PJ Hayman deploys AI-driven customer interaction model with OpenDialog AI

PJ Hayman & Company, a leading specialist travel insurance provider, has deployed an AI-powered conversational agent within its Free Spirit digital quote journey in partnership with OpenDialog, as part of a broader strategy to enhance how customers are supported through complex purchasing decisions.

The deployment focuses on improving how customers navigate insurance quote journeys, enabling real-time, context-aware guidance on cover, eligibility, and policy details, while ensuring responses remain accurate, compliant, and aligned with regulatory expectations.

Unlike traditional chatbot implementations, the OpenDialog platform is designed specifically for regulated industries, combining conversational AI with structured knowledge retrieval and governance frameworks. This allows insurers to move beyond static FAQs and scripted flows, toward dynamic, personalised interactions that support better decision-making at the point of purchase.

For PJ Hayman, the initiative addresses a longstanding industry challenge: balancing customer experience, conversion performance, and regulatory responsibility within digital channels.

Early results indicate a clear relationship between customer engagement and commercial outcomes. Customers who interact with the AI agent during the quote journey are more likely to proceed to purchase, with conversion rates increasing by 24%.

The deployment also supports operational efficiency, resolving a significant proportion of customer queries without the need for human intervention, while maintaining oversight and control in line with evolving regulatory frameworks.

In recognition of this work, PJ Hayman was recently awarded OpenDialog’s Future of Insurance award, highlighting the deployment as an example of how AI can be applied responsibly and effectively within regulated customer journeys.

The move comes at a time when insurers are under increasing pressure to modernise customer engagement models, as advances in AI begin to reshape how consumers research, compare, and purchase financial products.

OpenDialog’s approach incorporates continuous evaluation of AI interactions against defined safety and compliance criteria, ensuring that performance can be monitored, audited, and improved over time, a critical requirement in markets governed by frameworks such as the UK’s Consumer Duty.

PJ Hayman’s implementation reflects a broader shift within the insurance sector: from experimentation with AI as a support tool, to its adoption as a core component of digital distribution strategy.

OpenDialog spokesperson

“Insurance is not a simple question-and-answer problem. Customers are making complex, high-stakes decisions, and they need guidance they can trust.

PJ Hayman’s deployment, and their recognition with our Future of Insurance award shows what’s possible when AI is engineered for accuracy, compliance, and real commercial impact.”

PJ Hayman spokesperson

“We’re pleased to see this work recognised with the Future of Insurance award.

More importantly, it reflects the tangible impact we’re seeing - giving customers clearer guidance at the point of decision, while improving how they engage with and purchase our products.”