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Product + Technology

Weather Guarantee ≠ Cancelation Insurance

How our Weather Guarantees are different from travel or cancelation insurance.

By Nick Cavanaugh

December 6, 2021

“Offer customers a memorable and rewarding experience—even when it rains”

When travelers dream about the perfect day, they inevitably picture blue skies, low humidity, and warm temperatures. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate.

And while we can’t change the weather, Sensible’s Weather Guarantee is a new, powerful kind of reassurance for the outdoor experiences your customers are passionate about. It helps buyers feel more secure about making a reservation, regardless of the possibility of rainfall.

Traditional “cancel for any reason” insurance policies only protect customers prior to their vacation getting underway. These policies shield against circumstances that would prevent users from taking their trip—such as canceled flights or personal illness—but not against a sudden change in the weather. And if something does happen pre-trip, customers must go through the often complex and time-intensive insurance claims process—while missing their vacation—and providing proof (like a doctor's note) with detailed paperwork in order to get their money back. All this while enduring or recovering from whatever caused them to cancel their trip in the first place.

Weather Guarantees protect your customers once their experience or vacation is underway. Travelers who purchase protection receive automatic updates on the forecast without lifting a finger, and in the event of rain, receive an instant, hassle-free refund. Users keep their tickets, aren’t required to cancel, and have flexibility when deciding how to spend their day.

Plus, Weather Guarantees are affordable. For consumers booking a $200 stay or experience, it costs less than $20 to protect their adventure from rain. Users can add a Weather Guarantee with one click while confirming their online reservation.

Your customers shouldn’t have to pay for bad weather.

No matter how well your team serves customers, bad weather can still result in a negative experience for your guests. You can’t control the weather—but by offering a Weather Guarantee, you remind customers that you empathize with their disappointment, and that you’re standing by to help them make the most of any rainy day.

Like an option for fresh floral arrangements, spa vouchers, or a round of golf, a Weather Guarantee shows up as an add-on in your check-out process. Customers can preview how much coverage will cost in relation to the total price of their experience, and confirm with a single click.

This could be a one-day event, like visiting a theme park or ski area, or a multi-day experience, like a music festival or resort vacation.

When rain looms over their special day outside, your customers get some (or all) of their hard-earned money back—and can still participate in the outdoor activity they’ve been looking forward to.

There’s no need for claims, stress, or worrying about forecasts. Despite the rain, your business can still provide a memorable and rewarding experience for every customer.

Sensible pays customers before they’ve had their morning coffee.

Sensible manages a fast, co-branded messaging and reimbursement process for your business, and encourages customers to get out and enjoy their day in spite of the rain. The reimbursement itself is automatic, based on the day's forecast, and customers can pick one of many common money transfer methods to receive their payment.

Our data shows that nearly 50% of users opt-in to a Weather Guarantee, which is roughly five-times the opt-in rate for cancellation or travel insurance policies. Here’s why:

  • Consumers have always wanted to protect their experiences from the obvious risk of bad weather, and now they can. Weather Guarantees fill a noticeable gap in traditional insurance offerings.
  • Weather Guarantees are affordable, and each is dynamically and intelligently calculated by Sensible’s proprietary Climate Risk Platform.
  • Payouts are simple and hassle-free for the customer—and there’s no need to file a claim in order to receive a payout.

Unlock new revenue for your business with each new booking.

Every time one of your customers purchases a Weather Guarantee, your business earns a percentage toward your own bottom line.

Your customers go on vacation, attend events, and book outdoor adventures in order to feel joy and forget about the time and money that it took to get there. They envision what’s to come for weeks in advance, building unique expectations that money can’t replace, and that rain can’t dissolve.

They want to have fun when the big day arrives, and Sensible helps them do exactly that. By putting money back into your customers’ pockets before they’ve rolled out of bed in the morning, a Weather Guarantee can shift your customers’ expectations for the day—or their entire vacation—and promote loyalty to your brand.

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