- Human customer service staff at the Mississippi Insurance Department will remain on hand for more complicated matters that require experience and a more personal touch.
Mississippi’s Insurance Commissioner announced Monday that his office has enlisted the help of an AI phone assistant named Janie. However, the office will continue to have human staff man the state agency’s customer service department.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said the Mississippi Insurance Department is giving the public another method to find assistance. Those needing assistance can call Janie by phone at (601) 843-6925 for help with filling out complaint forms.
“For some people, filling out an online form is easy. For others, it can be confusing or frustrating. Janie can walk consumers through the complaint process over the phone, step by step,” Chaney said.
Janie is powered by entratus.ai. The company touts over 25 years of experience in insurance, risk management, and enterprise tech.
Human customer service staff are said to be unaffected by the addition of Janie.
“I know the words ‘artificial intelligence” can make some people uneasy,” Chaney wrote in a statement Monday. “There are legitimate questions about what AI means for jobs, customer service and the ability to talk to a real person. So, I want to be clear that Janie is not replacing our Customer Services staff.”
The new AI point of contact with the Mississippi Insurance Department will allow more time for human customer service professionals to put their efforts into issues that are better served by a real person.
Last year, the Insurance Department’s customer service staff fielded over 10,500 customer concerns and “recovered more than $8 million.”
“These are real people dealing with real problems and some situations require experience, judgement and compassion,” Chaney said.
While Janie can be reached by calling the number above, complaints can still be submitted online via the agency’s website, by email, or by contacting a person on the customer service team.
