Sustainability Report 2012 - Generali Versicherung AG

Management of non-life claimsIn the non-life insurance segment, the quality of customerservice is mainly measured at the claim settlement stage.The Group has shared facilities in all countries to optimiseclaim management procedures and to facilitate thesettlement of claims, although independent managementprocedures still exist in certain companies. In order toimprove customer service and, in particular, to reduceclaim assessment timelines, the Group companieshave introduced streamlined procedures for managing“straightforward” claims, i.e. claims for damage only togoods that receive moderate reimbursement.With regard to the different stages of claims management,most Group companies have developed services forhandling customer needs.In particular, based on specific local requirements andthe services developed by individual Group companies,clients can:• receive information and assistance at the agency,through the call centres or the website, at approvedbody repair shops or independent brokers which useIT systems that can provide full automated responsesincluding all useful references;• report an accident via an agency, call centre (whichcan provide customer support or assistance to the salesnetwork for reports received by the agency), website(using the appropriate online forms), or smartphoneapplication;• obtain the contact details of an assessor via theagency when reporting the claim, by contacting the callcentre, or by SMS. Furthermore, in Austria, France andSwitzerland, a remote assessment system is availablewhich, in addition to limiting travel demands onassessors and therefore benefitting the environment,it also reduces the inconvenience to the client. In2012, a drive-in service as a result of special weatherevents such as hail was launched in Switzerland,which simplifies and speed of claims assessmentson a collective basis, thus significantly reducing thetimelines for claim settlement.In 2012, a project was completed involving Groupcompanies based in Italy and Generali BusinessSolutions settlements area. The project’s objectives wereto review the wording of communications sent to clientsfollowing a claim with a view to making all informationfully understandable and readily accessible and to ensurethe prompt and correct handling of claims.Agreements and conventions with healthcare facilities,doctors, roadside-assistance providers, body shops, carhire firms, etc. are in place to facilitate customer access tothe services provided. The supplier selection proceduresadopted by Group companies are aimed at ensuring highservice levels for the customer. In particular, agreementswith body shops, in addition to ensuring excellent serviceand keeping the cost of claims to a minimum, may alsoinclude the provision of a courtesy vehicle, warranty onrepairs and the provision of the service without advancepayment and/or the total refund of the claim withoutcharging the excess. Similarly, agreements are in placewith companies specializing in the repair and replacementof windscreens, which offer a high quality service andmanage claims directly with the companies without askingthe client for advance payment.Non-life claimsCountryNumber ofclaims reportedNumber ofclaims settledSums paid for claims(thousand euros)2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012Italy 1,801,376 1,563,546 1,655,496 1,433,691 4,060,030 3,708,157Austria 812,871 846,033 878,066 903,064 881,350 932,779Czech Republic 503,073 491,063 445,269 411,665 542,440 496,140France 708,075 675,796 673,529 669,561 1,654,582 1,479,402Germany 3,685,917 3,739,967 3,128,146 3,072,065 2,711,634 2,769,060Spain 1,783,868 1,833,037 1,927,388 2,033,788 909,389 897,508Switzerland 246,279 256,902 245,214 277,608 402,000 421,727TOTAL 9,541,459 9,406,344 8,953,108 8,801,442 11,161,424 10,704,773CLIENTS | 99