When Sarah Tucker joined TIF Group as a customer service representative, she had no prior experience in the insurance industry. What she did bring was a strong ethos of customer care and a belief in people-first service.
Fast forward to today, Sarah is the Director of Customer Experience, overseeing contact centers in the UK and Mumbai, and sits at board level as TIF Group’s Consumer Duty Champion.
Her journey mirrors the culture of TIF Group itself: forward-looking, people-driven, and committed to positive outcomes in every customer interaction.
Insurance for Every Journey
TIF Group operates eight direct brands in the travel insurance space, including Insurancewith – the flagship brand known for providing affordable, comprehensive cover for people with pre-existing medical conditions. From family holidays to sports trips, TIF Group is focused on ensuring that customers can travel with confidence and peace of mind.
But as Sarah points out, insurance is no longer just about cover – it’s about the experience.
And technology, particularly AI, is playing a central role in shaping that experience.
AI as a Companion, Not a Replacement
For TIF Group, AI adoption hasn’t been about cutting costs or replacing people. Instead, it’s about reducing friction, improving customer experience, and empowering employees.
Take “Albert and Eddie,” TIF Group’s intelligent product selection tools. By asking customers what really matters to them – higher cancellation cover, a cruise option, or other key needs – AI narrows down the right policies without forcing people to trawl through endless documents. The customer keeps control, but the process becomes easier, faster, and more reassuring.
Similarly, TIF Group’s online chatbots, introduced on brands like HolidaySafe, handle routine queries so human agents can focus on complex, high value conversations. In practice, that means AI answers the “easy” questions while Sarah’s teams step in where empathy and expertise are irreplaceable.
“It’s not about replacing humans,” Sarah explains. “It’s about being efficient – freeing people from low value tasks so they can do the meaningful work that really helps our customers.”
Listening, Learning, and Iterating
One of Sarah’s biggest lessons? AI rollouts don’t stop at launch.
When TIF Group deployed its chatbot, the greatest value came from the feedback loop with both customers and staff. Customers don’t ask questions in “FAQ language,” and the frontline team – those speaking to customers all day – are the best source of insight into real needs and frustrations.
That’s why TIF Group now runs regular “ideation sessions,” taking agents off the phones and giving them space to think, contribute, and shape the tools that ultimately make their jobs easier and the customer experience smoother.
Core Drivers: Customer Experience, Effort, and Empowerment
Sarah distills TIF Group’s AI focus into three drivers:
- Customer Experience – Making every interaction easier, faster, and more reassuring.
- Customer Effort – Reducing friction by allowing people to get what they need without
unnecessary steps. - Team Effort – Empowering staff by removing repetitive tasks and opening up space for
meaningful conversations and career development.
For some customers, AI provides the confidence to self-serve online. For others, particularly those with complex medical needs – human interaction remains essential. TIF Group’s vision is about choice and flexibility: ensuring that whichever channel customers prefer, they get the same quality of care and reassurance.
What’s Next for TIF Group?
Looking ahead to 2025, TIF Group is focusing on two major AI initiatives:
- Risk Rating Automation – Using AI to dynamically assess claims trends and risks without heavy manual intervention.
- Quote-to-Sale AI Journeys – Recreating the human experience of being guided through
complex medical questionnaires, but online and on demand. - Both initiatives have one goal: to deliver the same level of trust, empathy, and clarity online that customers expect from a conversation with a trusted advisor in the contact center.
A Human Future, Enhanced by AI
TIF Group’s story demonstrates that AI in insurance doesn’t have to mean losing the human touch. Done right, it can enhance empathy, empower employees, and make journeys smoother for customers.
At OpenDialog, we share this belief. AI should be designed around people – not the other way around. TIF Group’s journey is proof that when insurers combine forward thinking technology with a people first culture, the result is stronger trust, better outcomes, and lasting customer loyalty.
Contact us today on [email protected]
