Adverse weather conditions: Early closure

Our call centre is based down in Sussex, which is still experiencing the aftermath of the ongoing "snowpocalypse".

In light of this, they are having to down phones and tools at 2.30pm today be certain they all get home to their families safely.

We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause, it is totally due to the local roads and conditions.

Please do take a look at our online quote engines for help, any telephone enquiries will also be recorded for urgent attention once the office is open.

We hope it all thaws soon!

Thanks for your understanding,

Zoe*

Insurance4everyone

Customer Services Team

Ordering a coffee; as complicated as buying insurance?

I was recently in a franchise coffee chain (think Battlestar Galactica) when it dawned on me how complex and diverse the product spectrum is for buying a humble cup of coffee. Its not unlike insurance in the sheer choice and initial helplessness of the uninitiated consumer. There are literally umpteen different combinations and I can at any time choose to bolt on foodstuffs to my purchase that may or may not compliment the drink, the price of which is affected whether I drink in or out.

We the consumers can decide the size, concentration, milk type, topping, syrup, temperature, sweetness and serving vessel. Mine’s usually; “a skinny medium vanilla latte with sugar free syrup to take away”. But where on earth did I learn to order that little concoction? Well, I persevered with the confusing product menu, listened to other customers as I ordered a basic cappuccino and asked people I knew. Once certain of my ability to branch out and delve deeper into the menu, I strolled confidently upon the barista and fired off my best jargon to source my very own custom made product. I had taken control of my coffee consumption.

Could this be true for buying insurance as well?

Insurance customers also follow the crowd, surf the comparison sites and go for what they know. Like the coffee chain, a customer has a brilliantly diverse choice of what to spend their hard earned sterling on. I expended a lot of effort just to spend a couple of quid and once I have drunk it, its not much use to me. Insurance is a different ball game entirely, you have it for a year and its there as a reserve in case some mini disaster or unexpected event strikes. I am confused as to why a customer wouldn’t want to understand its complexities more. Lets be honest, coffee is coffee, just because someone calls it “skinny” or “grande” its still coffee…perhaps i am just an insurance geek in this regard.

My understanding of the coffee process is still limited, for example; a friend recommended I try the latest Caramel Macchiato. I have no idea what that is or how it differs from my staple consumption of Latte (how do you pronounce it anyway?), but I soldiered on and found that when made “skinny” and sugar free, this beverage was a new Insurance4everyone favourite.

It was only when I was at the head of a line serviced by a new shop trainee that I realised this world of complexity had a lot to teach my business of retail insurance. A coffee shop, after all, must outline the options available to a customer and sell them their product quickly and succinctly. Standing there, witnessing the panic on the new sales assistants eyes as I rattled out buzzwords like “skinny”, “light” and “medium” (yes I do not use another language to indicate the size of the drinking vessel, medium will do fine) it became all to clear that we as an industry take for granted the lingo and sheer volume of choice we provide for clients. His black felt tip frantically trying to tick the right boxes and his pricing stacked up to include the syrup and discount the fact i wouldn't require a seat. Are you seeing the parallels to insurance yet?

All this effort, just for a good old cup of Joe (as our cousins call it); so I was once again reminded about the customer we serve at our insurance shop. It has now sparked a frappucino of ideas about how we talk to you, present our product selection and help you understand the differences between them. If my experience in the coffee franchise is anything to go by, not only do customers not like to ask when they don’t understand, brands often have no problem fitting their own jargon into the customers order. In the case of insurance, the culture imposed is not user friendly in the slightest and our product, lets face it, is not as well regarded as a mocha.

For coffee this might fit the style and become the brand, for insurance, things are clearly different. This has been our attitude in shaping our brand strategy for 2010, by applying 0% gimmicks to what we do and focusing on the service, product and customer understanding, we're confident our shop will be a great place to buy your insurance.

If you, as customers, have any peeves or ideas about how you buy insurance. Let us know, we love a good debate on operations…

James*

Branding & Marketing

Hello insurance shoppers!

This is just a heads up to let you know our customer service centre opening hours over the festive period.

We will be giving our team a well deserved break, if you have any urgent quote requirements or product enquiries, please do get in touch. While we are out of office, our call line will still be open for messages- so we will know you have called and be in touch as soon as we can!

Over the Christmas and New Year period our office hours will be as follows

Thursday 24th December

Open 9.00 am to 1.00 pm

Friday 25th December

Closed

Monday 28th December

Closed

Tuesday 29th December

Closed

Wednesday 30th December

Open 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

Thursday 31st December

Open 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

Friday 1st January

Closed

Monday 4th January

Open 9.00 am to 5.00 pm as normal

New Boutique handbag insurance - flexible and affordable protection in stock now!

Boutique Handbag Insurance has arrived, allowing savvy women over 21 years old to protect their bag and its contents against theft or damage from just £5 per month. Getting that stylish look can take up lots of time and money, thankfully insuring it doesn’t.

Online shop insurance4everyone has announced that the product is to go on sale with immediate effect. Unlike other handbag insurance products, Boutique covers 'any bag' - the handbag you are carrying at the time of the loss, rather than a specific pre-notified bag. This makes Boutique a practical and affordable way for women to protect their prize possessions.

Many women will admit to carrying their life in their handbag. It is distressing enough if this is lost or stolen, but it is often on replacing the bag and its contents that the true value is revealed - and it can be a shock. With a purse, mobile phone, digital music player and cosmetics your handbag’s loss can prove costly to replace. ‘Boutique’ gives women the peace of mind that, when the worst happens, they are protected.

"We understand that women use a variety of different bags, depending on their daily needs," says James York, co-founder of insurance4everyone.co.uk. "Boutique is designed to cover any one bag the policyholder uses at a time; it's simple, quick to buy and flexible. We know that these bags can cost a lot and they're packed with cosmetics and gadgets which modern British women can't live without. We're here to cover against the worse case scenarios."

Boutique provides market-leading cover for both the handbag and those high value items inside. Alongside this wide-ranging cover, it also provides 60 days worldwide cover at no extra cost. ‘Boutique’ can be purchased in minutes online at insurance4everyone.co.uk. Product documentation is emailed to the shopper straight away after purchase, making it quick and easy to arrange cover.

"Boutique is a cheaper and more flexible option to the alternative of naming or adding items to 'all risk' cover on existing home insurance, which can substantially increase the premium and often requires a detailed list of the items to be covered," explains Geoff Hall at insurance4everyone.co.uk.

Boutique has two optional levels of cover, £800 or £1,000 and can be purchased online quickly and easily at www.insurance4everyone.co.uk.

For further information, contact James York at james@insurance4everyone.co.uk

Notes for editors:

§ Available for applicants over the age of 21 years.

§ Insurance4everyone.co.uk is the UK's vibrant and friendly insurance retailer, with 0% gimmicks. We provide fast online quotes and stock affordable insurance products from an independent and trustworthy source.

§ Insurance4everyone has chosen Berkeley Alexander Ltd, part of one of the UK's largest insurance brokers to provide these insurance quotations. The Wonderful Web Ltd trading as ‘insurance4everyone’ is an Appointed Representative of Berkeley Alexander Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the FSA no 307388

§ Other insurance products we stock and make available online include; home insurance, unemployment insurance, identity theft insurance and buy to let insurance,.

§ Find out more at www.insurance4everyone.co.uk

§ *one months free cover offer; refers to a reduction in annual premium that is then reduced from the initial purchase price. See website for more details.

§ Clients should read the terms and conditions of the insurance contract carefully before buying, including the processes and requirements for claims.

§ Affiliate opportunities available for this new exiting product.

Squirrels and Home insurance!

In case you didn't know, squirrels are rodents and in many home insurance policies they are considered as included under the definition of "pests". Damage caused by pests is generally excluded.

For many, the squirrel is a quirky and cute little animal. The harsh reality is however, that they can be responsible for damage to your home that may not be covered by your home insurance. Their little teeth are in a continuous state of growth, which means that they like nothing more than gnawing and chewing to keep up their dental maintenance. It is a near certainty that anyone holding Home insurance presently, will not be covered for damage from the little grey blighter's!

Damage squirrels can cause include:

-Getting into your attic and ripping up insulation for nests

-Tearing insulation material off wiring

-Falling into open water tanks, drowning and contaminating the contents

-Gnawing and defacing woodwork

-Burrowing in and around property

To avoid unnecessary losses, try and look for ways to squirrel proof your house and avoid encouraging them in the first place. Bird feeders can be a major attraction for squirrels. The last thing you want is to show the animals that there is a regular food source for them that is easily accessible, they may just set up camp around you house!

If you are hearing scratching noises in your loft and roof or see larger sized rodent droppings, you could be facing a squirrel squarer. Be wary of any squirrels you may run into if you go into the roof space to check things out. Like any parent they can be fiercely defensive when with child and have the ability to leap enormous distances for their size.

How can you keep them out?

There are some things you could do yourself, a little online search for "squirrel proofing" will bring up a few decent links. A few minutes on a Sunday in front of the telly might be worth it to double check your options.

If you use that bird feeder, look for one that is as squirrel proof as possible. They are very good at cracking puzzles, so short of a Rubik's cube, you can only do so much.

Check the outside of your house for access holes. If you are happy for swifts, swallows and bats to make your house their home, you might be reluctant to block off all access but it is worthwhile if you have seen a lot of squirrels nearby.

You might consider coating any entrance and nearby open wiring with something that will make a squirrel think twice about chewing on it. Making things soft helps, like wrapping it in material- they chew to grind their teeth down and these become less attractive posts for such a thing. You could use chilli powder, but be aware that might not be effective and could attract other pests.

Ideally, its best to speak to a pest control company, you don't necessarily have to think about extermination, blocking and prevention are achievable and might be cheaper. You also don't have to keep repeating it if you do it right the first time, it could avoid having a big squirrel related house bill.

You may think this is something that isn't worth doing, be warned, they are considered pests and most insurance providers do not cover this. They do not cover them for a reason, there is a much higher likelihood that people will be victims of squirrel related pest costs and the cost of covering it might make the insurance too expensive for many shoppers. Unless shoppers are undertaking domestic risk management with regard to pests, it wont be covered as standard.

If you would like to have squirrels included in your cover, some insurers will consider removing "squirrels" from the exclusion section. This will cost you in the form of a loading of premium. You could reduce this cost by proofing your house of course.

Our preferred online home insurance product does not cover squirrels presently, but we're straightforward and want to help shoppers think about their daily risks.

As ever, our team are standing by to help 0845 355 1150

James *

Marketing & Branding

Home insurance 'dual pricing'- renewals and new customers

There is a debate raging within the professional insurance community at the moment, it is about your insurance premiums. Some insurers have taken the stance that new customers should receive 'incentivised' prices, rather than existing clients being offered sustainable prices. Its been termed, "dual pricing". Because there is one set of rules for the new shoppers and another for those renewing. Often, such a policy can sting the loyal customer!

Home Insurance retail has of course changed a little, consumers are now comparing a lot and this has almost re-written the old adage of sticking with the same brand and building a long term relationship.

We have talked a lot about this issue in the past; people don’t go changing their bank or type of car completely when presented with cheaper interest rates or fuel, do they? Perhaps they do. One thing is for certain though, the fact that other brands are pricing loyalty out of the equation is a shame. It forces consumers to do the extra leg work.

There is nothing wrong with comparing but there are plenty of things that are right about sticking with a good insurance provider. Its all about cost- benefit analysis.

Insurance is not a commodity, it’s a relationship

By changing policies each year, home insurance would be in danger of becoming a commodity like coco or silver, with wildly fluctuating prices each week, traded frequently. Insurance is actually about trust and real life. The danger of such uncertainty is that it becomes an ally of risk. What your home insurer needs to be is reliable and simple, not evasive and unpredictable. Look at what has happened to the financial sector when they used instruments that they did not have any control over. It was chaos. The word sustainable is used a lot these days, nevertheless; when it comes to home insurance prices, wouldn't it be better for us all?

We are not suggesting that home insurance buyers should put the blinkers on. In reality, an insurance shopper should of course check they are getting a good deal and are wanted by their insurer.

Your brand should contact you with renewal terms and you should feel comfortable picking up the phone or emailing to clarify certain points. Negotiation is possible. We actually stock other products besides our preferred online option; if you want to stay with us but need a little extra, we are happy to go that extra mile to keep you with us. Within reason of course! That is what you deserve.

We make no unnecessary price rises!

More critically, a customer should not open their renewal offer and leap out of their chair in shock, because their premium has risen inexplicably. This is the reality for a lot of customers. Sure, the comparison ability of modern insurance is huge, but this is unfortunately also causing insurers to act differently.

We are moving forward with our integration onto aggregators, we must confess, it has taken longer than we had hoped. Ironically, our quote engine appears to quick and simple and we had to add in a lot of other questions. We were happy to do this, but it obviously lengthened our wait to launch.

Insurance4everyone wants to be compared by news customers and selected on our competitive prices and excellent service. We also however; want our existing Home insurance customers to compare us on renewal; they will see that we promise not to raise their premium if they haven’t claimed. Who else offers that kind of deal? The answer is very few.

If you want to re-engage with your insurance and have a simpler life, we could just be the brand for you.

We aren’t going anywhere and neither are our competitive deals. New clients or renewal clients- you are both important to insurance4everyone.

Be aware when you compare insurance

We love comparison sites or as us insurance geeks call them; aggregators. They market their hearts out to consumers and offer a brilliant way for brands to showcase their products and services to consumers.  It is a shame that not all the brands on the sites see them in the same light...

We’re going to get compared

Every great concept has its weaknesses, the comparison sites create slight ripples in the way that insurers react to being constantly judged and compared. It is no secret that most comparison site users are hunting for the best price. We’d like to see the wording and approach shift to focus more on “value for money”. That's what the regulators ask, us insurance brands are required to help customers understand what they are buying. 

Insurance4everyone will soon be on not just one but two headline comparison sites. It takes a bit of time to join as our quote engine needs to be laced up with theirs (using nifty codes). We are looking forward to positioning ourselves up there with other national brands and offering exactly what we set out to; value for money. It's like preparing for a digital insurance brand product show, luckily we have some tricks up our sleeve to wow you!

Home insurance is just like any other product you buy; you pay for what you get. Sometimes, if something seems too good to be true, it is. 

We heard a story recently, which is a possible reaction to the comparison 'on price alone' culture. Read on...

Unsustainable insurance premiums?

An insurance shopper recently emailed our marketing team to tell us about their car insurance renewal debacle. ‘Peter’ had sourced his car insurance via a comparison site from one of the big national advertising insurance brands. They were cheapest on his comparison site of choice and he thought; “bargain”.

His year passes without incident, so imagine his shock when his renewal letter arrives with a whopping 250% increase in price. They simply couldn’t keep his price at the level that had enticed him in the first place, where is the sense in that?

“I though there must have been some kind of mistake, why would they do raise it by so much?”. Peter told us.  

Peter called his insurer; he pleads and his premium is reduced by a paltry 10%.

Peter then goes away and compares again. Behold, the insurer top of the list is his current insurer at 50% of his renewal premium quote! Peter calls the service centre and is told he will have to allow his current policy to expire and join through the comparison site as a new customer.

Oh dear, what a terrible way to treat your customers. That's less than the service insurance shoppers need!

Up to your brand to support you!

This story is in no way an indictment of the comparison site culture; they simply bring insurance shopper prices and products. Shoppers should be aware when buying an insurance product from comparison sites, the cheapest insurers cant afford to stay cheap for ever. The price in year 2 might go up, even if you don’t claim. Over two or three years, what originally looked like a great deal turns into extra work for you and a bit of a pain.

Take a good look at the terms and quality of the financial security on offer- more secure insurers tend to charge higher prices; its simple demand and supply…

Our premiums are guarenteed not to go up (if you dont claim, terms apply.. etc).

When we launch on comparison sites, our Home insurance prices will be set at a sustainable levels- we will not be the cheapest of the cheap, because we provide quality products, so we’re confident they provide value for money.

PLUS! Even with our comparison site product, you can fix your renewal price just like when you come direct, then and there! No more worrying about 200% increases. Its how we like to reward you for choosing us. 

Look out for us on the comparison sites all next year!

We want our clients to stay with us and build a relationship of trust, if when it comes to renewal time, you want a few more insurers and product options- you can phone our customer service line. We stock many more products and you can buy them without going to another website or provider.

With us you can freeze your premium; compare when you renew, buy AND get a deal that doesnt cause you a heap of headaches.

Now that is simple[s]… with 0% gimmicks. 

James*

Marketing & Branding