For Insurance Claims Adjusters ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Otter.ai set up to automatically transcribe your recorded statements and phone calls, producing a searchable, keyword-highlighted transcript you can review, quote, and save to your claim file — replacing your manual note-taking and the need to re-listen to recordings.
What you'll need
Go to otter.ai and click Sign Up. Use your personal email. Create an account with your email and a password, or sign in with Google.
After signing up, you'll land on your Otter.ai home screen showing "My Conversations."
What you should see: A clean dashboard with a large "Record" button in the center and "Import" on the left side.
Option A: Transcribe a Live Call Use this for calls you conduct through your phone's speaker or computer.
Click the large Record button on the Otter.ai home screen. Otter starts listening to your microphone immediately. Place your phone on speaker, or put the caller on speakerphone. Otter will transcribe everything said during the call in real-time, labeling different speakers automatically (Speaker 1, Speaker 2, etc.).
Option B: Upload an Existing Audio File Use this if your calls are already recorded as MP3 or WAV files.
Click Import on the left panel → Upload audio or video. Select your audio file and click Open. Otter processes the file (usually 1-2 minutes per 10 minutes of audio) and produces the transcript.
What you should see: Text appearing in real-time as people speak (live recording) or a progress bar while processing (file upload).
Troubleshooting: If Otter can't hear the call clearly (one-sided transcription), it may be that the call audio isn't coming through your microphone. Try placing your phone next to your computer's microphone on speaker, or use Otter's mobile app directly on the phone during the call.
If transcribing live, you can watch the transcript build in real time. You'll notice Otter sometimes misunderstands unusual names or insurance terms (like "Xactimate" or "subrogation"). Don't interrupt your call to correct these — you'll fix them after.
Important: Always inform the claimant at the start: "This call is being recorded for accuracy and claims purposes." This is legally required in many states and is standard practice.
When the call ends, click Stop (for live recordings). Your transcript is saved immediately.
Review the transcript by clicking on it. You can:
Common corrections to make in claims context:
What you should see: A searchable transcript with timestamps, speaker labels, and highlighted keywords.
Click Export → Export as Text or Export as PDF. Save the file with the claim number and date as the filename.
Upload the transcript to your claims management system as a claim document. This becomes the official record of the recorded statement — searchable, quotable, and much faster to review than re-listening to audio.