Kiosks allowing customers to purchase auto insurance policies in as little as five minutes are popping up in insurance offices in Tennessee, previewing a larger rollout that will put them in supermarkets, malls and other locations, a Nashville-based insurer says.

Direct Auto Insurance introduced a transactional insurance kiosk, which ushers in a new era of quick and convenient insurance selection and payment, the company announced in a media statement on Wednesday.

Known as Direct on the Spot (DOTS), the kiosks have been deployed at 18 Direct Auto Insurance locations, serving as a beta test for a large-scale rollout of kiosks in supermarkets, malls, gas stations, car dealerships, and other third-party locations. The patent-pending machine can deliver an accurate insurance quote in as little as 60 seconds, and five minutes later, customers can walk away fully insured and up to date on payments through cash, credit, or debit.

“In the insurance industry, the national players often forsake a local presence, and the smaller local firms lack the resources to provide a top-notch customer experience”

Through the DOTS kiosks’ intuitive touchscreen interface, customers can purchase a Direct auto insurance policy, roadside assistance plan, life insurance policy, or an emergency protection plan, and receive proof of insurance on the spot. At any stage of the purchasing process, customers can immediately contact an agent to discuss questions or concerns through the kiosk’s handset.

Those who aren’t yet ready to buy insurance can use the kiosks to save their quote and to locate the nearest Direct Auto Insurance store for more information.

Existing customers will be able to submit monthly payments through the machines, offering the underserved unbanked community a new way to quickly and conveniently submit cash payments.

“Our DOTS kiosks offer customers an insurance store in a box,” said Marc DiGiacomo, Vice President of Product Management at Direct Auto Insurance, in a media statement.

“With a scan of their driver’s license, customers receive a free auto insurance quote. In just a few more minutes, they’re insured,” he said.

“By rolling out kiosks to supermarkets and other consumer convenient locations, we’ll be able to offer our customers more flexibility in how, where, and when they purchase insurance.”

Currently the DOTS kiosks serve 18 Direct Auto Insurance locations, speeding transactions in store. This is the precursor to a multi-state deployment of kiosks to malls, grocery stores, car dealerships, DMVs, and other locations. For a limited time after the roll out, select kiosks will present users with a free gift card for the store hosting DOTS to encourage customers to attain a free quote as they complete their shopping.

“In the insurance industry, the national players often forsake a local presence, and the smaller local firms lack the resources to provide a top-notch customer experience,” said Jack Campbell, Chief Operations Officer at Direct Auto Insurance, in a statement. “Direct, on the other hand, is committed to our local communities while developing technology to expand our omnichannel distribution network and continue to offer superior service.”

“By partnering with a number of local retailers to host our DOTS kiosks, we’re growing that service and expanding our local presence. As we roll out DOTS, we’re continuing to draw on technology to create a more seamless and convenient experience for each of our customers.”

Josh Jarrett, Vice President of Product Management at Direct, added: “We want to change the way our customers think of their insurance company, and by deploying our kiosks on a large-scale, delivering quality auto insurance in seconds, we aim to meet and exceed their expectations for a fast, simple, and, above all, convenient way to find and pay for insurance.”

Source: Direct Auto Insurance