Asteron takes out gong, again
Asteron Life has been named life insurance company of the year, for the second consecutive year, by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance.
Monday, November 10th 2014, 10:59AM
The judges said Asteron Life’s focus on customer service, business partner support, innovation and internal culture secured it strong scores in the awards.
"To improve customer service, Asteron created a position dedicated to enhancing the customer experience at claim time and has since reported claim payment rates of 97% for the assessable period. The business has also improved processes including responding to all claims within 24 hours and assigning a dedicated case manager to ensure the efficient treatment of all claims.
"With strong financial results after a brand re-launch in 2012, Asteron Life demonstrated a solid client retention and growth strategy."
The judging panel also commended Asteron Life for its industry leadership, sustainability, focus on gender equality and its corporate social responsibility activities.
Asteron Life managing director Nadine Tereora says in the past year the company has embarked on a strategy to raise its customer service levels over and above industry standard benchmarks. An express service was introduced to improve the customer experience at application time. This requires customers to only answer a six question form before being called by an Asteron Life staff member, who collates the customer’s medical, lifestyle and occupational information for their specific policy.
“This new approach has resulted in a 40% reduction in the number of advisers who have to go back to their clients asking for more information. It gives customers surety that they’re providing the right information needed for their particular policy.”
She says the company has a strong customer service focus and it is innovative in the way it delivers its products.
“What sets us apart is our initiative to be bold in what we believe in, and what’s right for our customers. We’re in the business of paying claims, and so it’s our mission to make a difficult time in customers’ lives as stress-free as possible. We never stop seeking knowledge of our customers so that we can deliver products that meet their needs at the time they need them most. Helping customers to live with confidence, knowing they’re covered, is really important to us.”
The company also received WriteMark accreditation for putting its business insurance policy into plain English a year ago.
Tereora says Asteron will continue to implement customer service improvements and build on the momentum seen since it put the customer at the forefront of its thinking.
Asteron Life was also a finalist for the Claims Service Provider of the Year and Innovation of the Year awards.
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