Award Applications

Presentation

Approximately 50,000 users of sign language live in Poland. PZU has about 40% insurance market share so significant part of those people are our customers.
In everyday life, Deaf people encounter communication barriers during handling their affairs, because Polish is a foreign language for them. Until now, the Deaf person most often came to PZU with a family member who was a translator. The Deaf person wasn’t independent and couldn’t handle his case discreetly, without the need to share information, often sensitive, with family members.
PZU serves Deaf customers in selected branches in the largest cities in Poland. We wanted to bring a situation where the Deaf person, regardless of his location, may contact PZU. Therefore we had made the decision to expand the service and provide it via our Contact Centre. This is possible thanks to the tripartite video call between the Customer, the Sign Language Translator, and our Consultant. The connection can be made free of charge at our website. All the Customer needs is a mobile device or computer with webcam and Internet access.
To our knowledge we are the first insurer in Europe that has applied such solution.
We have the ability to authenticate the Deaf Customer. The Customer can handle almost every case in PZU and get all the information he needs, also confidential and sensitive, without leaving home and without involving others.
The project was led by PZU Contact Centre, PZU Innovation Lab and Migam - an external company, that provides a technical tool, as well as translation service (from / to the Polish Sign Language)

The reason behind

The most important reason, why we decided to implement this solution, was the fact, that a very large group of our current and potential customers cannot freely and independently handle their affairs. Because most Deaf people cannot communicate by writing on paper, they are forced to use the help of family members who act as translators. The problem is not just about insurance issues, but every aspect of life. That’s why we decided to make it easier for the Deaf people to contact our company, believing that their quality of life, at least in terms of contact with PZU, would improve.
It was a very touching moment when we heard from an almost 40-year-old man that thanks to this service, for the first time in his life, he could do his own thing without involvement of his mother.

Uniqueness

To our best knowledge, no company in Poland (probably not only in Poland) use tripartite video connection with client and sign language translator to provide its Deaf customers comfort of service in their own language.
As the largest insurance company in Central and Eastern Europe we want to ensure the highest standards of customer service. Also in non-standard and niche situations.
The standard solution for all companies serving mass customers is telephone support through the Contact Centre. PZU goes a step further and provides video calls, in addition with the participation of sign language translator.

Results

1. Customer acquisition – based on cooperation with an experienced company, which provides access to previously unattainable group of customers.
2. Customer profiling –is a marketing tool that businesses use to understand their customers and helps to make better business decisions.
3. Customer satisfaction – increasing the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals:
• high quality customer service
• high quality of sign language interpretation
• higher rating by both Deaf customers and all other customers
4. Transaction Cost Reduction - costs of traditional interpreter service are much higher than for online interpreter service.
5. Operational Risk Reduction – Reduce the risks associated with the complaint process.
6. Brand Awareness – Increase customer knowledge about factors such as a brand’s reputation, culture, values, quality, features, specifications and social status based on:
• cooperation with startup – willingness to cooperate with young and creative entities, increase in corporate flexibility
• Introduction of technological innovations – three-way video calls as the new standard of exceptional customer service. Openness to the disabled people.
• company open for people with disabilities – implementation of high standards, including demonstration of understanding of a difficult target group such as Deaf persons.