Association of British Insurers: Customer Impact Panel 2008/9 Report Published

The Annual Report of the independent Customer Impact Panel, which oversees the ABI’s Customer Impact Scheme, is published today. The Report includes the Panel’s commentary on the 2008/09 Customer Impact Survey and recommendations for the future of the Scheme. Key points from the report are:

. The Panel noted steady progress shown through the Survey. Post-sale relationship scores improved and sales process scores either increased or stayed the same, although the scores for developing and promoting products and services fell slightly. Satisfaction with complaints handling remains very low, but the Panel noted that the score had improved this year.
. Company reporting of Survey results showed some improvement, but work is needed in some cases on improving the level and quality of information provided.
. Good progress has been made in addressing recommendations made in the 2007/08 Report. The Panel has made a series of further recommendations to improve customer experiences of the life, pensions, savings and investment industry, which it will look to the industry to work on in the coming year.

Mike Ross, Chair of the Customer Impact Panel, said:

“Steady progress has been made by the companies involved in the Customer Impact Scheme, and we are pleased that this year, three new members signed up to it. The Scheme is evolving all the time, and the Panel, together with the ABI, is working on a five-year plan for its development and expansion. We expect to make further announcements about this later in the year.”