The PZU business model brings together all of the PZU Group’s activities and integrates them in a client-focused manner: life insurance, non-life insurance, health insurance, investments, pensions, health care, banking and assistance services, which exerts positive impact on the quality of client experience.
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Clients can take advantage of the offer in fixed-base locations (at branches, by contacting the agent) or remotely via sales hotline and the Internet (“mojePZU” application/website). This allows PZU to meet the needs of different generations and groups (including families, the youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, clients making use of various on-line tools and those who prefer face-to-face contact). PZU is responsible in its approach to selling products and extending its offer by adding products for individuals and entrepreneurs who pay attention to issues of climate change. Also, the solutions addressed to corporate clients are important (e.g. Benefits Ecosystem, Ecosystem for Health and Medical Care), since decisions taken by these clients impact the quality of life of their employees or business partners.
In the event of a claim, the aim of PZU is to help restore the client’s condition to that prior to the loss, by placing the client in the center, or even anticipating the client’s needs – this is how the Before-You-Call Service and priority claims handling work. PZU is also developing programs providing postaccident support, and offers which take into account elements of social involvement. PZU striver to communicate with clients in a clear manner. This to this end, communication is based on clear and plain language as well as ethical advertising principles. PZU Group regularly conduct client satisfaction surveys, implement improvement processes, and should the need arise developed complaint processes are also in place.
Best practices of PZU and PZU Życie
Five steps theory
The customer service standards in place in PZU branches comprise a “five steps theory” which places particular emphasis on the senior citizens’ needs (e.g. problems with vision, hearing, mobility or comprehension of complex information). The employee guide contains recommendations on how to provide services to senior citizens. In particular, it boils down to providing information in an understandable manner. In 2021, PZU began cooperation with the National Institute of Silver Economy, and in 2022 this cooperation served as the framework for a series of trainings to ensure that senior clients receive even better services in PZU branches. This special care paid by PZU to the needs of seniors was validated by receiving the International Quality Certificate OK SENIOR®. PZU was the first institutions in the insurance industry to receive this award in Poland. PZU branches successfully completed audits of seniors pertaining to infrastructure and provision of services for this client segment, and thus satisfied the conditions to receive the Certificate. This recognition is awarded by OK SENIOR® Polska in cooperation with the National Institute of Silver Economy. The extended network of branches and their adequate accessibility also serve to prevent digital exclusion.
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Preventing exclusion – offer for seniors
PZU pays special attention to the needs of seniors and ensuring appropriate standard of services they are provided with. A special offer was prepared with seniors in mind: “Ecosystem – special offer for seniors”. Its goal is to help improve the well-being of seniors. Also, the option to visit a fixed-base PZU branch is of particular importance for seniors, as not all of they are fluent with on-line tools.
Preventing exclusion – marketing measures
In recent years, the PZU Group conducted research to more precisely formulate expectations of the 60+ generation. Thanks to this, it was possible to create solutions so that senior clients may feel secure at PZU and be certain that the offer will meet their needs.
The starting point was the preparation of guidelines for communication, meaning instructions on how to present the information on the offer to seniors. In early 2022, the National Institute of Silver Economy performed an expert audit of PZU informational materials in terms of accuracy for the needs of senior clients. These recommendations and results of other tests served as the basis to create main principles of preparing marketing materials dedicated to this group. The guidelines pertain to, among others, creating and presenting the content, selecting the font, graphics or highlighting the most relevant information. In addition to linguistic, technical and graphic guidelines, also numerous general recommendations were prepared to be useful for those working with senior clients. Also, works began on first product materials prepared following these guidelines. They differ from standard materials. For instance, they have different narration, scope of product information, smaller amount of text, bigger font and more clear contrast.
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Preventing exclusion – infrastructure
Following the example of seniors, principles were defined on how to serve people with disabilities, including people with mobility impairment, blind persons or persons with impaired vision, deaf persons or persons with impaired hearing, or people with speech impediments.
Approximately 78% of PZU’s branches offer access to people with disabilities. They are equipped with, among others, solutions that aid mobility:
- there are currently no barriers at entrances in approximately 37% of the PZU branches;
- in approximately 40% of the branches, access to the disabled is facilitated through suitable ramps, elevators and other technical equipment.
During the verification of the market and analysis of facilities for lease agreements to be used as newly-opened branches, the accessibility afforded to the disabled is one of the key criteria making buildings eligible to be leased by PZU.
With guaranteeing the reduction in the number of obstacles and equal accessibility as their goal, PZU, other business entities and local governments are participating in a nationwide campaign to “eliminate obstacles” in Poland. The steadily growing number of parking spots for disabled persons across the country is a visible outcome. Efforts were made in all of the properties with parking lots owned by PZU to designate separately marked spots for eligible vehicles. If parking lots are leased then PZU expends effort for the lessor to show its care about creating separate privileged spots. Moreover, approximately 43% of PZU branches are equipped with accessible toilets for persons with disabilities. Thus, the new seat of PZU, Generation Park Y – PZU Park, meets the highest standards of adjusting the building to various needs of employees.
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Post-accident support
In many cases, a person’s disability is the outcome of an accident. The sudden loss of full physical ability is an extremely difficult experience. In such trying times, PZU does not only pay the claim but is also able to provide the injured persons with assistance under its Rehabilitation Program. PZU addresses this program to those persons who suffered bodily injury in an accident in which the perpetrator had third party liability insurance with PZU. The Rehabilitation Program ensures:
- faster physical recovery process and comfortable family and professional life,
- treatment and rehabilitation at the highest level in reputable centers of PZU Zdrowie and other cooperating with PZU,
- organization of tests, consultations and procedures without the need for the injured person to bear any costs, with only minimum formalities.
The Rehabilitation Program serves as an excellent example of using the potential and synergy of different PZU Group companies, in this instance of PZU and PZU Zdrowie, which are dynamically developing its network of medical centers.
The correctness of this rehabilitation process is overseen by the PZU Relationship Manager – an experienced mobile expert responsible for Organizing Assistance. They support the injured person and their family at each and every stage of recovery. They help the Relationship Manager to establish the actual situation of the injured person and correctly assess the personal injury. The multidimensional help that the PZU Relationship Manager offers to the injured person may comprise, among others:
- psychological support in the form of stationary therapeutic and recreational camps for children and their families suffering from trauma caused by an accident,
- support in the form of home or remote psychological consultations for those experiencing post-accident trauma,
- Rehabilitation Program for those severely injured in an accident, carried out in medical centers of PZU Zdrowie and other cooperating with PZU,
- prosthetic supply program for people who lost limbs in an accident and need properly selected supplies, which are provided by prosthetic facilities cooperating with PZU,
- legal information of a PZU expert on obtaining a court permit to enter into a settlement in a personal injury case in favor of a minor,
- informational support regarding eligible claims and documentation required for claims handling, as well as the possibility of obtaining benefits and other allowances from state institutions and non-governmental organizations.
PZU also cares about the needs of the disabled in its prevention initiatives. An example of such actions may be the comprehensive service provided to drivers and passengers with disabilities in cooperation with the SPiNKa Association of Disabled Drivers. This long-term cooperation bears fruit in the form of financial support to individuals suffering from various disabilities (movement, speech or hearing), whose active dayto-day existence requires a specialist technical adaptation of their vehicle. Beneficiaries who wish to be professionally and socially active may receive funding for specialized adaptation of the car to meet their needs. Financial support can also apply to entities that provide services to people with disabilities and want to adapt vehicles for this purpose (e.g. driving lessons). Car adaptations are carried out with new types of equipment, which increases the comfort of the cars. In addition, the equipment is mostly of Polish manufacture. Every year, PZU supports the adaptation of vehicles for tens of drivers.
Level of implementation 2022:
Free motor TPL insurance for citizens of Ukraine >54,000 policies issued.
Psychological support in the form of home and remote consultations is provided by psychologists working together with PZU Zdrowie and the Rakiety Oncological Foundation. Beneficiaries are those who were directly or indirectly injured in an accident caused by a driver who has TPL with PZU. PZU prosthetics program – the injured person may receive full funding for the creation of a prosthesis following an amputation resulting from an accident, or the repair of a damaged prosthesis. Actions going beyond GTCI, financed from the product budget. Legal Information Program – assistance for parents of a child who was injured in an accident.
Best practices of PZU and PZU Życie
It is planned that the ESG Strategy at PZU (assistance programs: psychological support, prosthetic supplies and legal information) are to provide different forms of help to 325 people in 2023, and 350 people in 2024.
Needs of parents
PZU also seeks to meet the needs of parents. Playroom corners have been prepared specially for the children, where the child may freely and safely occupy oneself while the parent is taking care of all the matters related to an insurance policy. As in the previous year, by the end of 2022, there were playroom corners in 13 branches.