Seguros Mercantil Optimizes Digital Transactions with 97% Resolution via AI Assistant

The Challenges and Objectives

Redefining the Customer Experience in the Insurance Industry

Mercantil Seguros, part of the distinguished Mercantil Group, in business for more than 99 years, is a leading insurance provider in Venezuela and Panama, committed to technological innovation and service excellence. However, the insurance industry faces unique challenges, as customers often have negative perceptions, associating insurance with emergencies, which can lead to unsatisfactory experiences. This makes delivering exceptional customer service particularly challenging in the industry.

Recognizing these challenges, Mercantil Seguros embarked on transforming its customer service strategy, aiming to enhance resolution efficiency, deliver faster and more proactive service, and optimize support for policyholders, advisors, and suppliers alike. The company sought to centralize its service channels, increase customer engagement year-round, and manage routine inquiries and critical issues more effectively.

The Solution

The company sought technological solutions to deliver a comprehensive and user-friendly experience for its policyholders, advisors, and suppliers.

After carefully evaluating diverse options, Mercantil Seguros selected Aivo’s conversational solutions for their seamless integration capabilities and multichannel approach, providing efficient and consistent support across multiple touchpoints, in collaboration with Macarena, Aivo’s partner in Venezuela.

'When we saw Aivo’s solution, the choice was clear. It provided a ready-to-use platform that allowed for quick and simple integration. We implemented everything in just 8 weeks, much faster than our typical processes”. - Nicolás Araque, New Product Development Manager

Meet Merse: The Virtual Assistant that Elevates Customer Satisfaction with Instant Solutions

As part of its digital service strategy, Mercantil Seguros introduced Merse, the identity Mercantil Seguros gave to the AI-powered virtual assistant developed by Aivo. Merse has become the digital face of the company.

"The transactional capability of Merse—allowing users to pay and manage policies directly on WhatsApp—is a major differentiator in the market. Today, our policyholders know they can handle everything from their phones, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In Venezuela, when people talk about insurance, everyone already knows who Merse is, and its impact is undeniable." – Nicolás Araque, New Products Development Manager

Merse provides personalized, efficient, and 24/7 support to clients, designed to automate common inquiries, handle transactions, and significantly enhance the customer experience by allowing users to complete tasks quickly and easily.

Since its implementation, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Nicolás Araque, New Products Development Manager at Mercantil Seguros, stated: 'Our clients love Merse. They’ve told us how easy and quick the interactions are. It’s been a total game-changer in how we manage customer service. This level of satisfaction reflects the success of Mercantil Seguros’ strategy, which has transformed the user experience through conversational technology.

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Conversational Solutions for Efficiency and Innovation

With Aivo’s comprehensive suite of conversational AI solutions, Mercantil Seguros ensures first-contact resolution, delivering a consistent and personalized experience for its policyholders.

Aivo Live enables seamless transitions between the virtual assistant and human agents, allowing agents to focus on more complex inquiries. Thanks to the assistant's high efficiency, only 14% of conversations require escalation, optimizing time and resources.

Additionally, Studio, Aivo’s low-code platform, supports secure transactional operations, while Engage facilitates personalized campaigns across channels like WhatsApp, increasing customer engagement and loyalty.

The Results

Virtual Assistant Elevates WhatsApp Service Experience with Digital Transactions and 97% Resolution Rate

With the AI-powered virtual assistant, Mercantil Seguros has transformed WhatsApp into a highly efficient service channel for policyholders. The conversational solution responds to inquiries but also identifies clients. It also recognizes policy details, renewal dates, and other personalized interactions, creating an experience where customers feel instantly recognized and supported.

Merse enables users to perform a wide range of operations, including:

• • Purchasing new policies

• • Checking policy information

• • Paying bills

• • Checking outstanding debts

• • Verifying clinic codes for medical care

• • Reporting technical issues on the portal

These features allow policyholders to resolve their needs without accessing other platforms, directly through WhatsApp.

Key Achievements

Since its implementation, the results have been remarkable:

• • On average, the Virtual Assistant handles 30,000 inquiries and over 246,000 interactions monthly, highlighting its capacity to resolve issues and manage large volumes of requests. ‍
• • A 40% reduction in support tickets, particularly those related to access issues, shows that customers have adapted to using Merse for transactions without relying on other channels.
• • 97% of customer inquiries are resolved through the virtual assistant. ‍
• • Only 14% of inquiries are escalated to an agent, optimizing the customer service team’s time and efficiency.

With these outcomes, Merse stands as a prime example of innovation in the insurance industry.

Looking Ahead: Innovation and Trust as Keys to Success

The collaboration between Mercantil Seguros, Aivo, and Macarena has been instrumental to their success. The flexibility and support from both teams, combined with the innovative vision of Nicolás Araque, have been crucial in delivering outstanding customer service results.

Nicolás Araque, New Products Development Manager at Mercantil Seguros, emphasizes: "With Aivo and Macarena, we never hear 'no.' The relationship feels more like a partnership than just a provider-client dynamic. The trust and commitment to innovation have been pivotal to our success."

María Elisa, Commercial Director at Macarena, adds: "We have an exceptional synergy: Nicolás’ forward-thinking leadership, paired with the best platform and a dedicated 24/7 support team. This combination has been key in driving real transformation in customer service within the insurance industry."

Matias, Chief Revenue Officer at Aivo, highlights: “Meeting customer needs on the first interaction, which we achieved through Macarena's consultative focus, has been key in such a transformative and innovative project like the one at Mercantil Seguros.”

Mercantil Seguros plans to continue innovating by enabling direct payments through WhatsApp, taking the customer experience to new heights.

About Mercantil Seguros

With decades of experience, Mercantil Seguros is a leading insurance provider in Venezuela and Panama, and a part of the Mercantil Group, which has been in the market for over 99 years. The company offers a broad range of customized insurance policies, including health, auto, travel, property, liability, life, and medical emergency coverage, tailored to meet the needs of individuals, businesses, and families.

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