Hanging on the Telephone
Reporting crash damage can be a stress in itself
Motorists are being forced to wait up to 24 minutes on the phone when reporting accidents to their insurers according to research by leading accident management firm, Accident Exchange (www.accidentexchange.com
). Approximately 10,000 motor related incidents occur every day in the UK. Based on over 5,900 calls reporting accidents on behalf of customers and dealing with third party insurers, Accident Exchange also found an alarming disparity in the speed it takes to speak to a human operator from the same insurer. Of the 26 leading motor insurers monitored, the average policyholder would either be lucky to have their calls answered within two and a half minutes or have to wait up to four times longer before making contact with a claims handler. The worst average waiting time was recorded by AXA at 16 mins 07 seconds with the lowest from the independent Broker Direct network of 1 min 51 seconds. The five slowest insurers to answer calls - AXA, Saga, NIG, Tesco and Norwich Union – had an average wait of 11mins 31secs between them. AXA, the fourth largest insurer in the UK, also recorded the longest wait of 23 minutes and 38 seconds. The quickest response time came from Direct Line, where an operator answered the call within 16 seconds, although another claimant waited for over 8 minutes – over 50 times longer. Five Longest Waits Recorded By Accident Exchange 1. AXA 23mins 38s 2. Saga 21mins 23s 3. NIG 19mins 16s 4. Tesco 17mins 34s 5. NU 16mins 11s Five Shortest Waits Recorded By Accident Exchange 1. Direct Line 16 seconds 2. Equity Red Star 21s 3. Broker Direct 22s 4. RSA/More Than 49s 5. NFU Mutual 52s "It is a real issue now
," explains Steve Evans, Chief Executive of Accident Exchange. "The length of time it takes to speak to someone has dramatically worsened over the past twelve months. With some insurers you’ve got time to make a cup of tea, drink it and wash up the cups while you wait
." The Accident Exchange survey highlighted the minefield of the automated telephone systems widely operated by motor insurers in an effort to streamline the claims handling process. "The reliance on these interactive response systems may be efficient for the insurers but that’s far from the case for the policyholder
," explained Evans. "It can be several minutes and six or seven different options down the voice tree before you end up speaking to the wrong person or department and have to start the whole process again
."
Based on over 5,900 calls reporting accidents on behalf of customers and dealing with third party insurers, Accident Exchange also found an alarming disparity in the speed it takes to speak to a human operator from the same insurer.
Of the 26 leading motor insurers monitored, the average policyholder would either be lucky to have their calls answered within two and a half minutes or have to wait up to four times longer before making contact with a claims handler.
The worst average waiting time was recorded by AXA at 16 mins 07 seconds with the lowest from the independent Broker Direct network of 1 min 51 seconds. The five slowest insurers to answer calls - AXA, Saga, NIG, Tesco and Norwich Union – had an average wait of 11mins 31secs between them.
AXA, the fourth largest insurer in the UK, also recorded the longest wait of 23 minutes and 38 seconds. The quickest response time came from Direct Line, where an operator answered the call within 16 seconds, although another claimant waited for over 8 minutes – over 50 times longer.
Five Longest Waits Recorded By Accident Exchange
1. AXA 23mins 38s
2. Saga 21mins 23s
3. NIG 19mins 16s
4. Tesco 17mins 34s
5. NU 16mins 11s
Five Shortest Waits Recorded By Accident Exchange
1. Direct Line 16 seconds
2. Equity Red Star 21s
3. Broker Direct 22s
4. RSA/More Than 49s
5. NFU Mutual 52s
"It is a real issue now ," explains Steve Evans, Chief Executive of Accident Exchange. "The length of time it takes to speak to someone has dramatically worsened over the past twelve months. With some insurers you’ve got time to make a cup of tea, drink it and wash up the cups while you wait ."
The Accident Exchange survey highlighted the minefield of the automated telephone systems widely operated by motor insurers in an effort to streamline the claims handling process.
"The reliance on these interactive response systems may be efficient for the insurers but that’s far from the case for the policyholder ," explained Evans. "It can be several minutes and six or seven different options down the voice tree before you end up speaking to the wrong person or department and have to start the whole process again ."
At peak times, the longest wait could literally be measured in hours, it was rubbish.
Things seem to have improved now significantly though with more staff, approx 60,000 claims are reported to AXA each year.
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More and more young people are dodging their insurance and just not bothering as they cannot afford to insure; insurance companies should be waking up to the fact that people are growing tired of extorsion. This latest episode is just another notch on the board of "Insurance is a rip-off".
This begs the question: If new cars are safer, and slower because 'speed kills', and fewer cars are being stolen as they all have better locks and security systems, then why are the premiums still going up? We aren't getting better service.
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