Poor call centre performances driving motorists online for insurance
In their efforts to cut costs more and more finance companies are looking to use offshore call centres to provide their customer services and administration. This is especially prevalent in the insurance industry, where it seems as if there is a newspaper announcement of previously UK based services migrating abroad every day. As more insurers use offshore call centres, recent research from Swinton insurance shows that motorists are increasingly turning to the internet to find the best deal on their car insurance.
Drivers are constantly advised to search around and obtain multiple quotes when it comes to renewal time, with recent research showing that drivers needed to obtain at least seven car insurance quotes to be likely to have found their most competitive deal, on average £52.26 better than their first quote. However with 47 per cent of those looking for car insurance taking more than ten minutes to obtain a single quote by phone, while a single quick search on a website like Moneynet, or Insure Supermarket can provide immediate comparisons of tens or hundreds of car insurance providers, it is understandable that people are turning towards the internet as a means of shopping around for the best deals.
It is not only the length of time taken by the call centres that motorists appear to have a problem with. The study found that the number of motorists looking for car insurance online has now reached 681,000 with many of them citing poor call centre performance, and doubts over the efficacy of the call centres as the main reasons why they are no longer using the phone to obtain insurance.
Most of those questioned indicated that concerns over the levels of customer service provided by call centres, with offshore centres targeted in particular, was a major factor for them fuelling a move from phone to the internet. Rightly or wrongly, most of those surveyed felt that the service provided, and the time taken for problems to be resolved, by offshore call centres would be slower, when compared with their UK call centres counterparts.
Despite the high levels of respondents reporting being unhappy with the customer service provided by UK call centres, and general levels of dissatisfaction with call centre staff growing, the phone is still most drivers' favoured method of buying cover. Swinton claims almost two thirds of UK motorists indicated they use the phone to buy their car insurance, while the number of motorists purchasing their cover online has now risen to 23%. The AA have stated that the figures are actually closer to 40% of all new car insurance now being arranged on the internet, with online sales of car insurance last year growing by nearly two-thirds.
However, even with the growth in the number of people using the internet and despite all the safety measures implemented to facilitate online transactions, more than a million motorists are reported as still not trusting the internet as a safe purchasing tool, and feel safer using the phone to speak directly to a person. This is despite recent news reports of the bank account details of 1,000 UK customers, including passwords, addresses and passport data, held by Indian call centres, being sold to an undercover reporter from the Sun.
Andrew Jackson, marketing director for Swinton said, "We believe that despite the increase in the number of people purchasing car insurance on the internet, the phone will continue to be a popular method as long as providers ensure that their call centres provide good quality customer service,".
However unless call centre based companies redress the publics perceptions of poor performance offered by call centres, they are liable to find more motorists trying to find other options, and if the internet based insurance providers can convince the increasingly technologically savvy public that buying online is safe, then we may soon see the rapid decline of call centres and see the internet becoming the primary source of information for motorists in their quest for cheaper car insurance.
Richard works in Edinburgh for a media company, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla, and drinking too much coffee. References: AA
Moneynet
Swinton
 Google News Updated : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:54:27 GMT Americans celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, patriotism ... - ABC News
ABC News - By COLLEEN LONG AP Writer AP Fireworks explode over the Manhattan skyline during the 32nd annual Macy's Fourth of July fireworks... The nation's largest fireworks display exploded in a spectrum of color over the East River, temporarily stealing the ... US marks Independence Day with fireworks, revelry US marks Independence Day with fireworks, revelry Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:20:07 GMT Goleta fire doubles in size overnight - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - The blaze near the Santa Barbara city has grown to 5400 acres and triggers more evacuations. No homes have been destroyed. The local fireworks show is canceled and face masks are being distributed to BIG SUR -- The fires that bedevil California took ... Video: Wind Keeps California Wildfires Raging Firefighters hold line on two California wildfires Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:36:05 GMT Consortium Rescues Bell Canada Takeover - New York Times
New York Times - By IAN AUSTEN OTTAWA - A private equity and pension fund consortium said it salvaged a record $52 billion deal for Bell Canada on Friday by postponing its closing date until mid-December and renegotiating some terms of the transaction - including ... BCE, Ontario Teachers' Reach Final Agreement on Sale (Update5) BCE Finalizes Tumultuous Takeover Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:56:07 GMT Calm in Mongolia as emergency rule nears end - Reuters
Reuters - ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Troops began pulling back from the streets of the Mongolian capital on Saturday ahead of the lifting of a state of emergency that had been declared after rioting over alleged election fraud. Mongolia prepares to lift state of emergency Curfew in downtown Ulan Bator lifted Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:01:57 GMT Study suggests serotonin plays a role in SIDS - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - Mice who overproduced the brain chemical showed symptoms similar to those of the infant syndrome before they died. By Wendy Hansen, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Mice genetically engineered to overproduce the brain chemical serotonin died at an early ... Brain imbalance 'cot death key' SIDS Linked to Brain Chemical Dysfunction Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:46:43 GMT Mamma Mia! Torres thrills crowd at trials - Sports Network
Sports Network - by Eric Gold, Olympic Editor Omaha, NE (Sports Network) - Dara Torres held her two-year-old daughter Tessa while receiving a medal for finishing first in the 100-meter freestyle, something that was totally unexpected, but nevertheless a charming moment ... Torres, Phelps steal show at swim trials On Her Way to Another Games Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:48:43 GMT EU to consider Zimbabwe sanctions - PRESS TV
PRESS TV - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the European Union would consider 'all possible sanctions' against the Zimbabwean government. African Union Weakened by Summit Inaction on Zimbabwe Q&A: Zimbabwe's disputed election Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:14:17 GMT RSS to HTML |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Online term life insurance ratesHow simple it is today finding... Read More Accidents, personal injuries and insurance claims are here to stay.... Read More When it comes to your family, selecting the right health... Read More The original purpose of life insurance was to provide for... Read More Here are some useful tips on how to reduce Home... Read More Is your auto insurance bill $12000 a year or even... Read More You were on the phone, got distracted and before you... Read More No doubt most readers will have heard of the Northern... Read More Rental car agencies have a menu of insurance policies they... Read More Following on from the tube train and bus bomb attacks... Read More Love. Yes, that's right. Love for your spouse, children, family,... Read More The issue at hand is the use of a consumer's... Read More A recent survey took the most popular type of home... Read More With the soaring rise in claims to insurers from their... Read More Changing the way that life insurance is bought and sold... Read More A Bed and Breakfast, often referred to as a B&B,... Read More Who can you talk to about auto insurance? Insurance agents... Read More Thousands of people have work related commitments and in order... Read More Here is a useful guide to car insurance. Buying car... Read More How do you know if what you are paying for... Read More Here is a useful guide to Home Insurance. Home insurance... Read More When obtaining renter's insurance it is important to put serious... Read More The world is no longer right when the two words,... Read More Car insurance is one of the most dreaded chunks in... Read More Though popular among today's aging Baby Boomers and members of... Read More
Adsense
websites
About Online Term Life Insurance Rates
Accident Factoids
Health Insurance for the Beginner
Whole Life Insurance - Whole Life Insurance Information
How to Reduce Home Insurance Premiums
Six Ways to Cut the Cost of Your Auto Insurance
I Was In An Accident, Will My Car Insurance Rates Go Up?
Insurance in Northern Ireland: Historic Difficulties
Should I Buy Rental Car Insurance?
Life Insurance Fears Post the London Bombings Tragedy
Why Buy Life Insurance?
Insurance Credit Scoring: An Ethical Issue
Home Insurance Rates in Northern Ireland
Reducing Soaring Insurance Claim Costs
Can I Really Get Life Insurance, No Exam Required?
Insurance for Those Who Run Bed and Breakfast Properties
Talking to Your Parents About Insurance
Medical Insurance Overseas
Guide to Car Insurance
Why Should You Shop Around for Auto Insurance?
Guide to Home Insurance
How Much Renters Insurance Do I Need?
Insurance and The Engineer
How Much Car Insurance Should You Buy?
An Annuities Primer
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Medical Bankrupticies: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
First the bad news: about 2,000,000 personal bankruptcies each year... Read More
What Should I Do About Billing Problems When Using HSA Money?
If you run into a billing problem or misunderstanding with... Read More
Cut Business Insurance in 8 ways
1. Comply with recommendations from company engineers and loss control.... Read More
Insure Your House
When we talk about insurance the thing you have to... Read More
Health Insurance Online - Save Today
It is now possible to thoroughly research and buy health... Read More
Understanding How Your Credit History May Affect Your Car Insurance Coverage
Many personal auto insurance companies consider your credit information when... Read More
Sisters Are Insuring Themselves: Finance is the New Feminism
According to a study by LifeSearch, the number of women... Read More
How Much Renters Insurance Do I Need?
When obtaining renter's insurance it is important to put serious... Read More
Useful Tips on Reducing Insurance Costs
Most people want lower insurance costs but are often too... Read More
An Intro To Auto Insurance
Although premiums, policies and prices vary widely, the mandate does... Read More
Guide to Car Insurance
Here is a useful guide to car insurance. Buying car... Read More
Group Term Life Insurance and the Options Available
Group term life insurance is more affordable than individual life... Read More
What to Look for in Good Health Insurance
Health insurance is a kind of protection that provides payment... Read More
10 Ways To Save On Car Insurance
For most people car insurance is a the single largest... Read More
What is Home Insurance?
Home Insurance is designed to provide you with financial protection... Read More
Accident Factoids
Accidents, personal injuries and insurance claims are here to stay.... Read More
Life Insurance Basics
One of the most important things you can do as... Read More
Avoiding The Potholes Of Car Insurance
Car Insurance is an issue that we all of face... Read More
Discount Auto Insurance - Keep Your Hard-Earned Money
Finding discount auto insurance is so easy when you do... Read More
Can I Really Get Life Insurance, No Exam Required?
Changing the way that life insurance is bought and sold... Read More
Reducing Soaring Insurance Claim Costs
With the soaring rise in claims to insurers from their... Read More
How Do I Lower My Auto Insurance Premiums?
It seems as though the price of everything is on... Read More
Cheap Health Insurance Rates and Personal Health Insurance
If you've been out of school for a couple of... Read More
High Deductible Health Insurance Plans For Individuals and Families
Do you pay more attention to your car than your... Read More
Credit Card Insurance
A word of warning about Credit card repayment protection schemesThe... Read More
Insurance |