Towergate's Kay Martin on why a focus on customer service is the one thing that won't change in 2017

But the beauty of New Year celebrations, however over indulgent, is that they always trigger fresh starts and a chance to do things differently. For me, it's a double whammy - a new role and a new perspective, moving from insurer to broker.

It's a brilliant opportunity to recalibrate and to learn even more about this amazing industry. There's so much to grab and an eye-watering to-do list but overwhelmingly, for me it's all about the customer, both today and in the future. So what's new about that? Nothing. Surely that's never changed, the importance of putting the customer first.

A year of change
In 2016, this relentless focus was clear to see in the UK general insurance market.

Let's face it: the floods at the start of 2016 gave the industry a great opportunity to be there when our customers needed us most. And then there were the other huge distractions and disruptions: SSP outages, the uncertainty of Brexit, the demise of Gable, and the continued acts of terrorism across the globe that threaten the world that we know.

And what did all this show us? The absolute need to focus on our customers, to help them understand the impacts of all this change. On both sides of the wall, be it insurer or broker, we all asked ourselves the same questions. What about our customers? What does it mean for them? What do we need to do now and in the future to help them? It played out in amazing acts of collaboration across the market, between adversaries and competitors, the regulator and the regulated.

So what's to come? Imagine if we'd known this time last year how the months were about to unfold - perhaps best we don't have a crystal ball! But one thing I can safely predict is more change. And that's a good thing. We'll continue to rally around, react to the unforeseen and remain the unsung heroes of a stormy winter. 

Pushing boundaries
We'll keep pushing the boundaries of how we respond to customers, how we can delight them and be there for them either virtually or physically against the backdrop of instant digital gratification. But among all of that, one thing remains constant and that is putting the customer at the heart of everything we do. Insurer or broker - that's not about to change.

Who knows what 2017 will bring? Can it possibly be as dramatic? It's hard to imagine how. But in the event that it is, it's more than likely we'll ask ourselves that same, first question. How can we help our customers through this?