Customer service
Giles £100m corporate target bolstered by wins
Giles Insurance Brokers' efforts to grow its corporate book of business to £100m within 12 to 18 months has been boosted with a series of business wins.
E-business: Customer service must be priority
The chief executive of online commercial provider Simply Business has said the insurance industry must become more customer-centric if it is to catch up with the online revolution.
In series - fraud: how essential is PR in the battle against fraud?
PR is essential when it comes to changing perceptions about the insurance industry. Rachel Gordon investigates how successfully this is being utilised in the long-term fight against fraud.
Application fraud: provider info handover is 'gob-smackingly' bad
There remains a serious issue concerning the "question set mapping challenge" between insurers and aggregators. Indeed, Pinsent Masons head of insurance John Salmon told delegates that, in some cases, it is "gob-smacking how badly this is done".
View from the top: a recipe for disaster
Some companies' belief that insurance policies can be sold like loaves of sliced bread makes a difficult situation worse.
News analysis: alarming revelations for commercial cover
The recent Mactavish-Pricewaterhouse Coopers report that declared commercial insurance 'not fit for purpose' is a wake-up call to the market. Insurers, brokers, company boards, government and the buying community should all take note, says John Hurrell.
Postbox: competency is crucial
I read the recent article "A focus on training" regarding professionalism in the claims sector with interest and wanted to take the opportunity to comment as it strikes me that a parity of focus doesn't exist between expertise in the property and motor…
Career development & CSR: Jelf receives plaudits for outstanding customer service
Jelf's customer service has been awarded 'outstanding' status by independent assessment firm Investor in Customers for the third consecutive year.
In series: tackling the problem of fraud
Fraud is no longer the elephant in the room for the industry — but insurers still need to go on the offensive to tackle the issues, says Rachel Gordon.
50% of European insurers expect to move to shared service centres, survey finds
A joint study by the European Financial Marketing Association and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has found that over 50% of European insurers are expecting to consolidate into shared service centers.
Interview - Jason Stockwood: A match made in heaven
Moving from the online dating world to insurance broking seems an unusual step. Jason Stockwood explains to Daniel Dunkley what he can bring to the sector.
Mitsui Sumitomo at Lloyd’s launches claims charter
Non-life insurer Mitsui Sumitomo at Lloyd’s has launched its first claims charter as part of a drive to enhance the service delivered to brokers and their policyholders.
Allianz launches repairer forum
Allianz has confirmed the launch of a new repairer forum to provide two-way consultation between the insurer and its network of suppliers.
Escape of water claims: Trickle becoming a torrent
Escape of water now represents the same proportion of household claims as personal injury does for motor. Kevin Kiernan looks at this growing trend and how it can be addressed.
In Series - Geography & Solvency II: What are the risks for insurers?
With the implementation of Solvency II looming, Sam Barrett asks if insurers are forgetting to look inwards at the risks their own companies face.
Comment - Branding & aggregators: Driving greater success
With direct writers accounting for 40% of the motor market, Peter Thompson looks at the importance of branding when it comes to selling on aggregators.
Motor Claims 2011: Industry needs to look outwards
The insurance industry has been warned to stop looking inwards and start judging itself against other industries or lose the customer service battle.
Motor Claims 2011: Adapting to change in the motor market
With the insurance industry suffering from reviews, increased legislation and the need for additional transparency, Brendan Keane looks at how the motor market can adapt and change to keep one step ahead.
Interview - Sarah Lyons: What next for Giles?
Having joined the industry as a school leaver, Sarah Lyons is now group MD of Giles. She explains to Mairi MacDonald why growth, rather than exit plans, remains top of her agenda.
RSA boasts of UK first with scoping innovation
RSA has agreed a deal with technology firm Innovation Group to become the first UK insurer to adopt its property claims scoping software.
Comment - Brokers & claims: Claims expertise - the future of broking?
2011 is shaping up to be tough for brokers. John Greenway argues claims expertise is an area ripe for differentiation and the best way to solidify client relationships.
Damage management - Winter freeze: Preparing for problems in the frozen pipeline
With property claims surging due to the recent cold snap, Rachel Gordon looks into the specific challenges thrown up by freezing conditions for those tasked with managing the damage.
Postbox: Customer communication key
I read with interest the recent interview with Imran Ahmed and Tony Sault providing insight into a consumer’s perspective of a motor claim and agree with the findings that demonstrate a “notable difference in satisfaction levels” between groups of…
View from the top: 2011: a case of déjà vu?
I have started 2011 with a strong sense of déjà vu as my colleagues in our claims teams deal with our customers' problems arising from the recent extreme weather conditions. I recall that January 2010 was much the same following another spell of bad…