In a recent article about our new FOXY Lady Insurance website explaining how we intend to introduce women to female friendly insurance advisers that meet our standards it was reported that ‘critical brokers argue that they already have a legal and professional duty to give best advice to all customers.’
Which surely misses the point of insurers tailoring service levels to meet customer needs.
And suggests that anyone who thinks male and female customers have the same insurance needs and therefore the same advice applies must have been in hibernation for the last twenty years or so. Men and women are very DIFFERENT…
Which is why customer service has little to do with equality but everything to do with the application of the latest product knowledge, an appreciation of audience needs and a dedication to exceed customer expectations at all times.
Female service gaps in the motor industry today
Here are some examples of how the motor industry, by and large, is missing out on high levels of female customer satisfaction…
…If franchised dealerships wanted to make women feel at home, they’d have more female showroom staff and offer a female companion when it comes to a test drive.
…If women were happy with service levels in garages and showrooms they wouldn’t feel intimidated and patronised.
…If Mums were really appreciated, their cars would be ready BEFORE not after the school run.
…If car manufacturers wanted to cater for women they’d provide, as a minimum, fit for purpose cup holders and safe places for us to store big handbags (within reach but out of sight).
How the insurance industry might do a better job for women
And now that FOXY has the insurance industry in its sights, it’s the same sort of thing all over again. Brokers failing to see the need to be female friendly with many too complacent to imagine there might be a better way to provide insurance services; such as catering for busy women and finding that these standards then delight everyone else. Which might also mean more business and more commission income.
I am certainly not aware of the insurance industry being awash with exceptional and superior customer services from advisers who…
+ open early or late
+ are happy to phone you at home of an evening or at weekends
+ offer Skype as a personal service option; so you can see who you are dealing with
+ listen to what she wants, not just tell her what she needs/is available
+ are up to date with the latest insurance cover options for women after the Gender Directive
+ identify a suitable female member of staff in case a woman would prefer to discuss her confidential insurance arrangements with one
+ will volunteer to help resolve a tricky insurance claim.
Selling insurance to women has nothing to do with equality but a lot to do with gaining her trust, meeting her needs with the best value options and providing personal services that comparison websites aren’t up to.
My insurance needs
Yes I want to pay a competitive price for my insurance but I also want to be made a fuss of when I’m spending thousands of pounds on insurance EVERY YEAR.
I want to know if the accident repairers my insurer uses are genuinely female friendly or not and what that means…
I want to be able to trust someone to understand my needs, to represent my best interests, to know where the best deals are and to come up with the goods to suit my circumstances – year in year out.
If I can enjoy superior customer services like these at a competitive price why would I want to shop at a price comparison website?
That’s the female friendly business opportunity I sense for the insurance industry in the wake of the Gender Directive.
FOXY
PS: If you’re up to the FOXY Lady Approved standard and want to join our Female Friendly Insurance Register you can find out more at the FOXY Lady Insurance website.