High-performance relationships deliver what risk managers need in a riskier world
July 27, 2017
Zurich’s industry-leading customer relationship model helps provide the collaboration and support customers need to assist them in protecting themselves against the risks they face today.
Delivering a unique customer experience in a fast-changing, increasingly crowded and competitive environment is a big challenge for any enterprise. It’s true for all business segments, including insurance, which is often perceived as a commodity product much the same from one provider to another. With so many players competing for the same customer base, standing out demands the ability to deliver a sense of relationships and commitment that customers can’t get anywhere else.
In 2002, Zurich began building a customer relationship model intended to provide that distinctive experience. During extensive research, customers told us that they wanted relationships in which reaching their risk management objectives was as important to their insurance provider as it was to them. The development of our new customer relationship model was Zurich’s response.
At the center of our model is the role of Global Relationship Leader (GRL). These highly experienced, market-facing professionals act as our primary strategic account managers and customer advocates. GRLs work closely with assigned customers and their brokers to create risk management strategies to help achieve shared goals. The GRL’s job is to use all of the services and tools of the Zurich organization to answer questions, solve problems and offer valuable risk insights that can help drive measurable improvements in total cost of risk.
In the years since the launch of our Customer Relationship Model, many clients have told us that they consider their GRLs to be extensions of their own risk management teams. We are also proud that Zurich’s Customer Relationship Model won a 2016 Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA) Excellence Award. It was the first time a global insurance provider was honored with the prestigious award in the group’s 50-plus years in existence.
We certainly appreciate that kind of external recognition, but building customer relationships founded on trust, dedication and commitment is simply the cornerstone of how we interact with our customers and brokers at Zurich.