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PZU is committed to building a positive customer experience with PZU.
PZU has been carrying out client satisfaction surveys for many years. Each year, it broadens their scope, deploys new methods and improves the reporting process, thanks to which it is able to better respond to the clients’ needs.
The results of client satisfaction surveys are distributed to all business units responsible for customer service at a given stage. They allow it to, on an ongoing basis:
- identify the sources of client dissatisfaction;
- compare the level of client satisfaction across products or areas;
- take action in case of declines in client satisfaction;
- introduce remedies in the customer service process.
PZU reports key client experience indicators, such as:
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSS);
- Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Surveys and interviews
- PZU has deployed a permanent benchmark audit to compare the satisfaction of PZU clients with the satisfaction of clients of insurance industry competitors.
- In a quarter, PZU carries out more than 50 thousand client interviews. Meetings with business units responsible for the product and the service process are held on a regular basis – to present the audit results and discuss the areas that need improvement.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
One of the key indicators reported within satisfaction surveys is the Net Promoter Score.
The indicator is standardized and applied all over the world. It allows comparing and verifying the condition of the brand with respect to competitors over time. Clients are asked how willing they are to recommend the brand to their family and friends. The response is selected from a scale of zero to ten, where zero is “definitely would not” and ten is “definitely would”. The clients selecting values from 0 to 6 are highly unlikely to recommend the services, 6 to 7 are neutral, whereas those willing to recommend choose between 9 and 10. The value of the indicator is the difference between the % of critics (answers 0 to 6) and promoters (answers 9 and 10).
At PZU, clients are asked how willing they are to recommend brands after they take out insurance and after they avail themselves of insurance (e.g., payment of benefits, handling of claims, use of assistance, medical visit).
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) – loyalty indicator for PZU SA/PZU Życie clients | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| After insurance is purchased | 44 | 45 |
| After insurance is availed of | 25 | 23 |
Professional service and sales handling indicator (PRO)
The customer service standards in the PZU sales networks among tied agents, field agents, life agents of the Agency Sales Department and multiagents, as well as in branches and office agencies are permanently verified by Mystery Shopping audits.
These audits are an important operating tool for the departments that are managing the sales networks, and allow them to monitor the quality and standards of services offered to clients by sellers. Thanks to quarterly Mystery Shopping audits, a systemic problem that may occur in a particular area of the agent’s or the center’s operations can be diagnosed and then rectified with appropriate communication and training.
Audits are carried out on-site within all channels except for field agents without an office, where service is provided remotely.
In 2018, the professional service and sales handling indicator (PRO) was implemented for branch and office agency audits, which simplified the Mystery Shopping measurement method in PZU branches.
| PRO indicator | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Average value annually | 96.7 | 97.1 |
Satisfaction surveys - subsidiaries
Examines the level of client satisfaction, including the propensity to recommend LINK4, on an on-going basis, focusing on customer service and the processes in operation. Clients receive survey forms in which they can assess the purchase process, aftersales service, loss adjustment and provide their comments. We use the information received to continuously improve the quality of service and to streamline processes.
Conducts customer and broker satisfaction survey. The purpose of the survey is to assess the overall cooperation of clients and brokers with TUW PZUW, as well as to evaluate the service of various areas of the Society’s operation, particularly quoting, after-sales service, claims service and benefits. As part of the study, the NPS is determined. The survey is conducted separately for clients and brokers working with TUW PZUW.
monitors the level of client satisfaction on a continuous basis. A general tendency to recommend its services, as well as client satisfaction with individual products and service channels, such as branches, the hotline or mobile banking, are also examined.
The bank’s relational NPS survey conducted in the third quarter of 2023 reached a historic score of 40 (at the end of the previous year the score was 37). The ongoing NPS surveys are reaching more and more clients each year on different channels of contact with the bank.
Clients’ assessments and opinions are analyzed on an on-going basis and transferred to persons responsible for a given service area. Both survey conducting and distribution methods are constantly developed to improve the quality of information obtained through them, which is subsequently used as a basis for making recommendations and improvements. Results are analyzed with the ongoing support of analytical dashboards allowing far-reaching automated processing of information obtained for clients, ensuring a faster and more approachable presentation of results.
Bank Pekao in 2023 focused on quality improvement, with the goal of strengthening customer experience activities.
One of the pillars of operations is quantitative and qualitative research with clients, the results and analysis of which are translated into concrete operational actions. In 2023, the existing scope of research was expanded to include new processes and customer groups. The bank listens to the voice of clients in order to, according to their needs, improve the quality of service, products and services.
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Complaints and grievances
The complaint examination stages at PZU and PZU Życie include:
- immediate examination of the circumstances of the case;
- assessment of the validity of the issues raised;
- taking a position;
- taking actions to rectify the identified faults, if any;
- replying the client and external body if that body lodged a complaint on the client’s behalf.
Information about the causes of the grievances is analyzed also by the persons responsible for the areas to which they pertain. This is aimed at taking actions which may eliminate the causes of the complaints and their sources in the future. This applies in particular to product offer development, sales, distribution channels, external partner network (including cooperation with service providers and contractors), customer service, claims handling and marketing. Through a satisfaction survey in the claims process, PZU and PZU Życie are examining the customer experience in the claims process. The satisfaction rate at the end of 2023 was 22%.
Complaint prevention system
Based on the conclusions drawn from complaints, all employees involved in examining complaints put forward complaints-related initiatives, or ideas for improvements and on how to eradicate the sources of these complaints and client dissatisfaction, to the Client Relations Department (the owner of the complaint handling process). For this purpose, an appropriate tool has been created: the Client Improvement Database (BUK). The Client Relations Department is responsible for handling all submitted initiatives: verifying all submitted ideas, checking the reasonability of proposed changes with business owners, monitoring the progress of work and then reporting on the outcome of changes and their business impact.
| Ratio of complaints handled within 30 days | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| PZU Group | 97.6% | 98.5% |
| PZU and PZU Życie | 98.0% | 97.9% |
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Penalties and proceedings
- The Financial Supervision Commission in October 2023 issued a final decision, after reconsideration, upholding a May 2022 decision imposing fines totaling PLN 546,300 on PZU. The fines were imposed in connection with failure to pay out claims timely, as referred to in Article 14(1) and 14(2) of the Act on the Mandatory Insurance, Insurance Guarantee Fund and Polish Motor Insurers’ Bureau Act, and in conjunction with PZU’s failure to satisfy the disclosure obligation referred to in Article 14(3) of the said Act;
- The Financial Ombudsman imposed a fine of PLN 2,500 on PZU for violating Articles 6 and 7 of the Act on the Processing of Complaints by Financial Market Entities and the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund Financial Ombudsman, and a penalty of PLN 50,000 (non-final decision) in connection with the Company’s violation of its obligations under Article 9 items 1-2, and from Article 10 items 3-4 of the Law on the Processing of Complaints by Financial Market Operators and the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund.
- The Financial Ombudsman imposed fines totaling PLN 13,000 for violations of Articles 6 and 7 and 10 of the Law on the Processing of Complaints by Financial Market Entities and the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund regarding the timing of complaints.
| Fines for violation of consumer rights (thousands of zloty) | PZU | PZU Życie | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Non-financial sanctions due to legal or regulatory non-compliance (number) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total material penalties for legal or regulatory non-compliance (by quantum) | 0 | 52.5 | 0 | 13.0 |
| Cases under dispute resolution mechanisms | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Financial penalties imposed by KNF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total financial penalties imposed by KNF (in PLN ‘000) | 800.0 | 546.3 | 0 | 0 |
Commentary to 2023: the value of penalties in relation to PZU insurance revenues in 2023 was 0.002%.
Other PZU Group companies: in 2022 and 2023, they did not report penalties for consumer rights violations.
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Complaints and grievances – agents
They are accepted by PZU in any form. Clients decide on their own whether they want to use a traditional letter, an e-mail or a form on PZU’s website, or to report the problem to an employee by phone or directly in a company outlet. The Complaints Handling Section specially appointed in the corporation’s structures deals with the submitted complaints and grievances. The employees of this section field each notification as quickly as possible. In standard cases clients wait for a response for no more than 30 days. In cases that are particularly complicated this timeframe is extended but does not exceed 60 days. If it finds that an agent has breached his or her duties, PZU may curtail the scope of the power-of-attorney extended to enter into insurance contracts, or terminate the agreement. In the event of serious breaches, the Security Department is the appropriate unit to react.TUW PZUW has a Procedure for handling complaints at TUW Polski Zakład Ubezpieczeń Wzajemnych.
TUW PZUW has a Procedure for handling complaints at TUW Polski Zakład Ubezpieczeń Wzajemnych.
A number of policies are in place in foreign insurance companies, defining, among other things, the processes and bases for creating and modifying insurance products, as well as the client complaint handling principles and responsibilities. Lietuvos Draudimas has, among others, the “Policy: Insurance Products”, as well as the “Client Complaint Management Policy” in place. AAS Balta has the “Insurance Portfolio Management and Development Policy” and the “Guidelines for communicating with clients”. Similarly, the Estonian Branch has adopted the “Client Complaint Examination Policy”. The companies in Ukraine, in turn, have the “Rules for examining complaints” in place.
PTE PZU has a Procedure for handling complaints at PTE PZU filed against the activities and services of PTE PZU, OFE PZU and DFE PZU, including the actions of the Transfer Agent performing services under reciprocal agreements. PTE PZU provides information on the rules for handling complaints on the contract forms used by OFE PZU and DFE PZU and in the Regulations for Handling Complaints at PTE PZU available on pzu.pl.
TFI PZU has a Procedure for dealing with complaints from clients of TFI PZU and TFI PZU investment funds, which sets out the rules and guidelines for dealing with complaints from clients of the company or TFI PZU investment funds. Furthermore, TFI PZU developed a customer service procedure for clients who use the portfolio management service of Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU. It is an internal document that governs activities related to the establishment and termination of cooperation between TFI PZU and its client related to managing portfolios of financial instruments and activities related to customer service.
Bank Pekao operates in accordance with applicable laws, in particular the Law on the Processing of Complaints by Financial Market Operators, the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund.
Alior Bank has the “Service Quality Standards Book” in place, defining the individual and business customer service principles. With a view to building new and updating existing service quality standards, the Customer Experience Team operating at Alior Bank, deals with, among other things:
- monitoring the level of service in all channels of contact. The goal of this activity is to analyze the customer’s experience throughout his or her relationship with Alior Bank – from the moment the brand is spotted, through the purchase of the product, after-sales service, and until the relationship is closed. Internal customer service quality surveys and market benchmarks are conducted for this purpose;
- supporting the work of moving clients into the digital world, encouraging them to use self-service, e.g., by educating clients on how to use Alior Bank’s competitive e-banking functionality;
- commissioning Mystery Shopper surveys by cooperating with external research companies in this area;
- implementation of tasks within the Recommendation Group, the main objective of which is to minimize the number of complaints filed with the bank.
PZU’s Client Ombudsman
The most difficult cases that cannot be handled according to the standard complaint procedure or require additional legal or expert opinions are handled by the PZU’s Client Ombudsman. They support clients in clarifying complex and multithreaded cases. They make sure that all actions take account of the client’s perspective and propose solutions that satisfy both parties.
Clients directly contact the Ombudsman through a web form or an e-mail or by phone. It is also possible to have an appointment in person at PZU’s Head Office in Warsaw. Every notification is recorded in the system while the Ombudsman intervenes in cases that, in his or her opinion, require a non-standard approach. The Ombudsman also undertakes educational efforts since many questions forwarded to him or her pertain to the functioning of an insurance product. In 2023, the Client Ombudsman received 1,280 cases to consider.
PZU’s Client Ombudsman also analyzes the cases forwarded to the Management Board of PZU and PZU Życie, and mediates before the Financial Ombudsman and in the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.
The Client Ombudsman has established cooperation with the National Association of the Deaf (PZG) to best align insurance products with the needs of deaf and mute clients. In collaboration with PZG, we made a video showing how deaf and mute persons could use PZU road assistance service. The video has been posted on PZG’s website.
| Cases reported to the PZU Client Ombudsman | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| motor insurance | 40% | 35% |
| protection insurance | 29% | 30% |
| health insurance | 5% | 8% |
| property insurance (buildings and residential units) | 9% | 11% |
| other | 17% | 16% |
LINK4 clients in complex cases requiring additional analysis, in which they have already gone through the standard complaint procedure, can count on the support of the Client Ombudsman. The Ombudsman also assists clients with cases that are still being handled but require additional action or clarification.
The Client Ombudsman at TUW PZUW assists clients in difficult cases that require quick intervention and cannot be handled according to the standard complaint procedure or require additional legal or expert opinions. They also handle customer appearances when the standard complaint procedure has been exhausted, or at the express request of the client to the Client Ombudsman to handle the matter.
At Bank Pekao and Alior Bank, we have Client Ombudsmen who deal with specific cases which cannot be resolved within the standard complaints procedure or which require additional legal or expert opinions. They also support clients in clarifying complex and multithreaded cases. They make sure that all actions take account of the client’s perspective and propose solutions that satisfy both parties.