MiWay CEO René Otto is himself a former resident of the city, and as such says he takes great pleasure in playing a role in its economy. “When we looked at the next location to grow our business, it was obvious that a real opportunity was presented in central South Africa.” he says.

Globally, contact centres have provided opportunities for the creation of employment in remote areas, given their ability to deliver service regardless of location. That’s something which Otto says MiWay took into account in identifying the placement of its next facility.

“As such, rather than adding to the existing offices in Gauteng, MiWay wanted to grow capability elsewhere in the country,” Otto says. “We’re tapping into the often underestimated talent and skills of people living in the Free State; they don’t need to ’semigrate’ to Gauteng to enjoy these opportunities.”

Furthermore, Otto says the regional strengths of Bloemfontein will feed into the company’s national network. He explains how: “This contact centre will specialise in the Afrikaans market, servicing these clients in a language most comfortable for them – again, supporting our promise at MiWay to do things our customer’s way.”

Initially, the contact centre will create jobs for some 60 people; Otto confirms that on its present growth trajectory, it is likely that this number will increase in the near future. “Plans are definitely in the works to expand this office as the business develops.”

At its Bloemfontein centre, Otto says a sound opportunity is created for the introduction of individuals who have completed Matric or some tertiary studies to the world of business, computers and telephony. “We will provide training and there is definite opportunity for career advancement for hard working, focused people,” he notes.

And as a former resident, Otto says he looks forward to rekindling and deepening his involvement with a city which holds personal significance for him.

MiWay tops the insurance league table in every category on independent consumer website HelloPeter.com. Not only does it have the highest number of compliments in the industry, it also has the best conversion rate from complaint to compliment and is the only company to have more compliments than complaints.

“We understand that insurance is a grudge purchase,” says MiWay CEO René Otto. “That is why we think it’s absolutely critical to provide brilliant customer service. If you have to phone your insurance company, it’s already a bad day: we want to make it better, not worse!”

Customers posting directly to MiWay’s public comment forum at http://www.miway.co.za/compliments-and-complaints are especially happy with MiWay’s well-trained and helpful consultants. “They call back when they say they will,” says a comment from client Nokuthula on July 1st. “They deliver every time without fail. The consultants are professional, yet not robotic in their call handling, I am just so happy to be a client.”

“Comments like that make our day,” says Otto. “But even the negative comments are welcome. We sometimes get things wrong – nobody is perfect – but at least when people are expressing their unhappiness directly to us, instead of just to their friends, we have a chance to fix the problem.”

By taking its customer conversations public, MiWay has ensured that problems are quickly identified and solved. The company is committed to offering the best turnaround times in the industry, with a focus on problem-solving rather than finger-pointing.

There are other advantages to transparency too. Because the company has put its reputation on the line, members of the public who post on miway.co.za can expect quick, helpful responses. More than that, they can expect to be genuinely listened to – an increasingly rare experience.

With the entire team committed to accepting public scrutiny and public engagement, MiWay is uniquely accountable for its actions and the way it deals with its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. This accountability not only keeps everyone in the organisation on their toes, it also creates valuable opportunities. MiWay uses customer comments on its website to identify areas where it can improve its service, its communication or its product offerings. “People said we were foolish to allow negative comments on our own website,” adds Otto. “But we are truly committed to having a transparent, open relationship with our customers. We know it’s not the usual way of doing business in the insurance industry, but the fact that we get so many comments on our website every day shows that people are hungry for real contact.”

Otto says MiWay is pleased that the happy customers posting to its own website are equally active on HelloPeter.com. “HelloPeter is a very well-regarded independent forum,” he says. “It’s a great way to get an idea of what customers really think about a brand – they tell it like it is out there. It’s a traditional marketer’s worst nightmare, so we’re thrilled that people are responding to our transparency in such a positive way .”

MiWay CEO, René Otto, said that with the introduction of the second generation MiDriveStyle device, MiWay looked for an innovative, industry specialist within the tracking and recovery industry. “Our requirements are that our partner specialises in tracking and recovery, manufactures a world-class device for our MiDriveStyle offer but can also offer this at an affordable price. We believe that we have found this in Tracker… their track record speaks for itself!”

Launched in February 2009, MiDriveStyle was a first-of-a-kind individualised and behaviour-linked car insurance offer. With MiDriveStyle, South African consumers could, for the first time, influence their own insurance premium by managing their actual driving behaviour. Since the launch of MiDriveStyle, MiWay has been pioneering the concept of individualised insurance premiums through innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.

MiDriveStyle is a MiWay-strategic priority, driven primarily by consumer demand. Otto says that more and more consumers are demanding individual premiums based on their unique profile, needs and behaviour. “They are no longer satisfied with basket premiums based on the perceived collective characteristics of certain demographic groups. The MiDriveStyle product makes it possible for traditionally high risk groups, e.g. young drivers under the age of 25, to lower their premiums by proving that they are better drivers than their peers.”

“We believe that MiWay, positioned as an innovative industry leader, is perfectly placed to take advantage of this opportunity, which is in line with our promise of providing South African consumers with ground-breaking insurance solutions that aim to make insurance more affordable and convenient.”

With a substantial national presence, Tracker SA is well positioned to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the MiDriveStyle offer, says Sales Director Michael Nieuwoudt. “Not only can we meet the technical and cost specifications for the rating and tracking device, but we also have on-the-ground capability to meet the needs of MiWay customers across the country”, he concludes.

The new MiDriveStyle device is available from the 1st of March through the MiWay call centre by calling 0860 64 64 64.

MiWay CEO René Otto points out that the concept was borne out of the number one irritation that clients express with their insurers: the annual premium increase. “In our efforts to understand and empathise with our customers, it became clear that a premium increase every year spelled increased financial pressure and just plain annoyance for many people. That directly led to the development of a Premium Guarantee,” he says.

While Otto says annual and even interim premium increases are a business necessity, MiWay’s actuaries have worked to create a product that offers longer-term budgeting security for its customers. “What we stressed in the design of this product is that it should offer the best of both worlds – affordable, quality cover without the annual escalation.”

The product is available to both new and existing MiWay customers.

“This is just another example of MiWay’s commitment to revolutionising the way South Africans view direct financial services. It adds to our other firsts, which include online buying (and not just quoting) of short-term insurance cover, online self-management of policies, as well as the MiDriveStyle product which lets the individual influence their premium based on the way they drive,” Otto adds.

He says it remains MiWay’s commitment to not only listen to what its customers say, but also to seek meaningful solutions to their concerns in the form of insurance products which push the boundaries of what is considered possible.

Insurance that’s almost too good to be true!

MiWay actually listens to what our clients have to say when it comes to their car and household insurance needs. Update your policy and track your claim ONLINE! Unbelievable? Not with MiWay. Visit miway.co.za for insurance that’s almost too good to be true.
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Mildred Bares All!

Mildred is just as prepared as we are to bare all for you… our transparency is worth having a sneak peek at… visit our Compliments & Complaints webpage…
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Happy or Cross!

We want to know when we make you happy… and when we make you cross.. See what our customers say on our Compliments & Complaints webpage…
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Muriel and Mavis

Muriel and Mavis are driving along when Mavis reminds Muriel that she is driving. Muriel seems quite peturbed that she is in fact the one doing the driving …
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Pull Over!

The ultimate in multi-tasking … when the traffic cop asks our driver to “pull over!!!” she thinks he is referring to the scarf that she is knitting …
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Pull Over! (In Afrikaans)

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