The heart of the value proposition at Telesure is the paperless, fully electronic, end-to-end insurance process. Instead of a signed document, the voice recording is the basis of a contract, and even this is being overshadowed by Web-based contracts.
Telesure short-term insurance businesses MD Tom Creamer says this does not mean that the human touch is being phased out. There is some electronic navigation, but the call centre with a human voice at the end of the phone remains critical - particularly during the highly stressful claims stage.
An efficient contact centre experience is only possible with robust technology solutions that must be able to support all aspects of modern day communication in an integrated fashion. There is a staff complement of 130 maintaining and evolving the system. The core systems are all developed in-house and run on IBM midrange technology.
Head of systems Connie Kruger says that this technology is scalable, enabling the organisation to place the appropriate processing power where it is needed. "Systems availability is of paramount importance and extensive time and money is spent to ensure that redundancy is built into our network and service designs to eliminate single points of failure," he says.
As a result of the expansive IT expertise available in-house, business applications such as e-mail and computer-telephony integration that resides on Intel platforms are integrated with the core system, resulting in a database that provides customer service consultants with a single view of the customer. "It is a highly systems intensive business with insurers, brokers and allied services that have unique rating and process needs," he says.
For the customers
Telesure operates in an environment that is highly commoditised, says Creamer. To differentiate itself from competitors, service excellence is key. With this in mind, it has implemented a number of initiatives that improve its engagement, communication and overall relationship with its clients.
These initiatives include real-time customer feedback. Creamer says that it's all well and good to have a complaint facility on a website but, what about those customers who don't want to talk, and simply walk? To elicit a response from both the talkers and the walkers, Telesure initiated a real-time, Web-based survey.
Telesure's survey, managed by ResponseTek, a Canadian-based company, was launched across three methods of client feedback: a generic Web collection format, feedback following a claim and feedback following cancellation of a policy.
Connie Kruger
This customer experience management programme was launched to fulfil four key objectives: to aid in retention efforts; improve Telesure's engagement, communication and overall relationship with clients; provide insight into the development of client-centric process improvements; and inform innovation efforts - both product, service and process related.
Invitations to complete surveys were e-mailed after a service or interaction event. The analysis has revealed positive feedback from clients.
Interim results reveal that 94% of clients are delighted, very satisfied or satisfied with Telesure's policy and claims services and 98% of clients are either delighted, very satisfied or satisfied with Telesure's sales service.
"Most consumers who have had a motor-body repair experience with an insurer will complain about the lack of communication and feedback. To remedy this, Telesure launched InTouch," says Creamer. It is a feedback system for clients and is also used as a tool to project manage motor repairs on site. The InTouch team assists the client with booking a repair date, facilitates car-hire arrangements and, in the case of a non-drivable vehicle, the collection of the vehicle is arranged. The client is supplied with feedback on the progress.
With the exceptionally high volume of claims and administration activity each month, there is bound to be customers who are not happy with a decision that has been made. To address this, Telesure launched an internal dispute resolution department, which is common practice in Australia. Its main purpose is to put procedures in place for the streamlining of the complaints and the dispute process.
This communication channel enables Telesure to pay immediate attention to complaints, whereupon fair and reasonable decisions can be made.
First Call Resolution allows Telesure to decrease turnaround times by focusing on high volume but low complexity claims - 25 claim types were identified as fast track claims.
Telesure launched its Staff Latitude programme in July 2008. Each employee receives R200/month, which they can use to assist a client. To date, employees have bought a puppy for a client who had lost their family pet; bought and delivered baby items for a pregnant woman who was burgled; bought a nebuliser for a baby and even got a Bloem Celtics soccer team shirt signed and delivered to an avid fan whose family was involved in a traumatic incident.
"When a client's vehicle is written-off or stolen, usually, he or she is left high and dry when it comes to getting a good finance deal on the replacement vehicle." Telesure's Vehicle Substitution innovation replaces a stolen or written-off vehicle with a like-for-like version, which ultimately assists the client with a continuous and uninterrupted finance agreement as well as uninterrupted insurance.
