Here at Zego, we work with leading insurance brokers to provide our commercial cover to fleets across the UK.
One of these brokers, Flint Insurance, has been at the forefront of our product development rollout. They work closely with us to provide the most innovative insurance solutions to their clients.
We caught up with Sam Ross, Senior Account Manager at Flint Insurance, to find out how they’re getting on with the Zego Fleet Portal.
Hello, Sam! How are you?
Good morning! I’m well thanks, good to see you.
For those who don’t know about Flint Insurance, can you tell us what you do?
Flint Insurance is an independent, family-owned and run business. We specialise in commercial insurance for fleets and businesses. And we also specialise in private clients.
We’ve been trading for just over 40 years. We’re now one of the biggest brokers in London and the South East.
Tell us about your role as Senior Account Manager.
As part of the management team, I help to look after our clients’ sales, renewals, claims and handling teams. I also look after some of our VIP clients.
Who are your VIP clients?
Our VIP clients are people we’ve got long-standing relationships with. Large tenders. Bespoke businesses. There aren’t really any set parameters for what makes a VIP. Most of our clients fall into the VIP category.
What are Flint Insurance’s top priorities right now?
At the moment we’re focused on staff engagement and development. We’ve got a culture where we bring staff in from the very front, young employees, with little to no experience. The same way that I came into this business! And we don’t just develop them into roles that we want — we make sure they’re developing into roles that they want, too.
How did the relationship with Zego start? Zego was pitched to us as a forward-thinking, tech-based business that puts clients first. That instantly caught our attention.
We’ve been trading with Zego since they started. We were one of the first pilot brokers to use their pay-as-you-go policy. We’ve been trading now for just under 3 years. And it’s been a really really good experience for everyone.
How is the relationship with Zego now compared to how it started?
When we started working with Zego, there were only a very small number of us at Flint, dealing with a very small number of people at Zego. As that relationship has grown, we’re now dealing with so many more people.
We’ve got people right across our business that now have direct contact with Zego, from risk management processes to claims, sales and renewals. Absolutely everything. So, when I look back, the relationship has come a very long way in a very short amount of time.
How does Flint Insurance use the Zego Fleet Portal?
We use the Fleet Portal to manage and review our clients’ policies. We get access to lots of different options and features. One of these allows us to see vehicle movements for each of our clients, to get an accurate reflection of how their fleet is driving.
Another thing that’s really handy is that all of the documents are live. So, from client to vehicle, certificates are generated almost instantly. This gives our clients peace of mind that they can trade outside the usual hours of 9 to 5.
The risk management tool is also very good. It shows us not only who the good drivers are in each business, but also the poor-performing ones. It lets us know which drivers need support, and how we can help to educate them.
The Fleet Portal also offers invoicing and billing — all of the financial information. So it’s really beneficial for me as a broker, as it gives me a high level view of absolutely everything I need to know. And for our clients, it’s even more important, because it has everything in one place. There’s no need to reach out to different people to request different things. Whatever they need they can get at the click of a button.
Tell us more about your experience using our risk management features.
The risk management features in the Fleet Portal have been really impactful for us. It gives us driver scores, it gives us harsh acceleration, or harsh events that need dealing with. Having that information at hand, and working with fleet managers to rectify issues before any claims arise, has been really beneficial. As a result, we’re seeing a reduction in our clients’ claims and loss ratios.
Another thing I find really valuable is how easy it is to see the overall fleet score. It’s rated from 0-100, and it shows the overall fleet score and each individual driver score, too. So we know who the best drivers are, and which drivers are in need of some support.
How would you compare managing your clients with Zego versus other insurers?
I do feel that the Zego Fleet Portal brings insurance up to the current century. Previously, there was lots of email management, and it could cause delays to vehicle adjustment.
As a broker, we don’t want to see delays, so we do everything we can to make sure things happen quickly for our clients. But having something like the Fleet Portal takes the guesswork out of it, and the reliance on others. Whatever you want to do on the portal is actionable and live straight away.
Describe your experience with using the Fleet Portal
The Fleet Portal has definitely been a positive experience for us. The ease of management, and the data that’s available at your fingertips. Everything that you want is there, and it’s available straight away.
There’s no reliance on other people, or waiting for other companies to send you stuff. If you need something for your client, it’s there the second you want it.
If you had to use one word to describe the Fleet Portal, what would it be?
In one word — impactful.
Speaking of which, what impact has the Fleet Portal had on your clients’ fleet management?
When I look at the impact the portal has had, the biggest compliment I can give is to relate it to one of my customers — a new taxi business we recently brought on.
They were struggling with adjustments and amendments. Their old ways of managing their fleet meant they did everything by email, and they relied on a response from the insurer before they could start trading. They felt that this was restricting the growth of their business.
Having now traded for over a year with Flint and Zego, this client has been able to grow their fleet by 50%. Which is quite an incredible number!
What would you say are the Fleet Portal’s main benefits for brokers?
For me, it really is the simplicity of it. Everything I need is right there, right when I need it. I don’t have to wait for anything. I can log on and know how many vehicles my clients have got, when they added them, what their risk management looks like, plus billing and accounting.
The biggest success of the Fleet Portal is purely the simplicity and ease of use.
And finally, what's the next big thing for the insurance industry?
I do see a little bit of a shift in the insurance industry. We seem to be coming into more of a digital age, and things like the Fleet Portal are leading that.
I think the future of insurance is going to be more impacted by tech and what it can offer to our clients.
__________________________________________________________________
Ready to give the Zego Fleet Portal a try?
Join our Broker Network and try the Fleet Portal for yourself. A member of our team will talk you through all the features and tools, and give you a no obligation quote.