Next year in 2017, Insure Group Managers will be celebrating the significant milestone of being a financial services provider to the short-term insurance market for 25 years.
During this time, the company has developed a level of expertise in delivering its range of financial services unmatched by any similar service provider in the market.
Insure Group Managers provides premium collection services, premium financing and broker acquisition funding primarily to the short term insurance market and has been doing so since its formation in 1992. I think it is safe to say that we are the only service provider of its kind that has been providing this combination of service to the market over such a long period of time.. .
Over the years, the range of services have continuously been refined and optimised to meet the ever changing needs of clients and the market, while at the same time adhering to floods of regulatory changes that have come about during this period. One can only imagine that, having been intensely involved with our clients, the industry and the services we offer for such a long time, we have evolved almost naturally from basic service offerings in the beginning to now being able to mold and integrate these services into offering strategic solutions and wealth creation to clients.
FAnews spoke with Insure Group Managing Director Charl Cilliers about how this brings significantly more value to clients now compared to when the company started.
Question: Is there a recipe or a single ingredient necessary to maintain this kind of success over 25 years?
Answer: There is no recipe or single ingredient, but there is a very clear and definite golden thread that runs throughout, which is still strong and will be for years to come.
What we have achieved is built on passion. We have an almost invincible passion not only for what we do, but also in the way we do things. This sentiment is echoed throughout the organisation, from the Executive team, through the management team who collectively hold more than 120 years of combined service, down to all levels of staff.
To sustain being a reputable, sustainable provider of financial services, providing clients with comfort, convenience and compliance over such a long period also requires the business to be anchored on strong values. These values of integrity, professionalism, excellence, innovation and compliance are not only tangibly visible throughout the organisation, but are clearly cemented in the hearts of all who belong to Insure Group Managers.
Question: Is there a one specific cornerstone that can be singled out in the success of the business?
Answer: The one aspect of the business I feel strongly about is the company’s unwavering commitment to service excellence. Throughout the myriad of regulatory and compliance requirements, technology changes and advances, risk management and market dynamics, we have come to realise that our ability to serve and provide a service to our clients remains the one constant game changer.
It has been an objective for the business over the last 25 years, and will continue to be so for the next 25 years - to always enhance and improve the depth of our service delivery.
The results of this client centric service approach are clearly visible in the growth and success the business has achieved during this period. What started out as quite a small operation back in 1992 has grown into being a leader in providing niche financial services to the market today - with a well-established and widely recognised brand.
Insure Group Managers operate in a competitive market and has a sharp focus on gaining new business and retaining existing business as an integral part of its growth strategy. Naturally there are instances where some of our clients may take a decision to move their business to another service provider, but for quite some time now we can confidently say that this has always been for strategic reasons and never because of dissatisfaction with our service delivery.
We are always being complimented on our excellence in service delivery, even in notice letters submitted with regret. Our service excellence has been built over many years and we feel we have almost perfected it. This is something we are very proud of.
Question: What role does technology play in your service offering?
Answer: Insure Group Managers is not a technology business – we are in the business of providing financial services to the market through service excellence.Employing leading edge technology to support and further enhance the service experience of clients is however a key component in our business strategy.
Probably the best example of this is the deployment of a state of the art on-line collections and payment system, called Xcelerate. After spending three years developing and testing this system, the business this year had the pleasure of introducing it to more than 200 of our existing clients. According to Cilliers it was an overwhelming positive experience.
The roll-out process of the Xcelerate system provided the business with an excellent opportunity to do what it likes best – spending time with clients. More than 30 demonstration and training sessions were hosted at the Head Office in Randburg, some of which had up to 50 representatives of clients attending. Apart from these sessions, teams were also dispatched to major centers throughout the country to demonstrate and train clients in other centers on the new system.
We could not have wished for a more positive response from clients on experiencing the advantages and features of our system. Many clients gave rave reviews with comments ranging from the best experience of a collection system yet to …cannot believe the value the Xcelerate system brings to daily operations and …so easy to operate.
This process will continue throughout the next year to switch the remainder of clients to the on-line system. The business is pleased with what has been achieved with this technology, as it brings another element to strengthening the service offering it has become known for.
Question: What is the next big thing for Insure Group Managers?
Answer: We are determined to continue the growth it has experienced over the last 25 years into the future, and in order to do so, there are many big things ahead, each of which will be driven with the same passion that has become an integral part of the fabric of the business.
But, the one big thing that will definitely be at the top of minds and actions will be to celebrate a 25 year anniversary throughout the year in 2017. We are going to enjoy this moment with our staff, our clients and our stakeholders – so watch this space.
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