ING Australia (ING) has completed the first round of its Podium Professional Development series for 2010.
Positioned by ING as an exclusive life risk insurance leadership and professional development program, the first Podium events for the year focussed on how to maximise the value of the adviser/client relationship.
Marketing expert, Andrew Griffiths, spoke to advisers about various client service concepts, including the value of delivering surprising customer service strategies, and the benefits that can be derived from looking outside the financial services industry for great service ideas.
ING’s National Distribution Development Manager, Paul Jones, shared with advisers how to turn ‘customer service’ into ‘client relationships’, calling on advisers to make sure that the client is provided with the outcomes that are on their own wish list, not outcomes that address the adviser’s wish list.
Finally, advisers heard a passionate presentation from US risk insurance specialist, David Buckwald, who related the shattering impact of the loss of life of so many of his clients who were victims of the September 11 2001 terrorist attack on New York’s World Trade Centre, how that event changed his life and those of the victim’s families and how he still maintains contact with the families as they struggle to lead a normal life.
Further Podium events will be held throughout 2010, culminating in a Podium National Summit, to be held in Queenstown, New Zealand in December.
ING OneCare Changes
As recently reported in riskinfo (see: ING OneCare Enhancements), ING has initiated enhancements to its OneCare range, with effect from 1 March.
According to ING, the key enhancements in this upgrade relate to more favourable lump sum future insurability options:
- New three year increase option - allows policy holders to increase their cover by up to 25% of the amount insured (up to $200,000) on every third-year policy anniversary without having to undertake a medical test
- New personal event - when a policy holder ceases to have tax dependents, they can now apply to increase their Life Cover amount insured to cover the additional tax payable
The other key enhancement highlighted by ING is an enhancement to partial payments for specific loss, where 25% of the TPD sum insured will now be paid (previously 20%) to a new maximum of $500,000 (previously $100,000).
Commenting on these changes, Gerard Kerr, Head of ING Product Marketing & Reinsurance, said: “By listening to adviser feedback we aim to develop products that match adviser and client needs.”
“These latest enhancements and upgrades continue our ongoing focus on making OneCare the most comprehensive and flexible life insurance product available to Australians,” said Mr Kerr.
