In spite of the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in March and April 2020, we’ve got a lot of freedom in South Africa (thanks to the heroes who fought for it). We shouldn’t take it for granted. Especially our freedom of choice. A few years ago, we didn’t have so much freedom of choice when it came to choosing service suppliers and insurers, which meant that even though you were treated badly or unfairly, it wasn’t like you could go somewhere else.
Thankfully, times have changed. Now, there are so many options out there. Some might say that there are too many options, making it confusing to know who to trust, especially when it comes to financial services, like car and home insurance providers.
To help you navigate this sea of choice, we’ve packaged together a few crucial pointers that you can use to vet your current or new insurance company and hopefully be in a better position to make the right decision for you.
What to look out for so you can choose the right insurer:
Service that serves you
There are service awards dished out to insurance companies who’ve been assessed by the industry and found to offer consistently good service. So, go online and check which insurers have won awards for good customer service. You can also go online to review sites to check what people have to say about the service they’ve received from different companies. We don’t recommend that you read 1 or 2 reviews only. Rather read a dozen or so and then assess whether there’s a general trend of negative posts versus positive posts.
Service matters because it tells you how efficiently your claim will be dealt with, how quickly your issues will be resolved, and how important the company regards its clients, AKA you. And as the client, you deserve to be treated like royalty.
Voluntary excess
It’s good to be able to choose your own excess so that you can influence the affordability of your insurance premium amount. Basically, if your insurer allows you to change your excess, you can change how much you’ll pay every month. A higher excess = a lower premium and a lower excess = a higher premium.
Not all insurers give you this option, so it’s a good thing to check.
The wow factor
With so much choice out there, companies are doing their bit to distinguish themselves. It’s no longer about the pretty colours or funny ads (although these are hilarious). It’s about how they’re doing their bit to help South Africans get insurance that’s affordable and covers their risk responsibly.
A great example would be the decreasing car insurance premiums that this royal insurer offers. Basically, your comprehensive car insurance premiums will decrease every month in line with the depreciation of your car. No other insurer in the country is doing this, so it’s quite novel and helps South Africans save.
These pointers should help you look for quality insurance and if you’d like to get a quote and put them to the test, then click here and get the info you need. You might just find the insurance you need, too.
