Say hello to NORA!

Believe it or not, chatbots have been around since the 1960s. While the technology has changed over the years, much about the interaction hasn’t…that is until NORA.

NORA is Nationwide’s Online Response Assistant, and her helpful and optimistic personality evolved from our original AI-driven chatbot launched in Aug. 2020. Through collaboration, the Digital Assistance team created NORA to enable customers to get answers 24 hours a day without having to call us – a service that many customers prefer as the world becomes more digital. Examples of what NORA can do include securely resetting a password, checking on a claim status, or obtaining links to product information.

“We wanted our customers’ online interactions to feel as close to the real thing as possible, rather than having an experience that might seem disconnected or robotic,” says Chetan Kandhari, chief digital and innovation officer. “NORA has been designed to be an automated extension of the daily conversations Nationwiders have with our customers, conveying our reliable, supportive approach.”

Helping to bring her to “life,” NORA has a backstory. She and her husband, who is a residential contractor, have two kids. NORA is an insurance broker and her family owns a small business. All of this, and more, sets the stage for how she engages with customers. In addition to the identity that shapes NORA’s conversations, other differentiators include:

• her ability to interpret what the customer is trying to say and direct him/her to the correct answer or transaction
• the complexity of what NORA can and will do
• the ability to engage an insurance service professional in a Live Chat for password reset issues

“This is a great example of how making it effortless for our customers to interact with Nationwide can help create extraordinary experiences for members,” says Amy Shore, executive vice president and chief customer officer.

Stay tuned as NORA is learning new capabilities regularly.