Southern Cross wins two gold awards
New Zealand’s insurer Southern Cross’ health insurance and travel insurance businesses both won gold in their respective categories in the Reader’s Digest Quality Service Awards 2022
The awards, voted on by the public, are run every year to determine which New Zealand organisations have delivered the most outstanding customer service. Consumers rate organisations on personalisation, understanding, simplicity and satisfaction.
This is the fifth consecutive gold for Southern Cross Health Insurance (SCHI) and the third in a row for Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI). Both organisations share the Southern Cross brand, and are businesses united by a not-for-profit ethos helping New Zealanders to look after their health and wellbeing.
The Southern Cross businesses worked hard to maintain this award-winning customer service by providing ongoing support to customers during a time of increased uncertainty due to Covid-19, when accessing healthcare and travel plans were significantly impacted. It also delivered improvements and innovations based on the changing needs of customers.
Despite international travel being severely curtailed, SCTI was able to provide cover to customers taking advantage of bubble travel to Australia and the Cook Islands, and to 15,000 people who went on holiday around New Zealand.
Launching new cover despite pandemic
At the same time, the business has continued to evolve, in preparation for a post-Covid-19 rebound in tourism and subsequent increase in travel bookings. SCTI launched new pregnancy cover to cover the cost of pre-term babies born overseas, and in an award-winning move to make things simpler for customers, the business rewrote some of its policies in plain language to make them easier to understand.
Southern Cross group Chairman Greg Gent said the double Gold win, and the Silver awarded to the pet insurance business, belongs to everyone in the organisation who has consistently gone the extra mile to support customers, particularly during what has been a challenging and uncertain year.
“I’m thrilled that our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional customer service continues to positively impact the experience New Zealanders have with Southern Cross,” said Gent.
Louise Waterson, Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest, added the past 12 months have shown that businesses with excellent customer service records are stronger and better able to weather the storm of market challenges.