AA Insurance named one of New Zealand’s most ‘enchanting’ companies.

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Auckland, 21 September 2017 – AA Insurance shares the top honours for providing the ‘most enchanting’ customer experience, according to research by Kantar TNS New Zealand.

“We always put our customers first so it’s a privilege to be named a company with the most enchanted customers, alongside known and trusted household names ANZ and Air New Zealand,” says Chris Curtin, CEO at AA Insurance. “It speaks volumes about our customer service, which is always being considered and improved, and we’re honoured.”

Kantar TNS New Zealand interviewed 2,000 Kiwis about their most recent customer experiences, which considered the emotional impact that drives customer relationships and outcomes with companies. To deliver an enchanting experience, it needs to be rated as both excellent as well as leaving the customer feeling delighted. These enchanting experiences would go on to create positive memories for the customers and drive relationships with the company; those who felt enchanted had a 95% likelihood of remaining a customer.  

Interestingly, the overall customer experience in New Zealand is lagging behind global standards. Only 11% of Kiwis are left feeling enchanted after a customer experience, compared to 20% of customers globally. Yet AA Insurance, ANZ and Air New Zealand all scored well above this figure at 16% each. 

Kantar TNS New Zealand executive director Nigel Green says that what distinguishes the top three companies from others is that they create enchanting customer experiences by treating each communication channel with the attention it deserves. Whereas many other businesses treat social media as an afterthought, rather than a communication channel in its own right.

The agency’s research shows that online contact is preferred for many time-poor customers. Some 46% of people did not want to make a call to a service provider, preferring to email or get in touch on a social network instead. But often, these options aren’t available or thought through, and they’re forced to pick up the phone.

Conversely, speaking on the phone was the preferred option for older customers, as well as those with complex issues. For insurance, this can mean taking out a policy, making a claim, or needing urgent help during an emergency.

Says Chris: “The research has confirmed the importance that AA Insurance places on ensuring our customers can interact with us in their preferred way. This includes having real people answer our phones quickly to help connect customers with the right person first time, as well as offering a policy ‘self-serve’ option with My AA Insurance, and Live Chat – an online communication tool. We also treat social media – a popular option for younger customers - as a communication channel in its own right, and are committed to providing a prompt response.

“This accolade offers significant validation for the way we’re doing things, but we’ll never rest on our laurels. People’s needs change all the time, as does technology, so we’ll continue to listen to our customers to make sure we deliver the best experience to them every day.”