Volkswagen Insurance links with Allianz
Volkswagen Insurance Service, the insurance arm of Volkswagen Financial Services, has signed a long term contract with Allianz Insurance plc for the provision of motor insurance products to customers of the Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen passenger cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands.
The initial product line up consists of complimentary seven day drive away insurance and a five star Defaqto rated annual motor insurance.
The complimentary seven day drive away product is introduced to customers by the supplying vehicle retailer, helping customers to start enjoying their new car more quickly. This product has proved popular with both customers and Volkswagen Group retailers since its introduction by Volkswagen Insurance Service (VIS) three years ago.
Annual motor insurance will also be promoted and sold to customers via new internet sites and telephony channels. Telephone sales will be operated by the Allianz call centre in Bristol.
The contract with Allianz commenced on 1st January 2010 and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the growth and development aspirations of the insurance business in the UK for the Volkswagen Group.
David Maloney, VIS Director, said: ‘The growth of our insurance business is of significant strategic importance to us.
‘By working with Allianz we believe we have selected a partner organisation which can support our growth aspirations with products and services that reinforce the quality and value that our business has become synonymous with.
‘Our insurance products help us to demonstrate to customers that we understand their needs and we can offer the most appropriate solutions for them or their vehicle,’ said Maloney.
The VIS team, headed up by Robert Cottrell, will develop and manage a range of insurance products, including motor insurance, all of which will be designed to meet the needs of the Volkswagen Group brands’ customers whilst supporting the sale of genuine parts and increased utilisation of the Group’s paint and body shop network.
VIS products will be totally aligned to each brand ensuring the customer enjoys a seamless brand experience.
Robert Cottrell, Head of Insurance, stated: ‘We consider our motor insurance as the “must have accessory that customers don’t want and hope never to use”, and we’ve designed it to be amongst the best insurance in the industry. No one knows better how to repair a Volkswagen Group vehicle than the Volkswagen Group approved paint and body shop network, therefore they are at the heart of our proposition.
‘So when a customer does make a claim on our insurance we can guarantee that their vehicle will be returned to factory standards, making our insurance the best accessory a customer will ever own or use,’ said Cottrell.
The Volkswagen Group approved paint and bodyshops, genuine Volkswagen Group parts and fully trained technicians make the VIS insurance product a compelling proposition to customers. ‘It’s because of this strong proposition that we are confident that we can call our product “Genuine Insurance”,’ concluded Cottrell.
Mike Caidan, of Allianz Corporate Partners said: ‘This is a significant new relationship which we secured because of our ability to understand VIS’ requirements and to deliver a solution that supports their brand promise to their customers. The seven day and annual policies are up and running successfully and we are exploring opportunities to extend our relationship with VIS into new product areas.’