081: Is the Insurance Industry in a PR Crisis? - with Brett Sainty, CEO of BLW Insurance Brokers

Are you concerned about how your business, and the insurance industry as a whole, is perceived by the public?

In this mini episode of the Insurance Brokers’ Podcast, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Brett Sainty, CEO of BLW Insurance Brokers. As a highly experienced and regarded industry professional, Brett is well-placed to discuss the broader public perception of insurers, which he suggests is gravely insufficient. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, he suggests that the industry is currently facing a significant PR crisis due to an array of circumstances both created by and predating the pandemic, and that this can only be absolved by deeper consideration of the essential needs of customers.

 

Quote of the Episode

“There's no point in asking chief executives, insurers, or large brokers whether or not there's a PR crisis in the insurance industry. There is. And it's the perception of the customers that we need to be focusing on.”

Brett suggests that the PR crisis facing the insurance industry is irrefutable, and that extensive debate as to whether or not it is happening only delays attempts to resolve it. This must necessarily be rooted, he argues, in a reorientation of public perception of insurers and brokers, which can be achieved, first and foremost, by thinking about the customer above all else.

 

Key Takeaways

For Brett, the customer service experience offered by the insurance industry is woeful. He suggests that insurance businesses would be well-rewarded, both in the eyes of the public and in the development of the services they offer, by a deeper collective consideration of the customer’s needs.

Too many risks are declared uninsurable, despite the fact that they could be insured at a risk that the customer would be happy with. The industry’s unwillingness to accept more challenging risks that may require some new technical expertise or alterations to certain terms and conditions is halting its ability to recover its public reputation.

The industry’s contribution to society has perhaps never been more vital. In order to encourage entrepreneurial ingenuity, we must return to the basics: the job of insurance is to transfer risk from the balance sheet of businesses.  As rates are inevitably hardening due to challenges from the economy, we need to ensure that, while making an underwriting profit is important, our first priority must be the deliverance of this service, and clear communication with those paying premiums.

 

Best Moments/Key Quotes

“Have we got a PR crisis in the insurance industry? Yes, we have, and pretending otherwise is just delaying the time that it will take us to fix it.”

“Many of these risks that are declared uninsurable can be insured at a limit that the customer is happy with. So, we've got to work harder that really hard at that, and open our minds to it, and stop moving stuff onto the ‘too difficult’ pile.”

“I think the industry holistically would be really, really well-rewarded if they just paused for a moment, collectively, and thought about the customer.”

“If we're actively encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in this country, we have to go back to the basis that the job of insurance is to transfer risk from the balance sheet of these businesses.”

 

Resources

BLW Insurance Brokers - https://www.blwinsurance.com/

 

About the Guest

Brett Sainty is the CEO of BLW Insurance Brokers, a multifaceted insurance solutions provider based in Essex. Brett has over 30 years’ experience in the industry, and is a board member of BIBA International and the Wholesale Brokers’ Advisory Board.

Brett’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-sainty-22407b33/

 

About the Host

Sarah Myerscough is the Sales and Marketing Director of Boston Tullis Group. The founder of The Insurance Brokers Podcast, she brings a wealth of marketing experience and a fresh perspective on marketing in the insurance sector. Boston Tullis works with insurance brokers to offer solutions to business development ceilings, particularly in the rapidly developing fields of video marketing and thought leadership.

Website: https://bostontullis.co.uk/ 

Evaluation Link: https://s.bostontullis.co.uk/s/podcastevaluation