Uelzener Versicherung: from traditional IVR to smart intent recognition with Voice AI

The Uelzener Insurance Group is one of the leading specialty animal insurers, serving more than 500,000 customers throughout Germany.

Challenge

As its customers’ needs evolved, Uelzener’s conventional IVR solution quickly reached its menu selection limits. The company knew it needed a solution that would process inquiries not only faster but also more accurately, thereby reducing its service team’s workload. Uelzener was looking for a voice AI agent that could reliably recognize and handle routine inquiries, enabling the internal customer service center to focus on more complex and consultation-intensive cases. 

Solution

Uelzener developed an AI Agent it calls Clara on Parloa’s Agent Management Platform (AMP). Clara intelligently recognizes inquiries and forwards them to the right team. The AI agent can respond flexibly to new phrasing and also precisely understand context-dependent inquiries. Furthermore, Clara summarizes conversation content, identifies key topics, and presents information in an easy-to-understand format, so customer service teams can operate more efficiently and address customer concerns in an even more tailored and personalized way. The result is a forward-looking customer service solution that impresses with its precision, flexibility, and innovative strength. 

Implementation

Together with Parloa and its partner MUUUH!, Clara was implemented as part of an agile project to make service more efficient while creating space for genuine conversations, and in the future, to handle certain use cases completely autonomously.  This agile approach meant short feedback cycles, maximum transparency, and close involvement of all stakeholders. Parloa’s platform enables the company to professionally manage state-of-the-art AI agents in customer service, from creation and simulation through live operation.

This involved:

• Kick-off workshops to establish a shared understanding

• Joint prioritization of use cases based on impact and effort

• Iterative development with clear feedback loops

• Early involvement of all stakeholders to align on objectives

• Regular reviews to ensure progress and transparency

• Flexible response to new requirements

Step by step, this implementation process led to the creation of an AI agent that is not only technologically impressive but also seamlessly integrated into Uelzener Versicherung’s service processes.

“This project demonstrates how true partnership works: openness, a willingness to innovate, and a clear shared vision. With Clara, we haven’t just created an AI agent; we’ve laid the foundation on which Uelzener can continue to expand the customer service of the future.”

Katharina Paul, Master of Conversational AI at MUUUH!

Openness and transparency were the foundation for successful implementation, as there were some concerns around the expectations of the Large Language Model (LLM). There needed to be a mutual understanding that not every deviation was an “error,” but a technically correct behavior that simply did not meet expectations.  By addressing these limitations early on and setting realistic goals, the project team was able to fully leverage the technology’s innovative potential. 

Results

It didn’t take long to see the difference Clara made in daily service. The AI agent achieves nearly 100% accuracy in routing calls to the correct skill team. A low abandonment rate further demonstrates how well Clara is received by callers. 

With Clara, Uelzener found that many customers had incorrectly categorized themselves in the old IVR menu structure. With agentic AI, the company has a much clearer picture of the key issues in customer service.

“Clara is a real asset for us. She ensures that our customer service is easier to reach and frees up our employees’ time to focus where they’re needed most: on complex inquiries and in-person conversations. What’s particularly valuable is that Clara will soon be available around the clock, continuously learning and thus constantly improving our service. Behind this success lies strong teamwork across many disciplines. We are proud of the result and of moving toward an AI-powered future together.”

Jens Jörgensen, Head of Partner Sales and KDC r at Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G