the buying decisions of insurance products within their respective households. About one fifth of all respondents indicated to have at least one insurance relevant claim within the last five years. The main claims cause results in water related damages followed by fire. But in terms of claims prevention individuals are just almost exclusively aware of fire protection than on water claims protection. More than 40% of the Swiss households are featured with fire extinguishers and fire blankets, however less than three percent use water sensors to detect water leaks or related damages. The main reason is that fire protection helps to prevent injuries and may save lives while water claims prevention can be implemented (from an insurance point of view) to save high claims costs. Based on our surveys we are able deriving recommended actions for insurance companies in order to reduce claim costs by motivating claims prevention to their customers. Henceforth, this increases their own differentiation capabilities as well as customer loyalty in the above mentioned weak market environment.
    Type: presentation
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/94027
  • Publication
    Individual risk perception vs. reality : the case of alpine winter sports
    ( 2010-06-21)
    Skorna, Alexander C.H.
    ;
    Loock, Claire-Michelle
    ;
    von Watzdorf, Stephan
    ;
    Bereuter, Albrecht
    More than a quarter of sports accidents occur in alpine winter sports activities every year. Effective prevention programs against injuries and accidents are therefore of major interest even though several programs have been launched in the last few years. But the risky behaviour of some people and the courses of many on- and off-piste accidents bring up the question: Has the average alpine winter "sportsman" enough knowledge to self-evaluate injury risks and does he adopt his driving behaviour to certain environmental conditions? The state of risk awareness was evaluated in five European countries through an online survey in September 2009 among 3.989 skiers and snowboarders from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The results were examined by a cross-national and country-specific approach to draw out major differences in between. Besides demographic data (i.e. gender, age, skill level) risk related information (e.g. individual risk attitude, usage of injury protection equipment) are included in the analysis of self-reported patterns regarding e.g. body injury locations, dangerous slope areas and various risk factors as snow, weather and sight conditions. We compared findings of the survey then with other winter sport-related studies and discussed final results with an expert panel, which contained opinion leaders from hospitals, insurance companies, safety councils and national ski federations. Based on this study it can be explored how risk perception differs between specific groups of people and weather those under/overestimate risks. The results may provide valuable input for identification of risk profiles and target-group specific communication of prevention strategies.
    Type: presentation
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/96288
  • Publication
    My home is my castle : claims prevention within the home insurance sector
    ( 2010-06-21)
    Skorna, Alexander C.H.
    ;
    von Watzdorf, Stephan
    ;
    Weiss, Markus
    The current economic crisis has speeded up the concentration process within the European home insurance sector, especially in the UK. However, nowadays customers are more price sensitive, which increases pressure for the whole industry and in consequence leads to further premium erosions. Thus, some insurers are looking for new ways to differentiate their portfolio by offering innovative insurance products combined with prevention activities to compete with a high value-added service strategy. Based on a profound analysis of more than 220.000 insurance claims of one leading European home insurer between 2004 and 2008, we generated different risk and customer profiles to identify the most suitable prevention strategy for each customer group. The prevention activities are focused on fire, theft, and water damage protection as these represent the core businesses of the examined insurance company. The following research discusses the whole project lifecycle for water damage protection as an example - from target group and risk identification, choosing appropriate prevention actions down to building the corresponding business case. The presented prevention system centres on a comprehensive water detection system, which is based on intelligent water leak detectors, automatic valves, conventional and resistive detectors and control panels. We show from an insurance business perspective how these advances in sensing can contribute to a better risk assessment as well as to significantly reduce the extent of damages. Likewise, we illustrate for insurance clients how damage protection comes together with voguish water saving to make the case even more customer rewarding.
    Type: presentation
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/96289