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04 / USAA / 2022 / Product

Strengthening engagement and trust

Members were calling because the estimate itself was the mystery. The fix was not another phone script. It was a page that teaches the document.

16
Participants in unmoderated research
Fewer
Claims-status calls after the guide
Higher
Confidence reading an estimate

Context

The calls were a comprehension problem

Frequent calls about claims status and home insurance estimates pointed at a gap in the digital experience. The team was asked for a long-form article that would help members understand an estimate, lower call volume, and raise satisfaction.

The article meets members inside the claims path, with a clear time-to-read and a single subject.

Problem

Homeowners could not interpret the page they were handed

People needed to read an estimate well enough to manage a claim without a representative on the line. Confusion drove call volume, digital engagement stayed low, and satisfaction followed.

An unmoderated UserZoom study with 16 participants, including 2 USAA members, kept returning the same needs: a clear breakdown, definitions in place, and FAQs that are easy to reach.

Approach

Teach the document, don’t replace it

The hypothesis: an article with examples, definitions, and FAQs would cut calls, lift digital engagement, and raise satisfaction.

The piece had to help someone find out how to read an estimate, submit one online, and watch a short video of the same lesson. I led research, information architecture, user flows, and wireframes. We iterated against feedback until the structure felt obvious.

  • Step-by-step reading instructions
  • Line-item examples with definitions beside them
  • Jump links for people who already know their question
  • An FAQ for the calls we wanted to retire
Definitions live next to the estimate language, not in a glossary nobody opens.

Outcome

Confidence showed up in the way people talked

Follow-up questionnaires and observed sessions showed more confidence, fewer calls about the estimate, and direct praise for clarity. The FAQ earned trust precisely because it refused to be vague.

If the calendar had allowed it, the next pass would have been further testing and other digital tools — the article proved the appetite.

“That's one of the things that I appreciate about USAA. They actually take the time even if it is in the FAQ section to explain so that you're confident in the knowledge that you have. Or at least know what questions you should be asking.”

User #14

Role & tools

User research, information architecture, flows, and wireframes for the article experience.

  • UserZoom
  • Information architecture
  • Content design
  • Wireframes
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