How can you convince people to keep coming back to you for advice? Making sure they realise the extra value you can offer is key, so it makes sense to look closely at the added-value services on offer in the protection market.
Most providers include something extra in their plans — not just a claim payout. For example, helplines, discounts or health programmes. What might your clients value most? What we do know is that if they find themselves facing a serious illness, for example, a payout can help. But money’s not always the first thing on their mind.
In a tickbox survey run in September 2013, 92 per cent said they thought they’d need practical and emotional support first if they’d been diagnosed with a critical illness.
Some providers offer at-claim support services or will put your clients in touch with organisations that can help. But Bright Grey’s unique Helping Hand service stands out, because it can be used any time. It puts your clients in touch with a personal nurse adviser from independent care advisory service RedArc who can offer advice, practical help and emotional support. That could mean anything from listening to arranging and paying for extra therapies such as bereavement counselling or aromatherapy massage.
And now Helping Hand also offers a second medical opinion. Unlike second-opinion services where patients’ files are sent away for review, Helping Hand arranges face-to-face consultations with medical experts from the NHS or private sector in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. That means their recommendations will be in line with NICE* guidelines or the equivalent.
The nurse advisers play a crucial role in supporting clients who might want a second opinion. First, they can help them determine the likely benefits. Then they can arrange it for them. Afterwards, they’ll help them understand the results and decide what to do.
Bright Grey is not the only provider to offer RedArc’s personal nurse adviser and second-opinion service, although it is the only one to offer it from the day the plan starts, not just at claim.
Recommending cover that comes with a service such as this could make a real difference to your clients’ lives. And that’s a great way to show them why coming to you was a wise choice.
To find out more about Helping Hand, click here.
Jennifer Gilchrist
Senior Product Development Manager, Bright Grey
*National Institute for Health and Care Excellence