On Reflexion - what we've been thinking...

There is no Viva in Aviva online

Online shopping should be a painless experience, right? Aviva, the UK insurance company are certainly trying to convey that impression in their current ads starring comedian Paul Whitehouse.

Unfortunately, their online systems appear to be programmed by comedians with rather less talent.  I’ve been using Aviva for years, since before their expensive rebranding from tried-and-trusted Norwich Union.

Viva Voce

We own a couple of properties.  At the appointed time, Aviva reminded me by email that one of the property insurances was due for renewal, and that I could save 25% by renewing online. “Simples”, I thought. How wrong I was.

Expecting that in a few clicks I would be done, I followed their instructions.  Only to find that the insurance policy wasn’t shown on my list of policies.  No matter where I looked, there seemed no way to add it.  I felt my Viva draining away.  So I resorted to the phone.

Press 1 for frustration, press 2 for more frustration, press 3 for ...

After holding on and navigating my way through the inevitable IVR system, I got to speak to a human being.  I’ll give her credit, she was trying to be helpful, and could speak intelligible English. I explained that I was only phoning her because their online system had failed me, and that I expected to pay the online rate.

I suppose that I shouldn’t have been surprised that despite all this, she still quoted me the price for renewing over the phone - without the online discount. So I pressed, explained that I was only calling because their online systems had failed me, and she gave way. At least that was a result. I had my policy renewed.  But the Aviva system was still broken.

I just don't get the Aviva deal...

I felt it my civic duty to help Aviva diagnose and deal with the root cause.  So I left a comment on the web site, using the only mechanism available to me.  No response.  A few days later, I made a more forceful compliant, and got a response.  But not the one I wanted.

Because of the “way the policy had been set up” (this was the full extent of their explanation), they could not consolidate the policy with the others. I would have to manage it separately. I felt my Viva draining away faster, so I responded asking them to change the way the policy was set up. No reply.

Not so simples

I thought I should try logging in again this morning to see if they had fixed the problem without telling me. And guess what?  Now I can’t see any of my policies at all. Well, at least that makes it simple. I won’t have to bother considering them when it comes time to renew the other policies.

You can bet that I’ll be comparing the market when that time comes around. And Aviva will have lost a previously valuable customer.

You have to be on top of your game on line

So here’s a thought: if you rely on the web to improve your customer’s experience, do you understand what it’s really like to step into their shoes? And if the expectations you have set are not realised, could promoting your web services actually drive customers away, and into the arms of companies that better understand how to create a great online experience?

 

 

You can't outsource great customer service

… or at least, that’s been my experience over the past few days. I had the misfortune to have my car stolen last weekend. It was fitted with a tracker, so the police found it - fortunately undamaged - within 24 hours. While the thieves were at it, they also stole a couple of items from the house.

And then the fun and games started with the insurance companies. I don’t mind naming and shaming them (Admiral for the car and Norwich Union for the contents) because, frankly, they could have done a lot better.

The problem lies in the fact that both of these companies have outsourced the investigation of the claims and the associated loss adjustment to third parties - and none of the third parties involved have the big picture, or see my problem from my terms, rather than the narrow definition of their sub-contracted responsibilities.

I’ll give you a couple of examples: the property insurance company told me that I’d get a call from the loss adjuster within 48 hours. After more than 3 days, I phoned them up to chase them, and to complain about their lack of responsiveness. What did I hear? According to the loss adjuster, because they had only received the information from the insurance company the previous day, they were within the time allowed.

You see the problem? Different standards. The loss adjuster was doing fine by their standards, but had completely failed to achieve the expectations that had been set to me by the very insurance company they were working for.

All my contact was now coming through these third parties. I raised a point of principle with their representative. Guess what? They could not comment - it was an issue for the insurer, but if I care to make another call, navigate yet another impenetrable IVR tree, maybe I’d get an answer. Maybe.

I’m sure that the commercial arguments for outsourcing these services look compelling. But if they are implemented in the sort of ham-fisted way I’ve just experienced, the net result will be very unhappy customers.

I’d make at least two recommendations to Admiral and Norwich Union if they value my business, and that of anyone else I happen to rant to about this over the next few weeks:

1. Ensure that your sub-contractors performance standards are couched in complete alignment with the expectations you set with your customers. Make sure they see the customer service “big picture”, and insist that performance standards are measured from the customer’s perspective
2. Ensure that your subcontractors are trained to answer your client’s likely questions (and mine were VERY easy to predict) without using the lame excuse that it isn’t part of the subcontractors responsibilities, or forcing them to make yet another call

It’s absolutely inexcusable for there to be any other basis for performance standards than the customer’s own perception of the service - and it’s a really bad idea to force your customers to have to make multiple calls to get answers to what they perceive to be related questions, just because you’ve chosen to outsource for your short-term commercial gain.