Auto & General, a recognized and celebrated innovator in the South African short-term insurance industry for over 22 years, has given its brand a major overhaul to bring it in line with the company’s dynamic culture and forward-thinking, innovative approach to its customers and its business.
The insurer, which has always had firm focus on delivering service excellence, has also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that its clients’ right to excellent service at all times is fulfilled with the update and re-launch of its client Service Charter.
Commenting on the launch of the revitalized Auto & General brand, Auto & General’s CEO, Leon Vermaak, says: “Auto & General has a proud and illustrious history of innovation. Auto & General was the first short-term insurer to provide telephonic insurance, computerized underwriting, online quotes and claims.
“When it entered the market in 1985, the concept of telephonic insurance was unique worldwide, but the company’s innovative spirit, vision and dedicated staff, facilitated a successful entry into the South African short-term industry and established Auto & General as a trend-setting leader and innovator.
“Aside from winning numerous awards over the years, Auto & General has had a number of groundbreaking industry firsts.
“The company, along with a major manufacturer of vehicle security products, developed South Africas first self-arming vehicle immobilizer. The research involved in this process led to the development, some years later, of the country’s first anti-hijack system.
“Auto & General was the first short-term insurer to be awarded the Readability Mark for its plain-language policy books both in English and Afrikaans and, it was also the first insurance company to offer its broker clients a cash-back bonus.
“Then in 2005, Auto & General became the first short-term insurer to introduce a client Service Charter to raise and maintain levels of service excellence, not just for the company itself, but for the image of the often-maligned short-term insurance industry as a whole.
“Over the years the Auto & General name has become synonymous with affordable, innovatively-packaged quality products catering for specific market niches and, the company is constantly improving and evolving. So naturally, the Auto & General brand and identity must also evolve to reflect the company’s progress and its enterprising persona.
The brand has not been revamped since the company’s inception, and although it is an established and trusted brand that is widely accepted amongst South Africans, it is 22 years old. It has served the company well for over two decades but, it was time for a change.
“So, with this new look and identity, we are bringing the Auto & General brand into a new dimension and taking it into the future. It is a natural step in the company’s evolution.
“We believe the new identity is fresh and friendly and has a universal appeal that brings Auto & General closer to its clients. At the same time, the brand is still unmistakably, Auto & General,” says Vermaak.
Vermaak explains that the re-positioning of the Auto & General brand also represented a perfect opportunity for the company to refresh its promise to ensure that its customers right to excellent service is fulfilled, by updating and re-launching its client Service Charter.
“Lot’s of things about Auto & General have changed over the last few years. But one thing that remains unchanged is our unwavering and steadfast commitment to delivering on our promises and providing the best possible service.
“We want our customers to know that we are always here for them. We have been for the last 22 years and in that respect, nothing about Auto & General has changed. Our Service Charter sets out the rights the company believes its clients have and seeks to ensure that customers rights are met.
According to Vermaak, the new Service Charter expands on the first charter which was introduced over two years ago. It comprehensively lists its clients’ fundamental rights which are underpinned by Auto & General’s promise to always deliver on its service promises on time, every time, with a smile.
“Our clients have the right to expect us to always be there for them; they have the right to have a pleasurable claims experience, and they have the right to hold us accountable. The new Service Charter lays out exactly what we believe our clients’ rights to be and details just how specifically they can expect us to deliver on them,” says Vermaak.
To demonstrate how serious the company is about delivering on its promises, it has introduced a self-imposed penalty payment of R250 which will be paid to any client that believes Auto & General has failed to fulfill any of their rights under the Service Charter.
The company also undertakes to report publicly and annually regarding its compliance with the Service Charter and, its reports will be independently audited by a registered company auditor. The Service Charter will also be reviewed and updated on an annual basis.
Vermaak concludes saying that the remodelling of the Auto & General brand and the update and re-launch of the Service Charter mark the start of a new era for the company.
“It’s a new beginning for Auto & General. But we are taking what we have learnt during our 22 year-long journey and will apply the best of it to forge our way into the future. The company is stepping into the new dimension.”
A&G Service Charter
1. You have the right to expect us to always be there for you
* You have the right to call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and at all times we will have a decision maker available to respond to your needs.
* You have the right to constant feedback.
* You have the right to be heard by a caring, professional consultant.
* You have the right to be called back within 15 minutes, when you leave us a message
* You have the right to have your disputes resolved quickly and fairly. To assist in this, we maintain an accessible client query service. To use this service simply call us on 0860 10 92 07
* You have the right to a fixed premium guaranteed for a year, even if you have a claim.
2. You have the right to a pleasurable claims experience
* You have the right to have your vehicle repaired right the first time.
* You have the right to a lifetime guarantee on all vehicle repair work.
* You have the right to be mobile within 12 hours of you vehicle being stolen or non-drivable, if you have selected the vehicle hire option. You have the right to hire a vehicle at our discounted rate if you have not selected the vehicle hire option.
* You have the right to be paid immediately once we have agreed to pay your claim.
* You have the right to have your vehicle replaced if it is written-off or stolen and your mileage is under 20 000 kilometers and the vehicle is less than one year old.
* You have the right to ask us to obtain a good deal in buying a new vehicle.
* You have the right to be kept informed of the progress of your claim.
*You have the right to be contacted after completion of your claim to ensure you are satisfied with the repair or replacement of your goods.
3. You have the right to hold us accountable
* You have the right to know that we will report publicly and annually regarding our compliance with this Service Charter. A registered company auditor will independently audit our reports.
* You have the right to request a R250 penalty payment whenever you believe we have failed to meet any of the promises in this Service Charter.
Article provided by: FAnews