The customer provided proof of his no-claims discount (NCD) to his existing insurer when requesting a new motor policy upon retirement. However, the insurer repeatedly rejected the documentation in responses comprised of standardized paragraphs that were difficult to understand and conveyed a threatening rather than helpful tone. Frustrated by the poor communication, the customer cancelled his policy and went elsewhere. The document suggests the insurer could have improved by auditing their standardized responses to use a more customer-friendly tone and clearly explaining documentation requirements to avoid losing business.

1. How to lose
customers
An effective way to alienate
customers with simple,
everyday comms.

2. A loyal domestic insurance
customer retired and asked
his existing insurer for a
motor policy. Here’s what
happened...

3. Dear Sirs
Here is proof of my NCD, earned on a
motorcycle policy.I think that in
the proposal I said that I have 10
years NCD.
My current schedule shows 9 years
but I think that I actually have
about 14 years, but I have no way of
proving this.
I also attach my current motorcycle
insurance certificate. I hope this
is OK and would be grateful if you
would confirm this. I look forward
to hearing from you.
A Customer
The customer
sent what he
thought was
proof of NCD...

4. Here’s how the
insurer replied...

5. Dear Mr Customer
We are contacting you because we have received a
document from you as evidence of your Proof of No
Claims Discount. Unfortunately, we are unable to
accept this for the reasons listed below:
The No Claims Discount appears to be currently in
use on another policy with another insurance
company.
We will accept Proof of No Claims Discount from the
following policies:
Aprivate car, company car and mobility car. We will
also accept No Claims Discount from motorbike
policies but the policyholder must be aged 22 or over.
Please note: company car evidence must have been
earned in the last 6 months, be provided on company
letter headed paper and signed by a Director or the
Fleet Manager.
Bolt-together
standard paras -
always make the
customer feel as
though he's just
another number.
Use a“Robocop”
tone of voice.
Always use a whole
page of solid text -
makes it MUCH
harder to read
quickly - particularly
on a smartphone.

6. We will accept proof of No Claims Discount provided:
- The policy was issued by an insurance company in
the UK.
- The No Claims Discount was earned in the
policyholders name.
- It was earned within the last 24 months and is not
currently in use on another policy.
Please resend the correct documentation so we can
update your policy. If your No Claims Discount does
not meet our criteria stated above please contact us
by email or call us at your earliest convenience. Call
costs may vary depending on your service provider.
If we do not hear from you your NCD may be reduced
or your policy may be cancelled.
Don’t bother with
pesky apostrophes.
Don’t clarify
what ‘correct
documentation’
means.
Hide what the
customer has to do
half way down the
page.
Make sure to
sound threatening
not helpful.

7. Until we have received and processed sufficient proof
of your No Claims Discount your policy may not be
fully validated which may affect any future claims.
In addition to any premium quoted we reserve the right
to charge an admin fee of up to £30.00 should a
change or correction be made to your policy by a
member of our team. This includes reduction of NCD
entitlement.
Yours sincerely
Amy Insurer
Insurer NCD Team
Never use
customer-
friendly
language.
Avoid good will
at all costs.

8. ✓ 350 words. Solid text.
✓ Reads like an email from Robocop.
✓ A series of bolt-together standard paras
that don’t fit.
✓ Call to action hidden half way down.
✓ Text four times harder to understand than
an average article in The Times.
✓ A 150 word, legal-language disclaimer.

9. The customer tried again…
Same sort of reply.
And again…
And yet again…
If we do not hear
from you your NCD
may be reduced or
your policy may be
cancelled
In addition to any
premium quoted we
reserve the right
to charge an admin
fee of up to £30.00
If the document is
not received your
discount will be
reduced or your
policy will be
cancelled.
Same sort of reply.
Same sort of reply.

10. Finally, the customer was so
angry…
The customer was so angry with the tone of the
replies he gave up, cancelled his policy, wrote to the
ABI and went elsewhere.
It wasn't what the insurer had done - the customer
understood how important proof of NCD is - it was
how they did it and their written tone of voice. He
felt the insurer just didn't care.

11. What could the
insurer have done?
1. Audited their standard paras library
and scored them objectively.
2. Developed a customer-friendly tone
of voice.
3. Written new standard paras using it.
4. Trained their teams to communicate
with customers in a more human way.
Rubuss

12. Here’s how one
business saved
£300,000 by doing
this.
Rubuss
Mark McArthur-Christie
mark@rubuss.com
07775 856154