INK’s Timeline: A Deep Dive into Customer Behaviour and Digital Experience

Transformation doesn’t always require major overhauls – faster services, new tools, or groundbreaking processes. Sometimes, the most significant change comes from something intangible. Rory Sutherland’s observations of Uber [1] are a prime example. Uber didn’t make taxis faster; it transformed the waiting experience by providing customers with the information they craved. ”….the quantity of waiting is the same with or without a map… the quality of waiting is totally transformed”. [2]

This principle applies to claims progression. The Official Injury Claim (OIC) reforms have made the process more complex and often lengthy, and while speed remains a challenge across the industry, perhaps getting faster isn’t the solution. Instead, the experience can be transformed by offering clear, accessible updates.

This is where the Timeline on INK excels. It empowers customers to track their claim’s progression, view upcoming milestones, and review past stages – all in one place. By eliminating reliance on phone calls or emails, which can lead to frustration when lost or forgotten, the Timeline ensures customers have the information they need, whenever they need it. It’s not about making claims faster; it’s about making the process clearer.

Clarity at Scale: The Business and Customer Advantage

The Timeline has been viewed over 13,000 times in the last 3 months, continuing to prove  its value to customers seeking updates on their claims. This level of engagement underscores its relevance: customers appreciate transparency and clarity about their case status, milestones, and next steps.

the Timeline empowers customers by giving them the information they need when they need it. This convenience builds trust, reduces effort, and enhances satisfaction. For businesses, it streamlines operations, allowing teams to focus on more complex tasks. However, these mutual benefits only come from well-designed, customer-centric tools that address genuine needs.

The Timeline: INK’s Most Popular Feature

The data speaks volumes: the Timeline is the most-used feature on our portal. Over the last three months, customers logged into INK over 20,000 times, and over 13,000 of those visits included Timeline views. This means over 60% of all logins lead directly to the Timeline, and 37% of logins were solely to view it – highlighting that many customers access INK specifically for this feature.

By comparison, other features like FAQs were viewed over 7,000 times, and document uploads occurred 5,000 times. The Timeline’s consistent engagement positions it as the central hub for customers seeking clarity about their claims. It’s more than a tool; it’s an integral part of how customers interact with and rely on our service.

A Feature Customers Keep Coming Back To

The Timeline is more than just a feature; it’s a trusted resource. Of the unique customers who viewed the Timeline in the past three months, 61% returned to use it again, checking their claims every six days on average.

This behaviour underscores a fundamental need for clarity. Customers aren’t impatient; they’re engaged. The Timeline meets their natural desire for updates without causing frustration. Instead of asking customers to “wait” or discouraging frequent checks, the Timeline embraces their habits. By aligning with customer behaviour, we’ve created a feature that delivers both value and convenience, fostering a more positive experience for all.

Leveraging Great Service Outside of Business Hours

The Timeline’s accessibility sets it apart as a vital tool for customers seeking updates beyond traditional business hours. For some customers, the Timeline is the only way to stay informed, eliminating the frustration of waiting for live assistance. Nearly half (49%) of all Timeline views occur during outside of business hours. Over the past three months, 14% of views occurred on weekends and 35% during weekday evenings or early mornings.

This accessibility highlights the broader power of well-designed digital tools: they extend service availability without adding operational strain. By empowering customers to self-serve at their convenience, businesses can provide consistent, around-the-clock support, reducing reliance on live teams and improving the overall experience.

A Tool for the Entire Claim Journey

The Timeline proves its value throughout the claim journey, with usage patterns reflecting evolving customer needs. Over the past three months:

• 21% of Timeline users were at the beginning of their claim, averaging 1.2 checks per person.
• 51% of users engaged with the Timeline during the middle of their claim, averaging 1.4 checks per person.
• 28% of users accessed the Timeline near the end of their claim, checking it the most at an average of 2.9 times each.

This behaviour shows a clear trend: as claims near resolution, customers’ need for updates and reassurance intensifies. While some customers stop checking altogether, others rely on the Timeline more frequently, demonstrating its peak value during the final stages.

The Timeline’s flexibility allows it to meet varying customer needs throughout the claim journey. While it’s helpful at every stage, its value is especially evident as claims approach resolution, offering clarity and confidence when customers need it most.

Transparency: A Transformative Force

The Timeline isn’t just a feature; it’s a cornerstone of how customers engage with their personal injury claims. By providing clarity, it builds trust, encourages self-service, and streamlines operations. Over time, it has proven its value as INK’s most-used tool, reducing call volumes, saving operational hours, and improving accessibility.

The data shows the Timeline’s impact isn’t fleeting – it drives meaningful engagement, with customers returning regularly and relying on it throughout every stage of their claim. Its success underscores a critical lesson: transparency isn’t merely good service; it’s transformative.

As we refine and expand digital solutions like the Timeline, we’re reminded that the most powerful innovations often stem from simplicity. Meeting customers’ needs for clarity and convenience doesn’t just enhance their experience – it reshapes the claims journey, delivering benefits for customers and businesses alike.

[1] Link to video with Roy Sutherland interview

[2] “The Uber map is a psychological moonshot… What was extraordinary about that was it was based on a very clever insight into human psychology which most of us ourselves aren’t really aware of which is we would say… “I hate it when a taxi takes a long time to turn up…”, so a rational person or an engineer would react to that by saying “what we need is a predictive algorithm… so that we can service more customers quickly”….

But the real insight with the map is that deep down… what bothers us about waiting for a taxi isn’t actually the duration, it’s the degree of uncertainty. In other words, “is he here yet? Maybe he’s parked around the corner? What if he can’t find the house? Maybe he’s already left. Was the person on the phone lying?” And so that period between booking a taxi and waiting for it to arrive was one of general high stress. Now…you could reduce that stress… by getting the taxi to arrive very quickly… But the stress would still remain.

On the other hand, if you have a map which shows you where the taxi is, you’re basically relaxed… the quantity of waiting is the same with or without a map… the quality of the waiting is totally transformed.”