#5
BRITAM
Several years ago, a charcoal trader trusted Britam to secure his son’s future by taking up an education policy. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he fell on hard times and could no longer afford the premiums for an education cover, and the policy lapsed. His son’s future seemed uncertain and in a pivotal moment, months before his eldest sitting for his KCSE exams, and with overdue fees, the trader turned to Britam, sharing his plight. In living up to its purpose of safeguarding dreams and aspirations as well as its slogan, ‘with you every step of the way’, a brand promise to‘always be there’ for its customers, Britam offered a solution that enabled the trader to clear the arrears. His son successfully sat his exams attaining an A, and is currently undertaking an internship at Britam as he awaits university admission to pursue Medicine.
At Britam, customer centricity has been a journey of transformation and is driven by its corporate strategy known as the EPIC2 #OneBritam strategy. The acronym EPIC2 stands for Employees, Partnerships, Innovation, Clients and Conduct. The strategy spans across Britam’s operations in seven African markets, emphasising the importance of understanding customer insights, offering tailored solutions, and fostering a culture focused on meeting customer needs and customer satisfaction.
At the core of Britam’s customer service journey is its leadership, which prioritises a customer-centric mindset within the organisation. Britam’s executive leadership plays a crucial role in driving this culture, and customer experience is embedded within the company’s leadership code. This focus trickles down to all levels of the organisation, ensuring a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints.
“We start with the customer, and end with the customer. In between is also the customer,” says Diane Korir, Britam’s Customer Experience, Brand and Marketing Director. She adds, “We actively listen to customers through their feedback and complaints, observe their pain points and changing behaviours, we study their evolving needs and formulate solutions that address these insights. That’s how we offer an EPIC2 experience.”
Britam is committed to creating a thriving work environment where the ‘Blue Tribe’ as they call themselves can excel. The company fosters a culture that values innovation, adaptability, putting customers first, achieving top results, and embracing everyone. Britam is also invested in its people’s success, and this shows through the leadership development programs, employee engagement initiatives, and the ‘Life at Britam’ video series that showcases the amazing things the team accomplishes.
Moreover, Britam prioritises staff well-being with wellness programs and provides opportunities for learning and growth throughout their career. It is all about creating a place where people can thrive and contribute to something bigger than themselves – their purpose. This commitment to employee experience is core to Britam’s success. Britam’s 2021-2025 EPIC2 strategy hinges on delivering exceptional customer experiences by leveraging its people. Cultivating a thriving environment that fosters the values it holds dear empowers the ‘Blue Tribe’ to excel. Investing in people and their well-being is not just the right thing to do, it is essential for achieving Britam’s ambitious goals. The remarkable shift in employee engagement from 62 percent in 2022 to 77 percent in 2023 is a testament to the commitment and dedication of its leadership and people.
backbone of economic growth thus the commitment towards crafting tailor-made solutions specifically designed to fuel SME success.
The recently unveiled BetaLab – functioning as a startup seed accelerator, nurtures emerging startups, expedites product development and explores collaborations and acquisitions with technology-driven innovators. It serves as a catalyst for disruptive solutions, reinforcing Britam’s resilience and adaptability in the evolving financial landscape. An example is Motomatic, a cutting-edge web and app platform that provides mileage-based car insurance, ensuring that customers only pay for the distance they drive. BetaLab is dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency through technology, resulting in quicker processing and an overall improvement in customer service quality.
Recognising the imminent threat posed by climate change to livelihoods, Britam has taken a leadership role in devising groundbreaking insurance solutions aimed at helping individuals manage climate-related risks effectively. The adverse impacts of climate change continue to threaten the livelihoods of many communities globally. The company unveiled the parametric flood insurance solution, a first-of-its-kind in East Africa, which provides financial protection against flood-induced damages. The index-based flood insurance (IBFI) solution, designed to cushion small-scale farmers residing in flood-prone areas from the catastrophic effects of floods, was developed in partnership with Oxfam Kenya and global reinsurer Swiss Re.
In November 2023, Britam and Swiss Re paid KES 14.1 million as compensation to flood-affected households in Madogo Ward, Tana River County for losses incurred as a result of floods.
Britam also offers crop and livestock insurance coverage to over 60,000 Kenyan farmers, safeguarding their livelihoods amidst droughts and other adverse weather conditions.
These innovative products leverage state-of-the-art technology such as satellite-based remote sensing and automated river gauge data transmission.
Understanding the pivotal role played by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya’s economic landscape, Britam has also introduced the Britam Biashara Network. This unique platform serves as a focal point for SMEs to engage with industry experts, professionals, and peers, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. By facilitating access to essential tools and resources, the network empowers businesses to overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth.
Author: Britam
Editor: Karen Song’e
