The last year has been like no other. Don’t worry, I won’t go on about it as we are all sick of hearing the clichés and words like ‘unprecedented’. But with just days to go until we announce the winners of the 2021 Consumer Intelligence Awards, you may find yourself wondering whether the brands that went the extra mile for their customers in 2020 in the face of the pandemic will find themselves triumphant in this year’s awards.
One potential outcome of 2020 is the polarisation of customer perception, with those brands that stepped up winning the hearts and minds of insurance customers everywhere. Of course, we had the likes of Admiral gifting its motor customers £25, without asking for a finger to be lifted. Direct Line, LV, Saga and others came out with offers of refunds and waiving mid-term adjustment charges, and the like. But the question is: will those acts of generosity, compassion and customer centricity translate into higher scores in consumer feedback when it comes to trust, customer services, customer satisfaction, claims satisfaction and customer recommendation? Or is it just the brands that shouted the loudest that will remain in customers’ minds?
What I can reveal ahead of announcement day next week is that we can expect a shake up in the brands hitting the top 10 leader boards across our award categories.
But, before we get into the detail, let’s just remind you of the significance of the Consumer Intelligence Awards. These are the only awards voted for purely by customers. Each year, we collate the feedback of almost 50,000 policy holders, split equally across home and motor, to establish which brands are leading the pack when it comes to providing great service and experience for their customers.
It’s not easy to win one of our awards. You can't just complete an entry form or write a submission. It requires dedication, consistency, and a successful customer strategy that performs 365 days a year. That is why it’s such a huge accolade to win one of our awards – and one to shout about if you’re lucky enough to be successful.
For us, it’s exciting when we see new brands coming to the fore. And this year is no different – we are seeing some interesting newcomers and reappearances from winners of years gone by.
Motor insurance is where we have the most activity. We’ve got three newcomers, two of which are owned by the same parent company, indicating a serious customer focus in 2020 for this organisation. We have also seen two brands widen their winning footprint across the motor categories, each securing a further two wins.
Across home and motor, one particular brand maintains their stronghold in all 10 categories, however a returning brand has stepped up to rival them in the home insurance space. This brand, which previously won just one award in 2019, now dominates all five categories for home insurance.
Thankfully there’s not long to wait until we can reveal the names of these winning brands. In just over 4 days (Tuesday 12 January) we will be getting in contact with those whose hard work and dedication has paid off and publishing their names on our website soon after. So, stay tuned!
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