RBS 2009 Annual Report Download - page 39

37RBS Group Annual Report and Accounts 2009
Divisional review
RBS Insurance
Introduced in 2008, Telephony Virtualisation, a smart piece of technology
that allows 27 contact centres in the UK to act as one, was especially
useful during the floods. If one of our call centres was operating at full
capacity, the call could be picked up at another centre. It enabled
customers’ calls to be answered more quickly and our people and
premises to be utilised more efficiently.
The snows that saw out 2009 gave Green Flag its busiest month of the
year. We received more than 237,000 calls from customers in December.
Our UK network of recovery vehicles meant that we were able to get to
customers in need.
If your car gets bumped, you need to know you can rely on your insurer
and you want to know that the repair job will be done as well as possible.
In June, RBS Insurance introduced PAS 125 Kite Mark to all 16 of our
repair centres. PAS 125 is a standard of quality for vehicle body repair
and it carries the Kite Mark symbol awarded by BSI, the independent
British standards organisation. The PAS 125 Kite Mark provides an
auditable process which ensures that cars are safely repaired back to
their original Euro New Car Assessment Programme - NCAP - safety
ratings. That means that all of our vehicle repairs should meet the
highest standards of workmanship and service.
Direct Line was a pioneer of direct insurance in the UK more than two
decades ago. That spirit of innovation is still strong in RBS Insurance
because it is so important in giving us an edge with our customers.
With several airlines going into liquidation in 2009, Direct Line was one
of the few travel companies to introduce airline failure cover to its travel
insurance products. The policy protects customers from financial loss if
their airline goes out of business. It also covers the cost of a return flight
if an airline collapses while customers are on holiday.
Green Flag launched its Rescue Me iPhone application in December.
The app offers a range of motoring breakdown features, from free live
streaming traffic updates to a click-to-call function, as well as providing
iPhone users with direct call connection to Green Flag.
NIG introduced a property-based insurance policy designed for SME
businesses. This product allows underwriters to reflect a customer’s
positive risk features, which means improved prices for buyers.
Our commitment to customers and to innovation shows through in our
customer satisfaction results. In December, The Leadership Factor, a
research company, surveyed customers and found that we scored 86%
on the Satisfaction Index for Sales & Service and 85% for Claims.
Our employees are also satisfied and motivated, despite the
uncertainties they have faced in the last two years. Our annual survey
of employees, conducted independently by Towers Perrin ISR, showed
that we had improved or maintained our scores in 15 out of the 16
categories compared with 2008. The results were especially strong for
Customer Focus, Cooperation and Working Relationships, and Respect
and Diversity.
Last year might have been a rocky one because of the uncertainties
surrounding RBS Insurance. But our people have delivered strongly once
more, showing their commitment to serving customers. We have to sell
RBS Insurance, but until then it remains in our good hands.