United Insurance Company Limited is expected to open two new outlets in Barbados this year.
Newly appointed business manager Sharron Alleyne-Elcock, though not giving details, told Barbados TODAY this was in an effort to better accommodate customers as the company placed greater focus on customer convenience.
The insurance company opened a kiosk in the Sunset Crest, West Coast Mall, in August 2012. The main office is located on Lower Broad Street, The City.
Alleyne-Elcock said one of the new outlets should be opened by the end of this month at the Sheraton Mall. However, she declined to say where the second outlet would be established, saying only that the company was aiming for it to be ready by May this year.
“It is for greater customer convenience. Like any other company, insurance or otherwise, you want to be where the customers are. So from that perspective we want to ensure we have locations that are convenient for customers to reach,”
she said.
Alleyne-Elcock declined to say if the company would be hiring new people for the new outlets or if they would be manned from the company’s existing staff complement.
“However we do it, it’s all about customer convenience, whether new staff or otherwise,” she said.
Speaking recently at a “thank you event” put on by the company at the Bellevue House, at Waterford, Alleyne-Elcock said: “We will soon be rolling out a number of exciting initiatives which are aimed at providing our clients with increased convenience, even better service and new and innovative insurance solutions. We are changing for the better and we are keen to have you continue on this journey with us.”
Meanwhile, chief commercial officer Mark Sommerville told the audience that United Insurance was “aiming to take everything to a different level”.
“This is why we are moving to a new IT platform, which will facilitate much improved service to policyholders, brokers and sales representatives,”
he said.
“We will also be implementing a customer service management system for United. This will provide a framework for improved customer service delivery by firmly establishing principles, guidelines and standards at every level of our company. The customer is being put at the heart of everything that we do,” said Sommerville.
In his address, chief executive officer Howard Hall said more than 50 per cent of business written by United Insurance in Barbados last year was channeled through brokers and sales representatives.
Hall said for 2013 the company registered an improved performance in its Caribbean portfolio.
“The future looks bright. We are excited about the opportunities which lie ahead and we are looking forward to you continuing this journey with us as we aim to be the premier insurance company in the Caribbean,” said Hall.
