Briefing: Sponsoring staff through driving theory tests could mean a result for insurers too

Last week I ended more years’ worth of procrastination than I care to admit and sat my driving theory test.

Perhaps buoyed by so much time following motor insurance (and frantic revision on lunch breaks), I was fortunate to pass on my first go – and particularly relieved that I didn’t stuff up the question on what an excess is.

During the three-minute gap between the multiple-choice questions and the hazards videos, I found my memory jogged to a conversation I’d had with someone who happened to be making a fairly standard motor claim and was not enjoying the experience.

Nitty gritty details aside, they were insistent that the people dealing with the case had never passed a driving theory test. The policyholder quizzed how someone who has never driven a car or at least got through the theory test could be equipped to understand their claim.

I don’t know how true this is; it is entirely possible for customers to assume the worst when in a frustrating situation where big business seems, in their view, to be getting things wrong.

And while one day-to-day motor claim is hardly headline stuff for Post it did get me thinking.

The thing is – back when I was having this conversation, having never driven a car or sat the test myself, I have to admit my own head was a bit fuzzy picturing the incident. This wasn’t helped by the person’s obvious irritation, which had them speed talking.

If I imagine dealing with a frustrated customer on the phone, going a mile a minute, getting increasingly  worked up and then expecting me to actually do something about it, the scenario is making my head spin.

It is not fair to take things out on someone doing their job and, particularly having dealt with irate customers in past roles, I don’t condone this at all. It is not the call handler’s fault. And yet if their story rang true you can’t blame the claimant for being peeved at their insurer.

We talk a lot about upskilling and making sure employees get the right training, not just so that they are equipped to handle the job but also for talent retention and their personal growth.

And I’m not saying that businesses won’t be training their staff up. But a theory test pass is a quick and obvious way for call centre and other customer service facing motor team members to demonstrate they have the foundations in place and are confident.

It would be wrong, though, to screen out people who may not yet have had the opportunity or means to take a test themselves.

Surely then it makes an abundance of sense to be sponsoring motor-focused staff who have never been on the roads through their theory tests, or at very least incentivising them to sit them.

At a cost of £23 per test, this would hardly break the bank if offered to employees who have passed a probationary period, or if the fee was returned on a successful result – and might serve as a small sweetener to non-drivers looking to come on board and encourage staff loyalty and build confidence in what can be a high turnover area of a business.

Plus, it would be one step closer to employees getting behind the wheel for themselves.

There are great and inexpensive resources – I used an app that cost no more than £7 – that the industry can surely help out with.

And when staff want to take these tests, firms dealing with motor claims should be supportive if they have no option but to take time out of their day to sit them.

We’ve seen Carpenters get on board already – the business offers free revision access and training, which call centre employees can use during quieter patches at work, and reimburses staff for their test (see case study box below).

It’s a small thing but around £30 and a couple of hours per head seems a modest price to pay for a more confident, empowered and qualified workforce. It would be great to see more businesses join the charge.

Motor and Mobility Conference

The challenges facing the motor insurance market are daunting as the pace of change moves up through the gears. The industry, the manufacturers, the law, technology are all in the fast lane – but do you know where that journey will end? This is the conference that will help answer that vital question.

Bringing together hundreds of attendees, including senior representatives from the UK’s leading insurers, regulators and motor manufacturers, Post’s Motor & Mobility Conference explores the key issues currently facing the motor insurance sector.

To find out more, click here: Motor & Mobility Conference